Centrifuge and method for adjusting center of gravity of centrifuge rotor

Abstract

The present invention provides a centrifuge with a low risk of contamination that can automatically adjust the positions of a solid weight provided on the rotor according to the weight of a sample to be centrifuged. The centrifuge comprises: a rotor 11 comprising, on the radially opposite side from an end of the rotor 11 where a sample to be centrifuged is held, a weight moving mechanism 20 that movably supports a solid adjustment weight 22 along the radial direction; and a center-of-gravity adjustment unit 30 comprising a weight drive mechanism 31 which is disposed at a position apart from the rotor 11 and connectable to the rotor 11 and which is connected to the weight moving mechanism 20 to move the adjustment weight on the rotor 11. The center-of-gravity adjustment unit calculates an amount of movement or a movement position of the adjustment weight according to the weight of a container containing an inputted sample, and moves the adjustment weight accordingly.

Description

Centrifuge and method for adjusting center of gravity of rotor of centrifuge

[0001] The present invention relates to a centrifuge equipped with a mechanism for adjusting the position of the center of gravity of a rotor to adjust the rotational balance of the rotor, and a method for adjusting the center of gravity of a centrifuge rotor to adjust the rotational balance of the rotor.

[0002] A centrifuge is an instrument that uses centrifugal force to separate, concentrate, purify, and analyze substances in liquids or powders. Centrifugal force is achieved by rotating at high speed centrifuge tubes, tubes (e.g., Eppendorf tubes), plates (e.g., microwell plates) containing a specimen or sample to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as a "sample"). (In the following description of the present invention, centrifuge tubes, tubes, plates, etc. are collectively referred to as "tubes" or "containers.") To achieve this, the sample is typically placed on one end of a rotor (a rotating body on which the sample is placed; hereinafter simply referred to as a "rotor" in this specification), and then a tube or plate adjusted to the same weight as the sample is placed on the opposite side of the rotor from the side where the sample is placed, thereby maintaining balance during rotor rotation.

[0003] However, in the field of cell culture, the weight of the sample often varies for each centrifugation process, and therefore, every time the centrifuge is used, users of centrifuges in the field of cell culture have to adjust the tubes and plates to the same weight as the sample to be centrifuged, which places a heavy burden on them.

[0004] Centrifuges capable of automatically adjusting the rotation balance without adjusting and setting samples and tubes or plates of the same weight as the samples on both ends of the rotor are disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3809952 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-64012 (Patent Document 2). The automatic balancing centrifugal separator disclosed in Patent Document 1 has lever movement motors 252, 272, 652 provided in the rotor that move rotor levers 230, 240, 630 left and right, thereby automatically adjusting the balance during rotation.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for automatically correcting the rotor weight balance by supplying a fluid (e.g., water) from an externally provided inertia adjustment mechanism 5 into cavities 10a and 10b in rotor 4, and adjusting the amount of fluid 11 so as to reduce vibration during rotation (see paragraphs

[0009] and

[0017] ). In Patent Document 2, the cavity serves as a storage section for the fluid, and changes in weight due to changes in the amount of fluid in the storage section function as a weight that adjusts the center of gravity and thus the balance.

[0006] Japanese Patent No. 3809952 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-64012

[0007] The self-balancing centrifuge disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a lever-moving motor installed inside the rotor, and adjusts the center of gravity of the rotor by moving the rotor lever to the left or right end inside the rotor. However, installing the lever-moving motor inside the rotor increases the weight of the rotor, which is a rotating body, and increases the drive load for rotational drive. Furthermore, since a motor for driving the rotor is installed inside the rotation mechanism, it is necessary to design the balance of the rotor taking into account the shape, position, and weight of the motor, making adjustment of the rotational balance difficult. Furthermore, increased weight makes it difficult to adjust the balance when the rotor rotates at high speed, and increases the acceleration time to reach a predetermined rotation speed and the braking time to stop.

