| abstract |
An apparatus for processing liquids comprises a hollow reactor compartment (1) which is open on both sides and which is detachably connected to a receptor end (3) of a tube system (4,9). A portion (3,4) of the tube system is fixed to a rotor arm (5) which can be rotated in a circle and moved up and down. Another portion of the tube system is coupled to a metering syringe (12) which serves for drawing in or ejecting fluids into or from the reactor compartment (1) and/or the tube system (4). A plurality of process stations such as bottles (23) containing reagents or solvents, or waste containers, or ovens (24), or a park device for receiving the reactor compartment (1) are arranged on a circular tray (22) such that they can be accessed by the reactor compartment (1) or, if the reactor compartment has been detached and is parked in the park device, by the receptor end (3). The invention can be used, for example, for automatic protein sequencing, whereby the proteins to be sequenced are held in place by a matrix (2) in the reactor compartment (1). |