GIRIBONA PAOLO (IT)
BALDASSARI DANIELE (IT)
GABBARRINI ALFERINO (IT)
RAINER WERNER (IT)
GIRIBONA PAOLO (IT)
BALDASSARI DANIELE (IT)
GABBARRINI ALFERINO (IT)
| GB2081118A | 1982-02-17 | |||
| US4293643A | 1981-10-06 | |||
| US20050083781A1 | 2005-04-21 | |||
| US20060177936A1 | 2006-08-10 | |||
| US3235173A | 1966-02-15 | |||
| EP1393797A2 | 2004-03-03 | |||
| US20050277538A1 | 2005-12-15 | |||
| US3825178A | 1974-07-23 |
| CLAIMS
1) Mechanical stirrer consisting of a base body (1) and of a rotary device (2) , characterised in that said rotary device is actuated by a stepping motor and in that said rotary device comprises a series of housings (3) for the containers to be agitated.
2) Stirrer as in claim 1), characterised in that said rotary device is a rotary plate (2) .
3) Stirrer as in claim 2), characterised in that said plate (2) is interchangeable .
4) Stirrer as in claim 3), characterised in that the plate (2) is fastened to the base (1) through a pin (4) , which engages with suitable holes (5) found both in the plate (2) an on the upper surface of a rotary disc (6) , carried by the base (1) .
5) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a housing (3) is provided.
6) Stirrer as in any one of claims 1) to 2) , characterised in that multiple housings (3) are found.
7) Stirrer as in claim S) , characterised in that said housings (3) are four, arranged crosswise.
8) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said housings (3) are of a suitable shape and size for accommodating the container to be agitated, resting thereon.
9) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said containers are sealed test tubes or bottles, lying on their lateral surface.
10) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said base comprises, inside, electronic control devices and a series of electric circuits for the power supply of the various components .
11) Stirrer as in claim 10) , characterised in that said electronic control devices consist of a PCB card.
12) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housings (3) comprise a series of grooves (7) through which concentric rings run (8) , carried by a fixed plate (9) found on the base (1) .
13) Stirrer as in claim 12), characterised in that said grooves (7) are perpendicular to said housings (3) .
14) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the stepping motor has a single rotation direction.
15) Stirrer as in any one of claims 1) to 14) , characterised in that the stepping motor runs in an alternate direction.
16) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises one or more devices displaying and controlling the rotation speed of the plate (2) and/or the mixing duration and/or the mixing starting time .
17) Stirrer as in claim 16) , characterised in that it comprises a device which allows to adjust the mixing start time and duration.
18) Stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is fully managed by a microchip equipped with non-volatile internal memory, capable of storing the various working steps.
19) Use of a stirrer as in any one of the preceding claims for the mixing of toxic substances .
20) Use of a stirrer as in any one of claims 1) to 18) in a controlled atmosphere. |
"MECHANICAL STIRRER"
* § * § * § *
The present invention refers to a mechanical shaker, particularly useful for preparing solutions, even in the presence of toxic substances .
During the preparation of solutions, agitation plays a particularly important role. As a matter of fact, agitation allows faster replacement of the solvent, containing a high percentage of the solute, near the latter, and therefore allowing a very low or even nil dissolution rate, with fresh solvent, at a lower or even nil concentration, so as to generate faster dissolution. Moreover agitation accelerates the diffusion process, so as to obtain an even concentration of solute in the solvent within a reasonable time .
For these reasons, the problem of agitation has always been deeply felt and various types of shakers have been developed. So magnetic stirrers exist, as well as rod and blade stirrers, and rotary plate shakers .
The present invention concerns precisely this last type. Among these shakers, the most common ones are centrifugal shakers. However, they are meant more for the separation of solid substances from liquid ones, than for the mixing of solvents and solutes, being capable of rotating at extremely high speeds and only in one direction.