[0008] The specification of Patent Document 2 does not clearly explain the structure, shape, and materials of the cavities (hereinafter referred to as "storage sections") 10a and 10b, nor the evacuation of air inside the storage sections when injecting liquid. However, if the storage sections (cavities) are formed of a rigid body, injecting liquid into the cavities requires air vents or an air vent adjustment mechanism to evacuate or draw in air inside the storage sections depending on the amount of liquid injected. Such structures with air vents carry the risk of water leaching from the vents. Because water leaching poses a serious contamination risk, it is preferable to minimize the risk of water leaching in centrifuges used for cell culture and chemical analysis.

[0009] To avoid this problem, the reservoir can be shaped like a flexible balloon that expands or contracts to accommodate the amount of liquid injected, eliminating the need for ventilation, such as by expelling or inhaling gas from the reservoir.

[0010] However, in the case of a balloon-shaped storage section, the storage section needs to be made of a flexible material that can expand and contract when liquid is injected or sucked out, which reduces the durability of the storage section and increases the risk of liquid leakage.

[0011] Furthermore, the expansion or contraction of the storage unit, which serves as an adjustment weight, changes the three-dimensional shape of the storage unit, making balance adjustment of the rotor complex. Specifically, when liquid is injected, the storage unit expands, and not only does the weight of the storage unit increase depending on the amount of liquid supplied, but the volume also increases, causing the three-dimensional shape of the storage unit (balloon) to change. When the three-dimensional shape of the storage unit changes depending on the amount of liquid injected, the position of the center of gravity of the storage unit (balloon) itself, which serves as a weight adjustment body, also fluctuates. Therefore, complex balance adjustment is required that takes into account not only the change in the weight (supply amount) of the liquid depending on the amount of liquid injected, but also the change in the position of the center of gravity of the storage unit itself due to the supply.

[0012] Furthermore, regardless of whether the storage section is rigid or in the form of a flexible balloon, the centrifuge of Patent Document 2, which uses a liquid as a weight adjustment medium, also faces the risk of liquid leakage from the rotary joint mechanism. As mentioned above, in the fields of cell culture and chemical analysis, liquid leakage poses a risk of contamination, so the risk of liquid leakage must be avoided as much as possible. A highly accurate and durable rotary joint that can reliably prevent liquid leakage has a complex structure and increases costs, so centrifuges that use a liquid as a weight balancer, as in Patent Document 2, have various problems.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a centrifuge and a method for adjusting the balance of a centrifuge that can adjust the center of gravity of the rotor by automatically moving the position of a solid adjustment weight in accordance with the weight of the sample, without providing a drive source for driving the weight inside the rotor, thereby reducing the risk of contamination and achieving stable rotational balance.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the centrifuge according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a rotor that is driven to rotate about a predetermined axis, supports a bucket that holds a container containing a sample at one radial end of the rotation about the axis, and supports a solid adjustment weight that adjusts the rotational balance by adjusting the center of gravity of the rotor at the other radial end so as to be movable in the radial direction; a rotor drive motor that drives the rotor to rotate; a center of gravity adjustment unit that is provided at a position separate from the rotor and can be selectively coupled to the rotor, and that is coupled to the rotor when the center of gravity is reached to drive the adjustment weight to move in the radial direction; and a control unit that controls the operation of the center of gravity adjustment unit and the rotor drive motor.

[0015] According to this aspect, the center of gravity adjustment unit is provided separately from the rotor so that it can be connected to it, thereby making it possible to reduce the rotor's weight. Furthermore, since the rotor does not have a driving unit, the rotor structure is simple, making it easy to adjust the center of gravity of the rotor. This also makes it possible to suppress vibration during high-speed rotation and stabilize rotational balance. Furthermore, the drive load at the start of rotor rotation can be suppressed, making it possible to shorten the braking time at the start and stop of rotation.

[0016] Another aspect of the centrifuge of the present invention is characterized in that the center of gravity adjustment unit includes a weight drive mechanism that drives the adjustment weight in the radial direction, and a coupling mechanism that moves the weight drive mechanism to couple or separate the rotor and the drive mechanism so as to drive the adjustment weight, and the control unit calculates drive data for moving the adjustment weight based on input data related to the weight of the sample to be centrifuged, and controls the weight drive mechanism based on the drive data.

