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JP-2026075053-A - Rheometer apparatus and method for measuring the rheological properties of a sample

JP2026075053AJP 2026075053 AJP2026075053 AJP 2026075053AJP-2026075053-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a rheometer device and a corresponding method that overcome at least partially the shortcomings of conventional devices. [Solution] The present invention relates to a rheometer apparatus (1) for measuring the rheological properties of a sample. Such a rheometer apparatus (1) comprises a housing apparatus (3) having at least one measuring unit (2) and at least one drive unit (4), and an evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8), the evaluation unit (7) being coupled to at least one measuring unit (2) and the housing apparatus (3), respectively. The housing apparatus (3) houses a plurality of sample containers (5) that are at least partially different from each other, each having a sample contents, and is designed to generate a defined motion, thereby enabling simultaneous and parallel measurements of a plurality of sample contents (6) in each sample container (5). Furthermore, a corresponding method (M) is disclosed. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

  • サブリナ キュースペルト
  • フロリアン ルンメル
  • レヴェンテ スザント
  • レベッカ タウブマン

Assignees

  • ネッチ ゲレーテバウ ゲーエムベーハー

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250922
Priority Date
20241009

Claims (20)

  1. A rheometer apparatus (1) for measuring the rheological properties of a sample, comprising: a housing device (3) having at least one measuring unit (2); at least one drive unit (4); and an evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8), wherein the evaluation unit (7) is coupled to the at least one measuring unit (2) and the housing device (3), and the housing device (3) houses a plurality of sample containers (5) each containing sample contents and being at least partially different from each other, and is designed to generate a defined motion, thereby enabling simultaneous and parallel measurements of a plurality of sample contents (6) within each of the sample containers (5).
  2. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one measuring unit (2) is positioned above the housing device (3), thereby enabling non-contact measurement of a number of sample contents (6) within each sample container (5).
  3. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one measuring unit (2) is selected from a camera apparatus, a microscope apparatus, a fluorescence microscope, and a Raman apparatus.
  4. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing device (3) is movable in at least one direction by at least one drive unit (4), thereby transmitting the motion at least partially to a sample container (5) disposed within the housing device (3), and thus the sample contents (6) within the sample container (5) can produce a predetermined motion.
  5. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the different sample containers (5) are selected from well plates, microfluidic chambers, well plates with integrated microfluidic chambers, 96-well plates, 384-well plates, pharmaceutical vials, Falcon tubes, and glass slides.
  6. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least two measuring units (2) are capable of operating in parallel, and thereby, using an evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8), parallel evaluation of each measurement of the at least two measuring units (2) can be performed in real time, at least partially.
  7. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rheometer apparatus (1) comprises at least one illumination unit (12) that can be coupled to the evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8), thereby enabling the specified illumination of the sample contents (6) to be measured in the different sample containers (5) during measurement.
  8. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one illumination unit (12) is selected from a UV light illumination unit, an illumination unit designed to emit visible light, an illumination unit designed to emit infrared light, an illumination unit designed to emit polarized light, and an illumination unit designed to emit fluorescence, particularly blue, green, or red fluorescence.
  9. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rheometer apparatus (1) comprises at least one further excitation unit (14) positioned non-contact with the sample container (5), thereby enabling the sample contents (6) in the different sample containers (5) to undergo a non-contact, predetermined motion by the at least one further excitation unit (14).
  10. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to claim 9, wherein the at least one further excitation unit (14) is selected from electromagnetic excitation units.
  11. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rheometer apparatus (1) comprises a test chamber (11), the test chamber (11) having means for controlling the environmental conditions inside it, and at least one of the components of the rheometer apparatus (1) can be at least partially arranged inside the test chamber (11), thereby allowing at least one environmental condition of the sample contents (6) in the sample container (5) arranged inside the test chamber (11) to be predetermined and controlled by the test chamber (11).
  12. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to claim 10, wherein the controllable environmental conditions within the test chamber (11) are selected from temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and (inert) gas atmosphere.
  13. A rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8) includes at least one rheological calculation model for calculating the rheological properties of at least one sample contents (6), and the rheometer apparatus (1) is designed to automatically select the rheological calculation model according to the detected sample container (5).
  14. A method for measuring the rheological properties of a sample, wherein the method is - A step of preparing the rheometer apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, - The step of placing a plurality of sample containers (5), each having a sample contents (6) and being at least partially different, on a containment device (3) in the rheometer apparatus (1) designed for the above purpose, - The step of operating the housing device (3), - The step of activating at least one measuring unit (2) of the rheometer device (1) and connecting it with the housing device (3), - The steps of activating the evaluation unit (7) having the evaluation program (8) in the rheometer device (1) and connecting it with the housing device (3) and the at least one measuring unit (2), - The step of performing rheological measurements in parallel and arbitrarily simultaneously on multiple sample contents (6) in each sample container (5) using at least one measurement unit (2), - A step in which the evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8) in the rheometer device (1) evaluates and outputs the measurement performed in real time, Methods that include...
  15. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one measuring unit (2) is positioned above the housing device (3), thereby enabling non-contact measurement of the numerous sample contents (6).
  16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the motion of the containment device (3) is generated by at least one drive unit (4) of the containment device (3), the motion is transmitted in a prescribed manner, at least partially, to the sample container (5), and therefore to the sample contents (6) within the sample container (5), and each measurement of the at least one measuring unit is performed in accordance with each of the motions.
  17. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each measurement is performed by at least two concurrently operating measurement units, thereby enabling, at least partially, real-time parallel evaluation of each measurement of the at least two measurement units (2) using an evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8).
  18. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the sample contents (6) to be measured in the different sample containers (5) are illuminated in a prescribed manner during measurement by at least one illumination unit (12) in the rheometer device (1) which can be coupled with the evaluation unit (7) having an evaluation program (8).
  19. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein at least one further excitation unit (14) of the rheometer apparatus (1) is activated, and the excitation unit (14) is positioned so as to be non-contact with the sample container (5), or so as to be at least partially in contact with the sample container (5), or so as to be at least partially in contact with the sample contents (6), or so as to be at least partially in contact with both the sample container (5) and the sample contents (6), thereby enabling the sample contents (6) in the different sample containers (5) to undergo a non-contact, predetermined motion by the further excitation unit (14).
  20. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein at least one rheological calculation model for calculating at least one rheological property of the sample contents (6) is selected by the evaluation unit (7), which has an evaluation program (8), in accordance with the sample container (5) detected by the rheometer device (1).

