HIGH SPEED, COMPACT CENTRIFUGE FOR USE WITH SMALL SAMPLE VOLUMES

1 - 33 . (canceled)

34 . A compact high speed centrifuge for use with low volume sample containers, the centrifuge comprising:

a centrifuge rotor;

a motor for rotating said centrifuge rotor; and

a detector integrated with the motor and configured to determine at least a rotational position of a rotating portion of the motor, wherein the detector uses at least two different types of encoder information to determine said rotational position.

35 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 wherein the detector uses at least an optical encoder technique and a Hall-effect technique to determine rotational position.

36 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 wherein the detector uses at least an optical encoder technique and a Hall-effect technique to determine at least rotational position and rotational velocity.

37 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 wherein the detector has a first surface directed towards detecting one type of encoder information and a second surface directed towards detecting another type of encoder information.

38 . The centrifuge as in claim 37 wherein the first surface and the second surface are oriented in different directions.

39 . The centrifuge as in claim 37 wherein the first surface and the second surface are oriented in the same direction.

40 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 comprising a plurality of detectors for determining rotational position.

41 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 further comprising a first encoder disc providing a first type of encoder information and a second encoder disc providing a second type of encoder information.

42 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 further comprising a first encoder disc providing optical encoder information and a second encoder disc providing magnetic encoder information. Preliminary Amendment

43 . The centrifuge as in claim 41 further comprising an encoder disc providing the first type of encoder information and the second type of encoder information.

44 . The centrifuge as in claim 34 further comprising an encoder disc providing both optical encoder information and magnetic encoder information.

45 . A method comprising:

providing a motor;

integrating a first type of encoder into the motor;

integrating a second type of encoder into the motor;

determining rotational position of a rotating portion of the motor using the first type of encoder; and

determining rotational velocity of the rotating portion of the motor using the second type of encoder.

46 . The method as in claim 45 wherein the first type of encoder provides optical encoder information.

47 . The method as in claim 45 wherein the first type of encoder provides magnetic encoder information.

48 . The method as in claim 45 wherein the first type of encoder provides Hall-effect encoder information.

49 . The method as in claim 45 the first type of encoder and the second type of encoder provide different types of encoder information.

50 . A system comprising:

a centrifuge comprising:

a centrifuge body;

at least one sample vessel holder coupled to the centrifuge body;

a drive mechanism for rotating said centrifuge body; and

a position detector for use in determining rotational position of the centrifuge body;

a fluid handling system configured to provide overhead access to the centrifuge and movable X-Y and Z directions; and

a programmable processor configured to align a pipette head of the fluid handling system with a holder.

51 . The system of claim 50 wherein the programmable processed has programming to rotate the centrifuge body to an appropriate position so that at least one vessel can be unloaded from a known position of the centrifuge body.

52 . The system of claim 50 wherein the programmable processor has programming configured to use a pipette feature to engage the centrifuge body to rotate the centrifuge body until it is moved rotationally to a desired orientation.