[0017] The drive source for the weight drive mechanism and the drive source for the coupling mechanism can be various drive means such as a motor, hydraulic drive, or high-pressure air drive. The weight drive mechanism has a drive unit that drives the adjustment weight and a drive-side coupling end that couples the weight drive unit to the rotor. The rotor has a rotor-side coupling end that connects to the drive-side coupling end. When the weight drive unit is a motor, the drive-side coupling end can be connected to the rotating shaft of the motor directly or indirectly via a gear or the like.

[0018] The control unit calculates drive data for moving the adjustment weight to a position where the center of gravity of the rotor coincides with the center of rotation of the rotor when the sample is set on the rotor, controls the drive of the coupling unit and the weight drive mechanism to couple the weight drive mechanism to the rotor, and then moves the adjustment weight to the center of gravity position based on the drive data.

[0019] The drive data can be calculated from the mass of the adjustment weight, the distance from the center of rotation to the center of gravity of the adjustment weight, and the weight of the sample. The term "calculate" also includes the act of reading and acquiring data from a pre-recorded table. For example, the drive amount of the adjustment weight for each sample weight (e.g., the amount of motor rotation if the drive source is a motor) can be stored in a table, and the drive amount corresponding to the sample weight can be read from the table and used as the drive data. In this case, the drive amount can be defined as the drive amount from a predetermined reference position.

[0020] A method for adjusting the center of gravity of a rotor of a centrifuge according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided, comprising: a rotor that is driven to rotate about a predetermined axis, supports a bucket holding a container containing a sample at one radial end of the rotation about the axis, and supports a solid adjustment weight that adjusts the rotational balance at the other radial end so as to be movable in the radial direction; a center of gravity adjustment unit that is arranged at a position separate from the rotor so as to be connectable to the rotor and moves the adjustment weight in any direction in the radial direction; and a control unit that controls the operation of the center of gravity adjustment unit, the method comprising: (a) a data input step of inputting data relating to the weight of the container containing the sample; (b) a calculation step of calculating a movement amount of the adjustment weight based on the data; (c) a step of connecting the center of gravity adjustment unit to the rotor before, after, or during execution of both or one of steps (a) and (b); and (d) an adjustment step of adjusting the center of gravity of the rotor after execution of all of steps (a) to (c), by moving the adjustment weight based on the movement amount calculated in step (b). The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0021] According to the present invention, a solid adjustment weight for adjusting the center of gravity is provided at one end of the rotor so that it can be moved radially, and a weight drive mechanism for changing the position of the rotor's center of gravity is provided outside the rotor. This makes it possible to change the center of gravity by connecting the rotor and the weight drive mechanism only when the center of gravity needs to be changed. This makes it possible to automatically adjust the rotational balance of the rotor without significantly increasing the rotor's weight. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a centrifuge that can automatically adjust the rotational balance in response to changes in sample weight. The rotational balance can be adjusted by moving the adjustment weight toward the rotation center or toward the circumference so that the rotor's center of gravity is the center of rotation. Furthermore, the use of a solid adjustment weight eliminates the need for concerns about liquid leakage and complex center-of-gravity adjustment mechanisms.

[0022] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a main part of a centrifuge according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the appearance of a rotor drive unit and a coupling unit of FIG. 1; 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front right side of FIG. 2; 4 is a functional block diagram showing the main functions of a centrifuge according to the present invention; 5 is a flowchart showing an adjustment process procedure of the present invention for adjusting the center of gravity of a rotor according to the weight of a sample;

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the main part of a centrifuge according to one embodiment of the present invention (with the cover removed). Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the appearance of the rotor drive unit and coupling unit of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same part as Fig. 2, seen from the front right side of Fig. 2.

[0024] 1 shows a state in which both the rotor 11 and the center of gravity adjustment unit 30 are stopped. The dashed line indicates a state in which a tube (centrifuge tube) 70 set in the rotor 11 is kept horizontal by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotor 11 (state during centrifugation). The centrifuge 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes the rotor 11, a rotor drive motor 15 that drives the rotor 11 to rotate, and a center of gravity adjustment unit 30 that adjusts the rotational balance of the rotor 11.

