Continuous flow centrifuge apparatus

Claim 1

In a continuous flow centrifuge apparatus including a housing defining a vacuum chamber, a rotor positioned in said vacuum chamber, a first rotary transfer tube and a second rotary transfer tube connected to said rotor for conducting a sample to and from said rotor, said second rotary transfer tube being coaxially aligned within said first rotary transfer tube, a stationary inlet/outlet assembly connected to said housing for conducting said sample to and from said first and second rotary transfer tubes, and a bushing surrounding said first transfer tube for creating an oil film to provide a vacuum seal around said first transfer tube, the improvement comprising: an elongate, cylindrical sleeve surrounding, spaced from, and coaxial with said first transfer tube, adjacent the upper end thereof, positioned between said first transfer tube and said bushing to form a vacuum annulus between said first transfer tube and said sleeve, the upper end of said sleeve including a stem connected to said upper end of said first transfer tube, said oil film around said first transfer tube being created between said bushing and the outer surface of said sleeve whereby the vacuum annulus formed between the inner surface of said sleeve and the outer surface of said first transfer tube minimizes heat transfer between said oil film and said sample conducted through said first and second transfer tubes.