Pipette comprising imaging device element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10112192-B2
Application number	US-201515317481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A pipette comprising a cylinder with a piston movable inside the cylinder for aspiring and dispensing liquid, and a handle portion for gripping the pipette, wherein the pipette further comprises an imaging device element for obtaining images that assist the use of the pipette.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-held pipette, comprising:
an elongated hand-held body having a handle portion configured for gripping the pipette, a display portion located above the handle portion, and a tip portion located below the handle portion configured for supporting at least one detachable tip;
a cylinder disposed within the body and having a piston movable inside the cylinder for aspiring and dispensing liquid;
an imaging device element supported by the pipette and configured for obtaining at least one image, wherein the imaging device element comprises one of a camera unit or an optical imaging sensor including an optical lens that is focused at an area in front of the at least one tip of the pipette and/or at the at least one tip of the pipette; and
a display supported by the display portion and being configured to display at least one image from the imaging device element.

2. The hand-held pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device element is configured to provide continuous image feed and/or snapshot images.

3. The hand-held pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the hand-held pipette is an electronic pipette, comprising:
a motor for moving the piston inside the cylinder;
a control system for carrying out pipette operations; and
a user interface for operating the pipette.

4. The hand-held pipette according to claim 3 , wherein the imaging device element, the display for viewing the image from the imaging device element, or the control system of the electronic pipette, is equipped with image recognition.

5. The hand-held pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device element is connected to the handle portion of the pipette, or the imaging device element is connected to the pipette via bendable fiber optics wire.

6. The hand-held pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device element comprises a digital camera.

Assignees

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy

Inventors

• Miettinen Juha
• Lind Mikael
• Telimaa Juha

Classifications

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• G01N35/1011

  Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device · CPC title

• G02B27/028

  characterised by the supporting structure · CPC title

• B01L2200/143

  Quality control, feedback systems · CPC title

• B01L2300/027

  Digital display, e.g. LCD, LED · CPC title