[0025] The rotor 11 is rotated by a rotor drive motor 15 at low to high speeds (for example, 400 to 10,000 revolutions per minute) and applies centrifugal force to a sample placed on the rotor 11, thereby centrifuging it. The rotor 11 comprises a base 12, a bucket (sample storage section) 13 provided at one end of the base 12, and a weight movement mechanism 20 extending from the other end of the base 12. The bucket 13 hangs down from one end of the base 12 by a hinge, and a tube (centrifuge tube) 70 containing a sample is placed in the bucket 13.

[0026] A weight moving mechanism 20 is provided on the other end side of the base portion 12 of the rotor 11. The weight moving mechanism 20 includes a guide portion 21 that is fixed to the base portion 12 and extends in the radial direction of the rotor 11, and a solid adjustment weight 22 that is slidably provided on the guide portion 21.

[0027] The adjustment weight 22 has a female-threaded through-hole (not shown), and a drive shaft 23, whose outer periphery extends in the radial direction of the male thread, passes through the through-hole with the male thread meshing with the female thread. One end of the drive shaft 23 is rotatably fixed to a guide support part 24a provided at one end of the guide part 21, and the other end is rotatably fixed to a guide support part 24b provided at the other end of the guide part 21.

[0028] Therefore, when drive shaft 23 rotates, adjustment weight 22 moves forward and backward a predetermined amount in the radial direction along guide portion 21 depending on the direction and amount of rotation. Accordingly, the center of gravity of rotor 11 moves in the direction of the rotation radius of rotor 11 depending on the amount of rotation of drive shaft 23. By controlling the direction and amount of rotation of drive shaft 23 in this way, the center of gravity of rotor 11 can be changed according to the weight of the sample, and the rotational balance can be adjusted.

[0029] The center of gravity adjustment unit 30 is installed away from the rotor 11 and includes a weight drive mechanism 31, a coupling mechanism 40, and a center of gravity adjustment control unit 60 (see FIG. 4). The weight drive mechanism 31 rotates the drive shaft 23 of the rotor 11 to move the adjustment weight 22 in the direction of the rotation radius of the rotor 11, thereby adjusting the rotational balance of the rotor 11. The center of gravity adjustment unit 30 is located at a position away from the rotor 11, and is retracted to a position away from the rotor 11 when the rotor 11 is rotating, etc.

[0030] When adjusting the center of gravity of the rotor 11 to adjust the rotational balance of the rotor 11 by moving the adjustment weight 22, the weight drive mechanism 31 is moved toward the rotor 11 by the coupling mechanism 40 to connect the coupling ends 25, 35 on the rotor side and the weight drive mechanism 31 side. Thereafter, the drive side joint end 35 of the weight drive mechanism 31 is rotated to rotate the drive shaft 23, thereby adjusting the rotational balance of the rotor 11.

[0031] First, the weight drive mechanism 31 will be described. In the centrifuge shown in Figures 1 to 3, the weight drive mechanism 31 includes a weight drive motor 33 as a drive source that rotates the drive-side coupling end 35. The weight drive motor 33 is fixed to a support plate 32 (see Figure 2). When the weight drive motor 33 is driven with the coupling ends 25, 35 connected, the drive shaft 23 connected to the rotor-side coupling end 25 rotates forward or backward depending on the rotation direction of the rotation shaft of the weight drive motor 33. This causes the adjustment weight 22 to move toward or away from the center of the rotor 11 in the rotational radius direction, thereby changing the center of gravity of the rotor 11 and adjusting the rotational balance.

[0032] Because the adjustment weight 22 is a solid weight, the mass and center of gravity of the adjustment weight itself do not change. Therefore, unlike balance adjustment using a liquid as in Patent Document 2, balance adjustment using a solid adjustment weight can be simply calculated from the mass of the adjustment weight and the distance from the center of rotation to the center of gravity of the adjustment weight. This makes it possible to easily and accurately adjust the balance in accordance with changes in the weight of the sample placed in the bucket.

