Pipetting devices and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11331659-B2
Application number	US-201816486114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2018
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A pipetting device includes a housing, a valve assembly, and an actuator assembly. The housing includes a tip for receiving a capillary tube. The valve assembly includes a shuttle valve having a filling position and a dispensing position and a valve rod. The actuator assembly includes an actuator, a valve trigger, a piston mount, and an indexing mechanism. The actuator extends from the housing and has a push button coupled to a push rod. The valve trigger being configured to engage the valve assembly and includes an aperture configured to receive the piston mount therein. The indexing mechanism is configured to index a rotated position of the push button to a predefined volume of dispensed fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipetting device comprising:
a housing including a tip for receiving a capillary tube;
a valve assembly having a shuttle valve and a valve rod, the shuttle valve having a filling position and a dispensing position;
an actuator assembly having an actuator, a valve trigger, a piston mount, and an indexing mechanism;
the actuator extending from the housing and including a push button coupled to a push rod;
the valve trigger being configured to engage the valve assembly responsive to movement of the push button and including an aperture configured to receive the piston mount therein; and
the indexing mechanism including a follower and a cylindrical cam having an origin surface and a plurality of spiral steps, the indexing mechanism being configured such that rotation of the push button causes the follower to rotate relative to the origin surface and engage one of the plurality of the plurality of spiral steps to index a rotated position of the push button to a predefined volume of dispensed fluid.

2. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the valve trigger is configured to move the shuttle valve to the filling position and allow a fluid to be drawn into the capillary tube responsive to movement of the push button towards the housing.

3. The pipetting device of claim 2 , wherein the valve trigger is configured to move the shuttle valve to a chamber priming position and aid in preventing fluid from being drawn into the capillary tube responsive to movement of the push button away from the housing.

4. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein responsive to a fluid being drawn into the capillary tube and moving the push button towards the housing, the valve trigger moves the shuttle valve to the dispensing position and the piston causes a predefined volume of the fluid to be dispensed from the capillary tube that is proportional to the distance that the piston travels within the pipetting device when the push button is moved towards the housing.

5. The pipetting device of claim 1 wherein the predefined volume of dispensed fluid is between about 5 μL and about 50 μL.

6. The pipetting device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of steps of the cutout of the indexing mechanism includes eleven steps such that each rotated position of the push button corresponds to a 5 μL incremental change in predefined volume of dispensed fluid.

7. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a first spring positioned between the valve trigger and the indexing mechanism such that the spring resists movement of the push button towards the housing.

8. The pipetting device of claim 7 , wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a soft stop and a second spring, the second spring being positioned between the indexing mechanism and the soft stop and the first spring being positioned between the soft stop and the valve trigger, such that the first spring, the soft stop, and the second spring resist movement of the push button towards the housing.

9. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the valve rod includes a first notch and a second notch each configured to engage the valve trigger, wherein movement of the push button towards the housing causes the valve trigger to engage the first notch, and wherein movement of the push button away from the housing causes the valve trigger to engage the second notch.

10. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a protective cap including an aperture configured to receive the push rod, wherein the protective cap seals valve trigger, piston mount, and indexing mechanism within the housing.

11. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the piston mount includes a first aperture having a slider coupled to the push rod and a piston spring disposed therein and a second aperture having a piston disposed therein.

12. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises at least one of an open capillary indicator, a volume display, a capillary tube ejector, or any combination thereof.

13. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the capillary tube is a standard capillary tube having an outer diameter of at least approximately 1.75 mm with a maximum volume of at least 100 μL.

14. The pipetting device of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the housing is further configured to receive a capillary sheath.

15. A method for using a pipetting device, comprising the steps of:
providing a housing including a tip coupled to a capillary tube;
providing a valve assembly including a shuttle valve and a valve rod;
providing an actuator assembly including an actuator, a valve trigger, a piston mount, and an indexing mechanism;
the actuator including a push rod and a push button extending from the housing, the push rod being coupled to the push button;
the indexing mechanism including a follower and a cylindrical cam having an origin surface and a plurality of spiral steps;

rotating the push button such that the follower engages one of the plurality of spiral steps of the cylindrical cam;
pressing the push button towards the housing such that the shuttle valve moves to a filling position; and
placing the capillary tube in a volume of fluid, wherein the shuttle valve causes the volume of fluid to be drawn into the capillary tube.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, releasing the push button such that it moves away from the housing; rotating the push button such that the follower is positioned over one of the plurality of steps of the indexing mechanism corresponding to a first dispensing volume; and pressing the push button such that the shuttle valve moves to a dispensing position and wherein the indexing mechanism causes a first predefined volume of the fluid to be dispensed from the capillary tube.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, releasing the push button such that it moves away from the housing; rotating the push button such that the follower is positioned over one of the plurality of steps of the indexing mechanism corresponding to a second dispensing volume; and pressing the push button such that the shuttle valve moves to a dispensing position and wherein the indexing mechanism causes a second predefined volume of the fluid to be dispensed from the capillary tube, and where the second predefined volume is different than the first predefined volume.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tip of the housing is coupled to a capillary sheath, the capillary sheath having an aperture configured to receive the capillary tube therein.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, pressing a capillary tube ejector button of the housing such that the capillary tube is ejected from the pipetting device.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Usa Inc
• Childrens Medical Ct Corp
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Ct Inc
• Childrens Medical Center

Inventors

• Sauer-Budge Alexis
• Wirz Holger
• Brookfield Samuel J
• Pollock Nira
• Janzen Ronald

Classifications

• F04B7/0015

  and having a slidable movement · CPC title

• F04B9/14

  Pumps characterised by muscle-power operation {(hand-held spraying or dispensing apparatus using pumps or bulbs B05B11/00)} · CPC title

• F04B53/109

  inlet and outlet valve forming one unit · CPC title

• B01L2400/0478

  pistons · CPC title

• F04B13/00 Primary

  Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities · CPC title