Modular reactor system

Abstract

A modular reactor system comprises a backplane connected to a computer and a thermal control unit. The backplane includes a plurality of seats for releasably holding a plurality of modules. Each module holds a reactor vessel that may be used to conduct experiments. A plurality of laboratory instruments, such as motors, switches, sensors and pumps are included within the backplane and on the reactor modules. These laboratory instruments are utilized to perform work on the contents of the reactor vessels when the modules holding the reactor vessels are positioned in the backplane. A computer is connected to the backplane and controls the laboratory instruments within the backplane and on the reactor modules positioned within the backplane. A thermal control unit provides a thermal control fluid that is delivered to the reactors in the reactor modules when the modules are properly seated in the backplane.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A modular reactor system comprising: 
 a. a housing having a plurality of seats; and    b. a plurality of modules removably positioned in the seats, each of the plurality of modules including a module shell holding a reactor vessel defining a reactor chamber, the reactor vessel including a plurality of ports leading to the reactor chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of laboratory instruments associated with each of the plurality of seats, wherein each of the plurality of laboratory instruments is independently controlled with respect to the other laboratory instruments.  
     
     
         3 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of laboratory instruments associated with each of the plurality of modules, wherein each of the plurality of laboratory instruments is independently controlled with respect to the other laboratory instruments.  
     
     
         4 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one receptacle located on the housing, the receptacle for receiving electronic measurements related to an experiment conducted in the reactor chamber.  
     
     
         5 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one gas line positioned in the housing, the gas line including a port connecting the gas line to one of the plurality of modules when the module is positioned in one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         6 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  wherein the module shell further comprises at least one pump and at least one reagent seat positioned on the module shell, the at least one pump operable to pump a reagent positioned on the reagent seat to the reactor chamber.  
     
     
         7 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising a thermal control unit connected to the housing.  
     
     
         8 . The modular reactor of  claim 7  wherein the reactor vessel further includes at least one fluid port connected to the housing, the fluid port for receiving thermal control fluid from the thermal control unit.  
     
     
         9 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising a computer connected to the housing, the computer having at least one input device and at least one output device.  
     
     
         10 . The modular reactor system of  claim 9  wherein the housing includes a plurality of module control units connected to the computer, the plurality of module control units also connected to a plurality of laboratory devices.  
     
     
         11 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one electric motor, the at least one electric motor connected to at least one stirrer shaft extending into the reactor chamber.  
     
     
         12 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of modules includes a clamp, the clamp for securing the reactor vessel to the module shell.  
     
     
         13 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of modules includes an electronic tag and the housing includes a plurality of tag readers associated with each of the plurality of seats, wherein one of the plurality of tag readers is operable to read one of the plurality of electronic tags when one of the plurality of modules is placed in one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         14 . The modular reactor system of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of modules further include a protective shield such that the reactor vessel is located between the protective shield and the housing.  
     
     
         15 . The modular reactor system of  claim 14  wherein a backlight is located on the housing behind the reactor vessel.  
     
     
         16 . An automated laboratory workstation comprising: 
 a. a plurality of modules, each of the plurality of modules including at least one reactor vessel and an identification;    b. a housing having a plurality of seats for receiving the plurality of modules; and    c. a processor operable to identify one of the plurality of modules positioned in one of the seats based on the identification on the module, the processor further operable to retrieve a unique set of instructions directed to the identified module and execute the unique set of instructions.    
     
     
         17 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the at least one reactor vessel in each of the plurality of modules is a single reactor vessel.  
     
     
         18 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the at least one reactor vessel includes a reactor chamber positioned within a temperature regulation chamber.  
     
     
         19 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 18  wherein the reactor chamber is visible through the reactor vessel and the module when the module is placed in one of the plurality of seats of the housing.  
     
     
         20 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 17  wherein the reactor is visible through the module when the module is placed in one of the plurality of seats of the housing.  
     
     
         21 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the at least one reactor vessel is comprised of glass.  
     
     
         22 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein each of the plurality of modules further includes a module shell and a clamp connected to the module shell, and one of the at least one reactor vessels is retained on the module shell by the clamp.  
     
     
         23 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein each of the plurality of modules further includes at least one reagent seat for retaining a reagent bottle.  
     
