Transport tool for transporting a laboratory article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065325-B2
Application number	US-201514628872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A transport tool for transporting a laboratory article using a pipette of a pipetting system includes at least one plug-in sleeve, which is implemented for the releasable plugging-in of a receptacle cone of a pipette, and which can be plugged onto the receptacle cone of the pipette instead of a disposable pipette tip. In addition, the transport tool comprises an article holder having at least one holding part, which is implemented to form a support connection with a laboratory article. A connecting part connects the article holder to the plug-in sleeve, so that holding axes of the at least one article holder and the sleeve axis of the plug-in sleeve are arranged coaxially or axially-parallel to one another. The laboratory article has at least one flat, at least approximately horizontal surface. The article holder has a holding plate or a holding sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transport tool for transporting a laboratory article using a pipette of a pipetting system, the transport tool comprising:
a plug-in sleeve at a top end of the transport tool;
an article holder at a bottom end of the transport tool; and
a connecting part which connects the plug-in sleeve to the article holder;
wherein the transport tool is vertically elongated;
wherein the plug-in sleeve comprises a side sleeve wall and a bottom, wherein the side sleeve wall has an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the side sleeve wall and the bottom surround an interior space of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein said interior space of the plug-in sleeve has a shape selected from: cylindrical and conically tapering;
wherein the connecting part comprises a top surface which defines the bottom of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein the plug-in sleeve comprises an upward-facing opening, the upward-facing opening being positioned to receive an end of a pipette of an automated pipetting system into the interior space of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein the connecting part is positioned between the interior space of the plug-in sleeve and the article holder, and said top surface of the connecting part is located at a lower end of the plug-in sleeve opposite the upward-facing opening; and
wherein the article holder comprises a holding plate and an adhesive on the holding plate, and wherein the holding plate is flat and faces downward away from the plug-in sleeve.

2. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the side sleeve wall of the plug-in sleeve tapers toward the connecting part, the interior space of the plug-in sleeve having a wider end and a narrower end, wherein the upward-facing opening is at the wider end of the plug-in sleeve.

3. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the side sleeve wall of the plug-in sleeve
comprises a circumferential depression in the inner surface for engagement with a complementary protrusion of the end of the pipette.

4. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises at least one of a dry adhesive and a pressure sensitive adhesive.

5. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the article holder comprises a neck part which connects the holding plate to the connecting part.

6. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the article holder and the connecting part are directly connected to each other and collectively form a planar element, and wherein the planar element comprises the holding plate.

7. The transport tool of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ventilation hole in the side wall of the plug-in sleeve or in the connecting part for enabling a pressure equalization in the interior space of the plug-in sleeve.

8. The transport tool of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in sleeve, the connecting part, and the holding plate are collectively a single piece of plastic.

9. A method for transporting a laboratory article using a pipette of an automated pipetting system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a transport tool according to claim 1 ,
providing a laboratory article;
providing an automated pipetting system comprising at least one pipette;
inserting the pipette into the plug-in sleeve of the transport tool;
connecting the holding element of the transport tool with the laboratory article using the adhesive on the holding plate;
after said inserting the pipette into the plug-in sleeve of the transport tool and after said connecting the holding element of the transport tool with the laboratory article; and
moving the pipette and thereby moving the laboratory article, with the transport tool linking the pipette and the laboratory article,

wherein the laboratory article is selected from the group consisting of a microplate cover, a cover of a reagent container, a cover of a reagent trough, a cover covering a dust sensitive gel, and a pipette tip carrier.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pipette comprises a tip discarding mechanism, the tip discarding mechanism being adapted to eject a disposable pipette tip from the pipette, the method further comprising the step of:
after moving the laboratory article by moving the pipette, ejecting the transport tool from the pipette using the tip discarding mechanism, with the ejecting step comprising disengaging the pipette from the plug-in sleeve of the transport tool,
wherein the step of ejecting the transport tool from the pipette tip also functions to disengage the laboratory article from the pipette.

11. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the holding plate comprises a radial extension from the connecting part.

12. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the adhesive on the holding plate is ring-shaped.

13. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the adhesive on the holding plate is circular.

14. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the adhesive on the holding plate is square.

15. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the transport tool comprises a vertical holding axis from the top end of the transport tool to the bottom end of the transport tool; and
wherein the holding plate is perpendicular to the vertical holding axis of the transport tool.

16. The transport tool of claim 1 ,
wherein a side of the adhesive is covered by a detachable protective film.

17. An arrangement comprising a transport tool and a transport tool carrier; the transport tool being for transporting a laboratory article using a pipette of a pipetting system, the transport tool comprising:
a plug-in sleeve at a top end of the transport tool;
an article holder at a bottom end of the transport tool; and
a connecting part which connects the plug-in sleeve to the article holder;
wherein the transport tool is vertically elongated;
wherein the plug-in sleeve comprises a side sleeve wall and a bottom, wherein the side sleeve wall has an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the side sleeve wall and the bottom surround an interior space of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein said interior space of the plug-in sleeve has a shape selected from: cylindrical and conically tapering;
wherein the connecting part comprises a top surface which defines the bottom of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein the plug-in sleeve comprises an upward-facing opening, the upward-facing opening being positioned to receive an end of a pipette of an automated pipetting system into the interior space of the plug-in sleeve;
wherein the connecting part is positioned between the interior space of the plug-in sleeve and the article holder, and said top surface of the connecting part is located at a lower end of the plug-in sleeve opposite the upward-facing opening;
wherein the article holder comprises a holding plate and an adhesive on the holding plate, and wherein the holding plate is flat and faces downward away from the plug-in sleeve;
wherein the transport tool is engaged inside the transport tool carrier through a protective film;
wherein the adhesive of the article holder is detachably engaged to a first side of the protective film; and
wherein a second side of the protective film is fastened to the transport tool carrier.

18. A method of using the transport tool according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transport tool is initially provided inside a transport tool carrier, engaged to the transport tool carrier through a protective film, with the adhesive of the article holder detachably engaged to a first side of the protective film, and with a second side of the protective film fastened to the tool carrier;
the method comprising:
providing a pipettin

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Buchloh Stefan
• Iten Thomas
• Ferdi Sara
• Birkner Nico

Classifications

• G01N2035/1051

  for transporting containers, e.g. retained by friction · CPC title

• B25J15/008

  with sticking, gluing or adhesive means · CPC title

• G01N2035/103

  using disposable tips · CPC title

• B25J15/0608

  with magnetic holding means · CPC title

• B25J15/0047 Primary

  for internally gripping hollow or recessed objects · CPC title