Method and apparatus for accessing a plate storage device

Abstract

A storage device and its method of use comprises a first door and a second door spaced relative to one another so as to define a storage area therebetween. Each of the first and second doors have an open position to permit access to the storage area and a closed position to enclose the storage area. The first door is linked to the second door such that when the first door is in the open position the second door is in the closed position and when the first door is in the closed position the second door is in the open position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to provisional U.S. patent application entitled, “Method and Apparatus for Accessing a Storage Plate Device,” filed Jul. 16, 2004, having a Ser. No. 60 / 588,337 the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to accessing an enclosed interior chamber. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing environmental fluctuations in an environmentally controlled chamber, which can occur with accessing the chamber from an external or differently maintained environment. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Drug discovery and many of the methods used in the process are slowly becoming automated. This increase in automation is used as an attempt to get drugs to the market place faster. However, the automation has created at least a number of issues in laboratories throughout the ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus and method is provided that in some embodiments permits access to materials contained in a controlled environment while minimizing environmental fluctuations due to such access.

[0007] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a storage device can be located within an environmentally controlled chamber. The storage device can be accessible from within the environmentally controlled chamber as well as from an environment exterior to the storage device. Because of the configuration of the storage device, the environment exterior to the storage device can have a minimal impact on the environmentally controlled chamber. The storage device comprises a first door and a second door spaced relative to one another so as to define a storage area therebetween. Each of the first and second doors has an open position to permit access to the storage area and a closed position so as to enclose the storage area. The first door is preferably linked to the second door such that placing first door is in the open position places the second door is in the closed position and placing the first door is in the closed position places the second door is in the open position.

Problems solved by technology

However, the automation has created at least a number of issues in laboratories throughout the world.

The second issue is that with the increasing amount of automation in drug discovery, more and more experiments are being run in a much shorter period of time resulting in a proliferation of sample containing plates that require short term storage and incubation for temporal analysis.

Repeatedly opening the access door may cause temperature fluctuations in the chamber due to the recurring exposure to the ambient environment.

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