Method of aspirating by pipetting and pipetting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859592-B2
Application number	US-201715420693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Aspiration of a pipette arrangement is initiated. A sensor arrangement senses a least one prevailing first parameter that is dependent from the effect in the pipette arrangement during initiating and upholding the suctioning action. This at least one parameter is analyzed in an analyzing stage. From a result of this analysis and in a determining stage at least one test criterium TC for at least one further parameter as sensed by the sensor arrangement is determined. In a checking stage there is checked whether this further parameter fulfills the at least one test criterium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of aspirating a dose of a liquid by pipetting in an
aspirating cycle, or of manufacturing a dose of a liquid including such aspirating method, the method comprising:
a) moving a pipette containing a work fluid in an aspiration position;
b) initiating at a point in time a suctioning action to said work fluid;
c) analyzing at least one prevailing first parameter, being dependent from an effect of said suctioning action, within a first time span subsequent said initiating;
d) determining at least one test-criterion in dependency of at least one result of said analyzing;
e) checking at least one prevailing second parameter, being dependent from an effect of said suctioning action, within a second time span subsequent to said determining, upon whether said at least one prevailing second parameter does or does not fulfill said at least one test-criterion;
f) identifying said aspirating cycle as acceptable or as not acceptable in dependency of a result of said checking,
wherein said at least one test criterion comprises a range for at least one of
a pressure value;
a flow value;
a first time-derivative of a pressure course;
a first time-derivative of a flow course;
a second time-derivative of a pressure course;
a second time-derivative of a flow course,

wherein said range of said at least one test criterion is constant over said second time span of said checking, or
wherein said range of said at least one test criterion varies over said second time span of said checking with respect to its width and/or its average value characterized in that
said analyzing comprises evaluating at least one of
at least one value of a second time derivative of a pressure course; and of
at least one value of a second time derivative of a flow course,

and in that said determining said at least one test criterion comprises determining a first test criterion in dependency of said at least one value of a second time derivative evaluated during said analyzing.

2. The method of claim 1 said at least one prevailing first parameter comprising at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or at least comprising at least one gaseous section.

3. The method of claim 1 said at least one prevailing first parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one prevailing second parameter comprises at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section.

5. The method of claim 1 said at least one prevailing second parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one prevailing first parameter comprising at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow at least dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and said at least one prevailing second parameter comprises at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow at least dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
said at least one prevailing first parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and
said at least one prevailing second parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein
said analyzing comprises analyzing at least one first characteristic over time of said at least one prevailing first parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 , said analyzing comprising analyzing at least one first characteristic over time of said at least one prevailing first parameter and wherein there prevails at least one of:
said at least one prevailing first parameter comprising at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and of
said at least one prevailing first parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and of
said at least one prevailing second parameter comprises at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and of
said at least one prevailing second parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining said at least one test criterion comprises determining at least one rated second characteristic over time for said at least one prevailing second parameter.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining said at least one test-criterion comprises determining at least one rated second characteristic over time for said at least one prevailing second parameter and wherein there prevails at least one of:
said at least one prevailing first parameter comprising at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow at least dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and of
said at least one prevailing first parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section
said at least one prevailing second parameter comprises at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section and of
said at least one prevailing second parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section
said analyzing comprises determining at least one first characteristic over time of said at least one prevailing first parameter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said analyzing comprises analyzing a first time derivative of at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from effect of said suctioning action.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said analyzing comprises analyzing a first time derivative of at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from said effect of said suctioning action and wherein there prevails at least one of:
said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section;
said at least one prevailing first parameter is at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow of said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section
said at least one prevailing second parameter comprises at least one of at least one pressure and of a flow dependent from at least one prevailing pressure in said work fluid, said work fluid being a liquid or comprising at least one gaseous section
said at least one prevailing second parameter is at least one of at least one pr

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Horsley Michael
• Truempi Kevin
• Gopinathan Sukesh

Classifications

• G01N35/1016 Primary

  Control of the volume dispensed or introduced · CPC title

• G01N2001/1418

  Depression, aspiration · CPC title

• B01L2200/143

  Quality control, feedback systems · CPC title

• F04B49/06 Primary

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• G01N1/14

  Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices · CPC title