[0033] The coupling mechanism 40 will now be described. The coupling mechanism 40 includes a coupling drive unit 41 and an L-shaped movable plate 45 that moves forward and backward by the coupling drive unit 41. The movable plate 45 is configured to be able to move forward and backward in the direction of the rotor 11. The coupling drive unit 41 can be an air cylinder, hydraulics, a motor, or the like, but the embodiment in Figures 1 to 3 illustrates a configuration using an air cylinder.

[0034] Air supplied from the forward air supply pipe 42 moves a plunger (not shown) at the tip forward, advancing the movable plate connected to the plunger. Air supplied from the reverse air supply pipe 43 moves a plunger (not shown) backward, causing the movable plate 45 to move backward. The movable plate 45 and the support plate 32 of the weight drive mechanism 31 are fixed with bolts or other fastening mechanisms, and as the movable plate 45 moves forward, the weight drive mechanism 31 moves forward, and the coupling ends 35, 25 are coupled. As the movable plate 45 moves backward, the coupling ends 35, 25 of the weight drive mechanism 31 and the rotor 11 separate.

[0035] The coupling ends 25, 35 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The rotor-side coupling end 25 (see Figure 3) and the drive-side coupling end 35 (see Figure 2) have four protrusions (mesh portions) 25a-25d and 35a-35d that engage with each other at least during rotation. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the four protrusions on each side are arranged with a relatively large gap to ensure smooth coupling between the two coupling ends 25, 35. It is desirable that the configuration and arrangement be such that all protrusions on both sides simultaneously come into contact and engage with each other, regardless of whether the rotor is rotating in the forward or reverse direction during rotational drive. It is also desirable that the width of the protrusions 25a-25d or 35a-35d on at least one of the coupling ends be inclined so that they gradually increase in width relative to the direction of travel during coupling.

[0036] 1 to 3, a relatively large gap (gap, play) is provided between the protrusions 25a to 25d, 35a to 35d at each coupling end, making it easier to couple the rotor-side coupling protrusions 25a to 25d with the drive-side coupling protrusions 35a to 35b. When the protrusions are arranged with a gap provided in this manner, this gap (play) causes only the spindle drive motor 33 to idle when the spindle drive motor 33 starts to rotate after coupling, until the protrusions engage.

[0037] However, the distance that the adjustment weight 22 connected to the drive shaft 23 moves due to this play is very small, and has little effect on the center of gravity adjustment. For example, let's assume that the rotation angle of the idle rotation due to this play is 2 degrees, and the thread pitch of the drive shaft 23 is 1 mm. In this case, the adjustment weight 22 moves 1 mm for every 360 degrees of rotation of the drive shaft 23, so if the idle rotation of the weight drive motor 33 is 2 degrees, this results in an error of 1 / 180 mm, which is a very small error and does not pose a major problem for center of gravity adjustment.

[0038] If high precision is required so that even this slight error would be a problem in accurately controlling the position of the adjustment weight, then in order to avoid idling due to such play, the positions and sizes of both protrusions may be set with precision so that they mesh with each other without any play between them. However, if the protrusions are configured to be connected with precision so that there is little play between them when connected, then alignment during connection becomes difficult.

[0039] Various operational controls are also possible that enable highly accurate position adjustment while providing a predetermined amount of play to facilitate coupling. For example, when moving the position of the adjustment weight 22, the adjustment weight 22 is always returned to a predetermined reference position during center of gravity adjustment, and then the drive shaft 23 is rotated in the same direction to adjust the position of the adjustment weight 22. This eliminates the play in the rotation of the weight drive motor 33, enabling highly accurate adjustment.

[0040] In the above correction control, the reference position can be determined by, for example, providing a stopper at the reference position and mechanically stopping the adjustment weight 22 at the reference position. Alternatively, a sensor can be provided to detect the reference position. The amount of play that occurs when rotating in the opposite direction is a unique value for each device, so it can be measured at the time of shipment and stored as an initial value. When calculating data such as the amount of movement, the amount of play can be subtracted from the control amount.

[0041] In this embodiment, the adjustment weight 22 is driven by the weight drive motor 33, but it is also possible to change the center of gravity by driving the adjustment weight 22 with a hydraulic cylinder, an air pump, or other conventional drive source. In this case, the shape, configuration, and connecting means of the connecting end portion must be adjusted to match the drive source.