     
         24 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 23  wherein each of the plurality of modules further include at least one pump retained upon the module, the at least one pump operable to pump fluid contained in the reagent bottle to the reactor vessel.  
     
     
         25 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the housing includes a plurality of first electrical connectors, each of the plurality of first electrical connectors associated with one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         26 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 25  wherein each of the plurality of modules includes a second electrical connector and placement of one of the plurality of modules in one of the plurality of seats causes the second electrical connector on said one of the plurality of modules to mate with the first electrical connector on said one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         27 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  further comprising a plurality of electric motors positioned in the support housing, each of the plurality of electric motors associated with one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         28 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the housing includes a plurality of electrical receptacles associated with each of the plurality of seats, each of the plurality of receptacles for receiving electrical measurements related to the contents of the at least one reactor vessel in one of the plurality of reactor modules.  
     
     
         29 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 16  wherein the identification is an electronic tag.  
     
     
         30 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 29  wherein the electronic tag is an RFID tag.  
     
     
         31 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 29  wherein the electronic tag is an optical tag.  
     
     
         32 . An automated laboratory workstation comprising: 
 a. a housing having a plurality of seats;    b. a plurality of modules removably positioned within the plurality of seats, each of the plurality of modules including a module shell holding a reactor vessel;    c. a computer connected to the housing, the computer including at least one input device and at least one output device;    d. a graphical user desktop accessible through the computer, the graphical user desktop comprising 
 (i) a representation of the reactor vessel in one of the plurality of modules;  
 (ii) a representation of a plurality of laboratory devices associated with the reactor vessel; and  
 (iii) data entry blocks for receiving operation parameters related to the plurality of laboratory devices.  
   
     
     
         33 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 32  further comprising a plurality of first electrical connectors positioned upon the support housing such that each of the plurality of seats is associated with one of the plurality of first electrical connectors.  
     
     
         34 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 33  further comprising a plurality of second electrical connectors, each of the plurality of second electrical connectors positioned upon one of the plurality of modules such that the second electrical connector mates with one of the plurality of first electrical connectors when said one of the plurality of modules is positioned in one of the plurality of seats.  
     
     
         35 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 32  wherein the computer is operable to retrieve a set of instructions related to a specific module.  
     
     
         36 . The automated laboratory workstation of  claim 35  wherein the computer is operable to identify the specific module positioned in any one of the plurality of seats and execute the set of instructions related to the identified specific module.  
     
     
         37 . A method of conducting an experiment comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a housing having a plurality of seats and an identification reader associated with each of the seats;    b. providing a module having an identification, the module including a reactor vessel positioned thereon;    c. providing a plurality of laboratory devices, a first plurality of laboratory devices positioned in the support housing and a second plurality of laboratory devices positioned on the module;    d. programming a computer with instructions to control the plurality of laboratory devices in relation to the reactor vessel positioned on the module and thereby conduct the experiment in the reactor vessel; and    e. inserting the module in one of the plurality of seats such that the identification reader reads the identification on the module and the computer controls the plurality of laboratory devices to thereby conduct the experiment.    
     
     
         38 . A modular chemical workstation comprising: 
 a. a plurality of modules, each of the plurality of modules including at least one reactor vessel for conducting an experiment;    b. a housing having a plurality of seats for receiving the plurality of modules;    c. means for identifying each of the plurality of modules and distinguishing which of the plurality of modules is positioned in which of the plurality of seats;    d. means for retrieving a unique set of instructions directed to each of the plurality of modules and executing the unique set of instructions with respect to each of the plurality of modules.    
     
     
         39 . A method for conducting experiments in a plurality of reactor vessels, each of the plurality of reactor vessels defining a reactor chamber, and each of the reactor vessels including a plurality of ports leading to the reactor chamber, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a housing having a plurality of seats;    b. providing a plurality of modules removably positioned in the seats, each of the plurality of modules including a module shell holding one of the plurality of reactor vessels;    c. providing a plurality of laboratory instruments, each of the plurality of laboratory instruments associated with one of the plurality of modules or one of the plurality of seats    d. independently controlling each of the plurality of laboratory instruments such that activation of one of the plurality of laboratory instruments associated with one of the plurality of modules or one of the plurality of seats does not require activation of another of the plurality of laboratory instruments associated with another of the plurality of modules or another of the plurality of seats.