A pumping device intended to be connected to a process chamber (2) includes a dry primary vacuum pump, an auxiliary pump mounted so that the auxiliary pump bypasses a check valve on the vacuum pump, a first valve device connected to a purging device for purging the dry primary vacuum pump and intended to be connected to a gas supply, a second valve device mounted so that the second valve device bypasses a check valve upstream from the auxiliary pump, and a controller configured to control the first and second valve devices on the basis of an operating status of the process chamber in such a way that the first valve device is at least partially closed and the second valve device is open when the process chamber is operating at ultimate vacuum. Also a method for pumping of a process chamber by way of such a pumping device.

A gas supply line and gas supplying apparatus that facilitates maintenance and management of various types of devices. The supplying apparatus is formed with a supply line that is made up of a gas inlet-side block, a gas outlet-side block and a plurality of fluid control devices. The gas supplying apparatus is formed with at least two gas supply lines, the fluid control device of each gas supply line includes at least one flow controller, an inlet-side block of the flow controller on one gas supplying line is connected to an inlet-side block of the flow controller on the other gas supply line so as to oppose the inlet-side block, and an outlet-side block of one flow controller is connected to an outlet-side block of the other flow controller so as to oppose the gas outlet-side block.

A tool for unseizing and/or lubricating a valve having a protruding valve stem on an exterior periphery. The tool possesses a hollow tubular member, having at one end thereof an open, hollow, cylindrical flexible member adapted to be placed over and contain therewithin a portion of the valve stem. A circumferential tightening member, encircling one end of the flexible member, is provided, to permit the flexible member to sealingly engage the valve stem about the outer periphery thereof when the flexible member is placed over the valve stem. The tool further possesses a fluid inlet port, situated along a length of the tubular member, in fluid communication with an interior of the tubular member, and a pressurized fluid inlet port likewise in fluid communication with the interior of the tool.

Various embodiments of the teachings relate to a system or method for sample preparation or analysis in biochemical or molecular biology procedures. The sample preparation can involve small volume processed in discrete portions or segments or slugs, herein referred to as discrete volumes. A molecular biology procedure can be nucleic acid analysis. Nucleic acid analysis can be an integrated DNA amplification/DNA sequencing procedure.

An emptying device for a medium line of a vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle, can be connected between a medium tank of the vehicle and the medium line to be emptied. A first non-return valve is arranged in a first connecting line between the medium tank and the medium line to be emptied and permits a flow of the medium from the medium tank into the medium line, but blocks a reverse flow. A second connecting line opens into the first connecting line downstream of the first non-return valve. The second connecting line, for emptying the medium line, can be connected to a pressure medium source and can be acted upon by the pressure medium in order to empty the medium line. There is also described a medium installation of a vehicle and a corresponding vehicle.