Specimen plate lid and method of using

Abstract

The specimen plate lid is generally a block, with a cover portion and a side portion. An alignment protrusion extends from the side portion and cooperates with an alignment member of the specimen plate to assist in manually or roboticly guiding the lid onto the specimen plate. An underside surface of the cover has a sealing perimeter for receiving a seal constructed from a compliant material, and shaped to cooperate with a complimentary sealing surface on the specimen plate. The lid is weighted so that when the lid is aligned and positioned on the specimen plate, the weight of the lid provides a gravitational force to sufficiently compress the seal against the sealing surface on the specimen plate. Accordingly, the lid is sufficiently sealed to the specimen plate to avoid contamination and impermissible drying.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A lid for a specimen plate, comprising: 
 a cover having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side;    an alignment protrusion extending from the side of the cover, the alignment protrusion positioned to cooperate with an alignment member of the specimen plate;    a sealing perimeter positioned on the bottom surface of the cover; and    wherein the alignment protrusion facilitates aligning the lid to the plate so that a seal is compressibly received between the sealing perimeter and a sealing surface of the specimen plate.    
     
     
         2 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the alignment protrusion is a plurality of alignment tabs.  
     
     
         3 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the alignment member of the specimen plate includes at least one sidewall of the specimen plate.  
     
     
         4 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the seal is a perimeter seal attached to the sealing perimeter.  
     
     
         5 . A lid according to  claim 1  wherein the seal is attached to the sealing surface of specimen plate.  
     
     
         6 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the alignment protrusion is constructed in the form of a lip.  
     
     
         7 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid is constructed from a single block.  
     
     
         8 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid is constructed of a heavy material to facilitate compressing the seal.  
     
     
         9 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid is constructed from stainless steel.  
     
     
         10 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has separate weight members attached to the cover.  
     
     
         11 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has a weight in the range of about 100 grams to about 500 grams to facilitate compressing the seal.  
     
     
         12 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has a weight of about 400 grams to facilitate compressing the seal.  
     
     
         13 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the alignment protrusion is constructed within a tolerance of about 0.100 mm to about 0.2 mm.  
     
     
         14 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the seal is a contiguous perimeter seal between the lid and specimen plate.  
     
     
         15 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the cover is substantially rectangular, with a longer edge and a shorter edge, and the alignment protrusion is constructed in the form of alignment tabs and the alignment member are sidewalls of the specimen plate.  
     
     
         16 . The lid according to  claim 15  wherein at least one alignment tab is positioned along each shorter edge and at least one alignment tab is positioned along each longer edge.  
     
     
         17 . The lid according to  claim 16  wherein two alignment tabs are positioned near the ends of each shorter edge and a single alignment tab is positioned near the center of each longer edge.  
     
     
         18 . The lid according to  claim 15  wherein the seal extends around a corner of the cover by using two connected forty-five degree angles.  
     
     
         19 . The lid according to  claim 15  wherein the alignment tabs are constructed in the form of at least two corner tabs.  
     
     
         20 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the seal fits into a groove.  
     
     
         21 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the seal is a perimeter seal constructed of a highly compliant material.  
     
     
         22 . The lid according to  claim 21  wherein the perimeter seal is constructed of a silicone rubber.  
     
     
         23 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has a plurality of through-holes for diffusing gas, the through-holes positioned within an area bounded by the sealing perimeter.  
     
     
         24 . The lid according to  claim 23  wherein each through-hole is about 1 mm in diameter.  
     
     
         25 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid further includes a recessed area for increasing a volume of gas retained between the cover and a top surface of the specimen plate.  
     
     
         26 . The lid according to  25  wherein the lid further includes through holes positioned in an area bounded by the sealing perimeter, the through-holes constructed to keep the volume of retained gas at an approximately 5 percent CO 2  concentration.  
     
     
         27 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid further includes an opening having a gas permeable membrane for diffusing.  
     
     
         28 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the lid further includes a gripper structure for coupling with a robotic gripper.  
     
     
         29 . The lid according to  claim 28  wherein the gripper structure includes a gripper lip positioned at an edge of the cover.  
     
     
         30 . The lid according to  claim 1  wherein the alignment protrusion has a chamfer at a lower portion cooperating with the sidewall.  
     