Description

This invention relates to a rheometer apparatus and method for measuring the rheological properties of a sample. To measure rheological properties such as general viscosity, shear viscosity, extensional viscosity, shear stress, and viscoelastic properties, the sample under test is removed from its storage container and then placed in an appropriate apparatus, such as a rheometer. The sample is typically subjected to vibration/oscillation to measure the aforementioned properties. Alternatively, it may be subjected to rotation or extension. In this regard, various rotational rheometers, capillary rheometers, falling-ball viscometers, or generally microfluidic instruments are known from the prior art. Measurements performed with these typically include both absolute and relative values. Removing each sample from its storage container involves not only a certain degree of technical effort but also increased time. Furthermore, the structure of each sample may be damaged by removal from its container, potentially leading to inaccurate results in the worst-case scenario. In addition to physical damage, chemical or biological damage can also occur to each sample during the removal process. Typically, with the aforementioned instruments relating to the prior art, each sample can only be measured or rheologically examined sequentially, which increases the time and effort involved, and therefore the cost per sample result. Furthermore, for example, with temporally unstable samples, comparability is limited unless measurements are performed at exactly the same point in time. Therefore, generally speaking, the reproducibility and standardization of sample placement are also considered problematic in conventionally known solutions. Furthermore, in special cases, a minimum sample volume is required for accurate measurement. This applies, for example, when methods based on mechanical quantities, such as force measurements, are applied. In this case, a certain minimum sample volume is necessary to generate a measurable signal of the relevant magnitude. This is a schematic diagram of a rheometer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.This is a schematic flowchart of a method for measuring the rheological properties of a sample according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a rheometer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the rheometer device 1 is shown together with a measuring unit 2 and a housing device 3 having a drive unit 4. It is conceivable that not only are there multiple measuring units 2, for example, two or three measuring units, but also multiple drive units 4, for example, two or three drive units (not shown in detail). Furthermore, it is conceivable that additional drive units 4 are arranged, at least partially, to the side of the housing device 3. Furthermore, at least one drive unit 4 is positioned to the side of the housing device 3, and at least one drive unit 4 is positioned below the housing device 3. Each drive unit 4 is coupled or connected to the housing device 3 so that the motion of the drive unit 4 or general motion impulses can be transmitted to the housing device 3, and therefore to objects placed on the housing device 3. The housing device 3 contains a total of five different sample containers 5, each containing a sample contents 6. The sample contents 6 may, for example, be different from each other. Alternatively, the sample contents 6 may be at least partially identical. This has the advantage, for example, that the rheological behavior can be examined according to each sample container 5 and its filling level. In this regard, the housing device 3 can contain only one sample container 5 or multiple identical sample containers 5. In Figure 1, the containment device 3 is shown in a significantly simplified, substantially tank-like form, but it is designed to accommodate multiple sample containers 5, each containing a different sample contents, and to generate a defined motion, thereby enabling simultaneous and parallel measurements of multiple sample contents 6 within each sample container 5. Alternatively, the containment device 3 may have other shapes. For example, the containment device 3 may have substantially circular or elliptical support surfaces for the sample containers 5, each containing a different sample contents 6. The storage device 3 has, for example, placeholders such as recesses for different sample containers 5 and their shapes, so that each sample container 5 can be reliably placed in a predetermined position in the storage device 3 according to its shape and type (not shown in detail). This has the advantage that even during motion generated and transmitted by at least one drive unit 4, each placed sample container 5 can be reliably positioned within the storage device 3, particularly protecting it from tipping over. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the containment dev