[0042] Next, adjustment of the center of gravity for rotational balance adjustment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram functionally illustrating the mechanisms and main control parts related to the overall control of the centrifuge 10, and Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the center of gravity adjustment process. The control unit 50 receives data related to centrifugation input from the input unit 53 and controls the overall operation of the centrifuge 10. Note that the centrifuge 10 also includes a sensor that detects the position of the coupling mechanism 40 and various other sensors, but these various sensors are not shown here.

[0043] The centrifuge 10 is equipped with an input unit 53 and, if necessary, a communication unit 54. The input data input from the input unit is information related to centrifugation, such as data related to the rotor rotation speed, rotation time, and sample weight, which is information necessary for the centrifugation process. The input data may be configured to be input from an external computer 80 or the like via the communication unit 54. Alternatively, data related to the sample weight may be input by measuring the weight of a container 70 containing a sample held in the centrifuge 10 using a weight measurement unit 81 and transmitting the data from the weight measurement unit 81 via wired or wireless communication. The input data is stored in the memory unit 61 and used for various operations.

[0044] The control unit 50 can be configured with a CPU (not shown), control software for controlling the entire device stored in the memory unit 62 or other memory units (not shown), and various individual software for controlling individual functions. The main control unit 51 processes input data and communication data, and controls the control operations of the individual control units, such as the connection control unit 62, data calculation unit 63, weight drive control unit 64, and rotor drive unit 52.

[0045] 4 and 5, an example of the operation and processing procedure for adjusting the center of gravity position of the rotor 11 of the centrifuge shown as an embodiment in Figures 1 to 3 will be described. The main control unit 51 acquires data on the weight of the sample, including the container 70 containing the sample, from input data input from the input unit 53 or from a computer or the like 80 (including a weight measurement unit 81) (step S1). Then, from the acquired data, the center of gravity position for maintaining the rotational balance of the rotor 11 during centrifugation processing is calculated, and drive data is calculated (step S2).

[0046] In the field of cell culture, the weight of the sample to be centrifuged and the weight of the container 70 set in the centrifuge vary depending on the type of cell being cultured, etc. This changes the center of gravity of the rotor, causing the rotational balance to be disrupted. To adjust the rotational balance, it is necessary to change the position of the adjustment weight 22 on the rotor 11 and move the center of gravity of the rotor 11 to the center of rotation of the rotor 11. Since the distance (length) from the center of rotation (axis of rotation) to the sample container, the weight of the adjustment weight 22, and the center of gravity of the adjustment weight 22 itself are known in advance, the data calculation unit 63 calculates the distance (length) from the center of rotation to the position of the center of gravity of the adjustment weight 22 so that the center of gravity of the rotor 11 becomes the center of rotation (step 2).

[0047] The term "calculating" as used herein also includes reading and acquiring data from a pre-recorded table. For example, the amount of movement or position of the adjustment weight 22 from the reference position is calculated in advance and stored in a table or the like for each 1 g increase or decrease in the combined weight of the sample and container to be centrifuged relative to the reference weight (the unit of increase or decrease can be set arbitrarily depending on the required accuracy), and this information is then read and acquired when weight data related to the sample or the like is input. Note that the calculation of the drive data (step S2) is not limited to before the coupling operation of the weight drive mechanism, but may also be performed during or after the coupling operation.

[0048] Thereafter, under the control of the weight drive control unit 64, the weight drive motor 33 is rotated by an amount corresponding to the calculated drive data to move the position of the adjustment weight 22 and change the position of the center of gravity of the rotor 11 so that the position of the center of gravity of the rotor 11 when it rotates after the sample is set becomes the center of rotation (step S4). Once the movement of the adjustment weight 22 is complete, under the control of the coupling control unit 62, the weight drive mechanism 31 is separated from the rotor 11 (step S5), completing the adjustment of the center of gravity position. Thereafter, under the control of the rotor drive unit 52, the rotor drive motor 15 is driven to rotate the rotor 11 for a predetermined time set based on the input data, thereby performing centrifugation.