     
         31 . A method of manufacturing a lid for specimen plate, comprising: 
 selecting a block of a heavy metal;    shaping an alignment protrusion in the block, the alignment protrusion positioned to cooperate with a sidewall of the specimen plate;    forming a sealing perimeter in an underside surface of the block, the sealing perimeter having a geometry to align with a sealing surface on the specimen plate;    constructing a seal from a highly compliant material; and    attaching the seal to the sealing perimeter.    
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the sealing perimeter is a groove and the seal is removeably fitted into the groove.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31  further including forming a chamfer on the alignment protrusion.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 32  wherein the alignment protrusion is constructed in form of a plurality of alignment tabs.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the block is selected to be a stainless steel.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the seal is constructed from silicone rubber.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 31  wherein the shaping step includes casting or machining.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 31  further including shaping a gripper structure on the lid so that a robotic gripper assembly can couple to the lid.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 31  further including shaping a recess into the underside of the lid to provide an increased volume of retained gas between the lid and an upper surface of the specimen plate.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 31 , further including forming a plurality of through-holes in the lid.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 31 , further including forming an opening in the lid and placing a gas permeable membrane in the opening.  
     
     
         42 . A method of using a lid to substantially seal a specimen plate, comprising: 
 providing a heavy lid with a plurality of alignment tabs, the heavy lid having a seal constructed of a highly compliant material on its underside;    engaging the lid;    positioning the lid generally aligned above the specimen plate;    partially lowering the lid to the plate so that each of the alignment tabs begins to engage a sidewall of the plate;    continuing to lower the lid to the plate, the alignment tabs facilitating the self-alignment of the lid to the plate so that the seal contacts and cooperates with a sealing surface on the plate;    disengaging the lid, so that the lid rests on the specimen plate; and    compressibly receiving the sealing surface against the seal.    
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42  wherein the engaging step includes coupling a robotic gripper attachment to the lid.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42  wherein the partially lowering step includes engaging a chamfered surface on each alignment tab.  
     
     
         45 . An automated robotic lidding system, comprising: 
 a lid for a specimen plate;    a gripping structure on the lid;    a plurality of alignment tabs on the lid, each alignment tab being positioned to cooperate with a sidewall of the specimen plate;    a robot having a gripping attachment for coupling with the gripping structure on the lid;    a compliant seal on the underside of the lid, the seal positioned to contact and cooperate with a sealing surface on the specimen plate; and    wherein when the robot rests the lid on the specimen plate, the weight of the lid compresses the compliant seal against the sealing surface of the specimen plate.    
     
     
         46 . A lid for a specimen plate, comprising: 
 a cover having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side;    an alignment protrusion extending from the side of the cover, the alignment protrusion positioned to precisely cooperate with a sidewall of the specimen plate;    a sealing perimeter on the bottom surface of the cover; and    wherein the alignment protrusion facilitates aligning the sealing perimeter to a sealing area on the plate, the cover being precisely positioned so that the sealing perimeter does not touch any sample well on the specimen plate.    
     
     
         47 . A lid for a specimen plate, comprising: 
 a cover having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side;    a seal positioned on the bottom surface of the cover; and    wherein the lid rests on the plate so that the seal is compressibly received against a sealing surface on the specimen plate.    
     
     
         48 . A lid for a specimen plate, comprising: 
 a metal cover having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side; and    wherein the lid rests on the plate so that the lid is compressibly received against a sealing surface on the specimen plate.    
     
     
         49 . A system using a lid to substantially seal a specimen plate, comprising: 
 means for providing a heavy lid with a plurality of alignment tabs, the heavy lid having a seal constructed of a highly compliant material on its underside;    means for engaging the lid;    means for positioning the lid generally aligned above the specimen plate;    means for partially lowering the lid to the plate so that each of the alignment tabs begin to engage a sidewall of the plate;    means for continuing to lower the lid to the plate, the alignment tabs facilitating the self-alignment of the lid to the plate so that the seal contacts and cooperates with a sealing surface on the plate;    means for disengaging the lid, so that the lid rests on the specimen plate; and    wherein the seal is compressibly received against the sealing surface.