Liquid dispenser with manifold mount for modular independently-actuated pipette channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10451644-B2
Application number	US-201816193452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Automated pipetting systems and methods are disclosed for aspirating and dispensing fluids, particularly biological samples. In one aspect, a liquid dispenser includes a manifold and one or more pipette channels. The manifold includes a vacuum channel, a pressure channel, and a plurality of lanes. Each lane includes an electrical connector, a port to the pressure channel, and a port to the vacuum channel. The pipette channels can be modular. Each pipette channel includes a single dispense head and can be selectively and independently coupled to any one lane of the plurality of lanes. In some aspects, a valve in the pipette channel is in simultaneous fluid communication with a pressure port and a vacuum port of the manifold. The valve selectively diverts gas under pressure and gas under vacuum to the dispense head in response to control signals received through the electrical connector of the manifold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising:
a manifold comprising a vacuum channel, a pressure channel, and a plurality of lanes, each lane comprising an electrical connector, a port to the pressure channel, and a port to the vacuum channel;
one or more pipette channels, each pipette channel comprising a single dispense head and configured to couple to the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port of any one lane of the plurality of lanes; and
wherein each pipette channel comprises a first portion that does not move relative to the manifold when the pipette channel is coupled to the manifold and a second portion that moves relative to the manifold when the pipette channel is coupled to the manifold,
wherein a valve is enclosed within the first portion of each pipette channel, the dispense head is coupled to the second portion, and a tube connecting the valve and the dispense head is configured to move within the first portion when the second portion moves relative to the first portion.

2. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured to selectively distribute gas under pressure and gas under vacuum from the pressure port and the vacuum port, respectively, to the single dispense head.

3. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more pipette channels are coupled to one lane of the plurality of lanes, and wherein, for each pipette channel, operation of the valve is independently controlled by signals transmitted to the valve via the electrical connector of the one lane to which the pipette channel is coupled.

4. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each pipette channel comprises an electrical connector, a pressure port, and a vacuum port.

5. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port of any pipette channel is configured to couple to the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port, respectively, of any one lane of the plurality of lanes.

6. The liquid dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port of the one or more pipette channels do not move relative to the manifold when the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port of the one or more pipettes channels are coupled to the manifold.

7. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the single dispense head of the one or more pipette channels moves relative to the manifold when the one or more pipettes channels are coupled to the manifold.

8. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of pipette channels, wherein each lane of the plurality of lanes is configured to couple to any one pipette channel of the plurality of pipette channels.

9. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pressure channel and the vacuum channel are physically and fluidically isolated from each other within the manifold.

10. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the manifold comprises a single pressure channel and a single vacuum channel.

11. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each pipette channel is configured to selectively couple and uncouple to the electrical connector, the pressure port, and the vacuum port of any one lane of the plurality of lanes.

12. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each lane of the plurality of lanes is oriented transverse to the pressure channel.

13. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each lane of the plurality of lanes is oriented transverse to the vacuum channel.

14. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprise a plurality of pipette channels, wherein at least one pipette channel of the plurality of pipette channels is coupled to one lane of the plurality of lanes, and wherein at least one lane of the plurality of lanes is not coupled to a pipette channel of the plurality of pipette channels.

15. The liquid dispenser of claim 14 , further comprising a cover configured to seal the pressure port and the vacuum port of the at least one lane that is not coupled to a pipette channel of the plurality of pipette channels.

16. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , comprising only one pipette channel, wherein the pipette channel is coupled to one lane of the plurality of lanes, and wherein each of the remaining lanes of the plurality of lanes is not coupled to a pipette channel.

17. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each lane comprises a single port to the pressure channel and a single port to the vacuum channel.

18. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , comprising a first pipette channel coupled to a first lane of the plurality of lanes and a second pipette channel coupled to a second lane of the plurality of lanes, wherein the single dispense head of the first pipette channel aspirates a fluid at the same time the single dispense head of the second pipette channel dispenses a fluid.

19. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprises two pipette channels with different calibration settings related to pressure of gas in the dispense head during aspirate and dispense operations.

20. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprises two pipette channels with different calibration settings related to volume of fluid aspirated and dispensed during aspirate and dispense operations.

21. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprises two pipette channels with different calibration settings related to speed of aspirate and dispense operations.

22. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprise a plurality of pipette channels, wherein at least two of the plurality of pipette channels are identical.

23. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pipette channels comprise a plurality of pipette channels, wherein at least two of the plurality of pipette channels are different.

24. The liquid dispenser of claim 23 , wherein the at least two different pipette channels have one or more different dimensions.

25. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each pipette channel comprises a valve operable to control the flow of gas within each pipette channel.

26. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each pipette channel comprises a valve operable to control the aspirate and dispense operations of the single dispense head of the pipette channel.

27. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more pipette channels are selectively and independently coupled to the manifold.

28. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the pressure channel comprises a first end and a second end terminating at an inlet pressure port, wherein the inlet pressure port is connected to an external source of gas under pressure, wherein the vacuum channel comprises a first end and a second end terminating at an inlet vacuum port, and wherein the inlet vacuum port is connected to an external source of gas under vacuum.

29. The liquid dispenser of claim 28 , wherein the manifold only accepts gas under pressure and gas under vacuum through the inlet pressure port and the inlet vacuum port, respectively.

30. The liquid dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector of each lane of the plurality of lanes is co

Assignees

• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Lachance Stephen
• Shedlosky Alyssa
• Clark Alexander
• Alemu Redeat Girma
• Bark Craig
• Rotundo Steven Charles
• Vansickler Michael T

Classifications

• B01L3/0275

  Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips · CPC title

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title

• B01L3/527

  for a plurality of reagents · CPC title

• B01L3/50273

  characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids · CPC title