[0049] In this specification, the shape of the adjustment weight is shown as an example of a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, the various drive sources are not limited to those exemplified in this specification, and various conventional or well-known drive sources can be used. Furthermore, the shapes, configurations, etc. of each part shown in this specification and the drawings are merely examples, and the shapes, configurations, etc. of each part can be changed as appropriate within the scope of the basic technical concept of the present invention.

[0050] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 rotor 12 base portion 13 bucket 20 weight moving mechanism 22 adjustment weight 23 drive shaft 25 rotor-side connecting end portion 30 center of gravity adjustment portion 31 weight drive mechanism 33 weight drive motor 35 drive-side connecting end portion 40 connecting mechanism 41 connecting drive portion 42 forward air supply pipe 43 reverse air supply pipe 45 movable plate 50 control portion 51 main control portion 60 center of gravity adjustment control portion

Claims

1. A centrifuge comprising: a rotor which is driven to rotate about a predetermined axis, supports a bucket holding a container containing a sample at one radial end of the rotation about the axis, and supports a solid adjustment weight at the other radial end so as to be movable in the radial direction for adjusting the center of gravity of the rotor to adjust the rotational balance; a rotor drive motor which drives the rotor to rotate; a center of gravity adjustment unit which is provided at a position separated from the rotor and can be selectively coupled to the rotor, and which couples with the rotor when adjusting the center of gravity to drive the adjustment weight to move in the radial direction; and a control unit which controls the operation of the center of gravity adjustment unit and the rotor drive motor.

2. The centrifuge described in claim 1, characterized in that the center of gravity adjustment unit is equipped with a weight drive mechanism that drives the adjustment weight in the radial direction, and a coupling mechanism that moves the weight drive mechanism to couple or separate the rotor and the drive mechanism so as to be able to drive the adjustment weight, and the control unit calculates drive data for moving the adjustment weight based on input data regarding the weight of the sample to be centrifuged, and controls the weight drive mechanism based on the drive data.

3. The centrifuge according to claim 2, characterized in that the weight drive mechanism comprises a weight drive part which drives the adjustment weight and a drive-side connecting end which connects the weight drive part and the rotor, and the rotor comprises a rotor-side connecting end which connects with the drive-side connecting end.

4. The centrifuge according to claim 3, wherein the weight driving portion is a motor, and the coupling end portion on the driving side is directly or indirectly connected to a rotating shaft of the motor.

5. A centrifuge as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the control unit calculates drive data for moving the adjustment weight to a position where the center of gravity of the rotor when the sample is set on the rotor coincides with the center of rotation of the rotor, controls the drive of the coupling unit and the weight drive mechanism to couple the weight drive mechanism to the rotor, and then moves the adjustment weight to the center of gravity position based on the drive data.

6. The centrifuge according to claim 5, characterized in that the input data to the control unit is transmitted and input from an external weight measuring unit or an external computer via wired or wireless communication.

7. A centrifuge as described in claim 5, characterized in that the input data to the control unit is obtained by automatically measuring the weight of a sample container when it is held in the bucket and inputting the weight to the control unit.

8. A method for adjusting the center of gravity of a rotor of a centrifuge, comprising: a rotor that is driven to rotate about a predetermined axis, supports a bucket holding a container containing a sample at one radial end of the rotation about the axis, and supports a solid adjustment weight for adjusting the rotational balance at the other radial end so as to be movable in the radial direction; a center of gravity adjustment unit that is arranged at a position separate from the rotor so as to be connectable to the rotor and moves the adjustment weight in any direction in the radial direction; and a control unit that controls the operation of the center of gravity adjustment unit, the method comprising: (a) a data input step of inputting data on the weight of the container containing the sample; (b) a calculation step of calculating an amount of movement of the adjustment weight based on the data; (c) a step of connecting the center of gravity adjustment unit to the rotor before, after, or during the execution of both or one of steps (a) and (b); and (d) an adjustment step of adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the rotor by moving the adjustment weight based on the amount of movement calculated in step (b) after all of steps (a) to (c) have been executed.

9. The method for adjusting the center of gravity of a rotor of a centrifuge as described in claim 8, characterized in that in step (a), data relating to the weight is input by wired or wireless communication from an external weight measuring device or computer.

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