The present invention originates in the fact that over the last few years medical-scientific evidence has been produced proving that hand agitation of vials, bottles or other containers to achieve good dissolution, in the long run causes damage to the operator's arm muscles and joints. Moreover, sometimes, especially in hospitals for the preparation of chemotherapeutic drugs, operations are carried out under highly toxic conditions, which are of course dangerous. Current shakers allow the agitation of containers of a predetermined shape and size only.
The above drawbacks are brilliantly solved by the present invention, which concerns a mechanical stirrer consisting of a base body and of a rotary device, characterised in that said rotary device is actuated by a stepping motor and in that said rotary device comprises a series of housings for the containers to be agitated.
The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stirrer according to the present invention; fig. 2 is a side view of the stirrer according to the present invention; fig. 3 is a plan view of the stirrer according to the present invention; and fig. 4 is an exploded view of the stirrer according to the present invention.
The mechanical stirrer according to the present invention essentially comprises a base 1 and a rotary plate 2. Plate 2 comprises one or more housings 3 (four in the drawings) , of a suitable size and shape, to retain the container to be agitated, sitting thereon. It can be provided, for example, to store in housings 3 a series of closed test tubes or bottles (as in fig. 1), lying on their lateral surface.
Preferably, said plate 2 is interchangeable and plates 2 with housings 3 can be provided, having different sizes and shapes, in order to accommodate the most diverse containers. Thereby, the stirrer according to the present invention becomes extremely versatile.
Advantageously, plate 2 is fixed to base 1 through a pin 4, which engages with suitable holes 5 found both in plate 2 and in the upper surface of a rotary disc 6, carried by base 1.
According to the invention, base 1 comprises inside a stepping motor, electronic control devices (for example a PCB card) and a series of electric circuits for the power supply of the various components.
Advantageously, housings 3 comprise a series of grooves 7, perpendicular to the housing itself, through which concentric rings 8 run, carried by a fixed plate 9, found on base 1.
In order to use the stirrer according to the present invention, first a plate 2 with housings 3 must be chosen of a size suitable to the containers whose contents are to be mixed. Plate 2 is placed on base 1, taking care that through-holes 5 found on plate 2 match those found on rotary disc 6. Through pin 4, plate 2 is made integral with rotary disc 6.
Once the container has been placed into its corresponding housing 3, the stepping motor contained in base 1 is started. The stepping motor drives into rotation rotary disc 6 which, through pin 4, drives into rotation also plate 2. The rotation of plate 2 at
suitable speed boosts agitation of the liquid contained in the container.
The stepping motor generally has a single rotation direction. However, it is also possible to provide the stepping motor with the option of running in alternate directions, thereby substantially boosting agitation, and hence mixing.
Mixing can be encouraged also by the combination of grooves 7 and of concentric rings 8. As a matter of fact, the concentric rings 8 of fixed plate 9 are sized so as to run over grooves 7. Thereby, the rotation of plate 2 causes the concentric rings to come into contact with the container to be agitated. In the case, such as the one illustrated, wherein the container is a cylinder lying on its lateral surface, concentric rings 8 drive the container into rotation about its axis, imparting a two-fold agitation thereto: one according to the rotation of plate 2, the other according to the rolling of the container, activated by concentric rings 8.
It is apparent that the stirrer according to the present invention allows optimal agitation of liquids in containers of virtually any size and shape, due to the option of interchanging plates 2.
It is possible, owing to the electronic control devices found in base 1, to introduce viewing and control devices of the rotation speed of plate 2, of the mixing time, of the mixing start time and others. In particular, a device which allows to adjust the start time and the mixing time is particularly useful .
Preferably, the stirrer according to the present invention is fully and automatically managed by a microprocessor provided with nonvolatile internal memory, capable of storing the various working steps. In case of power failure it is thereby possible to resume the cycle precisely from the point it was broken off at .
Moreover, the stirrer according to the present invention ensures maximum safety for the operator, especially in the case of mixing of toxic substances. It can be integrated in stations for the preparation of toxic substances and can operate in a controlled atmosphere .
Other changes and variants, within the reach of a person skilled in the field, are in any case possible, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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