Pipetting device and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338281-B2
Application number	US-201616065628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

The invention further relates to a method for producing said pipetting device. The invention relates to a pipetting device, in particular for pipetting a fluid sample by suctioning into a pipetting container using air under a pipetting pressure, having the following: —a valve assembly with at least one valve device for adjusting a pipetting pressure, said valve device having a valve chamber; —at least one pump device which is connected to the valve chamber in order to generate a chamber pressure in the valve chamber; —a pipetting channel which is connected to the pipetting container, and—a bypass channel which is open towards the surroundings, wherein—the pipetting channel and the bypass channel are each connected to the valve chamber; and—the at least one valve device has a closure element with a closure surface which is designed such that the chamber pressure is distributed to the pipetting channel and the bypass channel in a metered manner by the valve device in order to generate the desired pipetting pressure in the pipetting channel. The invention further relates to a method for producing said pipetting device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipetting apparatus ( 7 ), in particular for pipetting a fluid sample ( 9 a ) by suctioning into a pipetting container ( 9 ) using air ( 9 b ) under a pipetting pressure, comprising:
a valve assembly having at least one valve device ( 101 ) for adjusting a pipetting pressure,
wherein the valve device comprises a valve chamber ( 106 );
at least one pump device ( 7 ) connected to the valve chamber in order to generate a chamber pressure in said valve chamber;
a pipetting channel ( 103 ) connectable to the pipetting container and
a bypass channel ( 104 ) which is open to the surroundings;

wherein the valve chamber has a first chamber opening ( 113 ) connected to the pipetting channel and a second chamber opening ( 114 ) connected to the bypass channel,
wherein the valve device comprises a closure element ( 110 ; 110 a ; 110 b ; 110 c ; 110 d ) at least partially disposed within the valve chamber which can be moved relative to the valve chamber by a user-controlled movement (B) and has at least one closure surface ( 120 ; 120 a ; 120 b ; 120 c ; 120 d ) which slides along said chamber openings parallel to the first and parallel to the second chamber opening during the movement and closes them as a function of the position of the closure surface, and
wherein the at least one closure surface is formed such that in order to generate the desired pipetting pressure in the pipetting channel, the chamber pressure is distributed to the pipetting channel and the bypass channel as a function of the position of the at least one closure surface at the first and second chamber opening.

2. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closure element comprises at least one recess ( 121 ; 122 ; 121 a ; 122 a ; 121 b ; 122 b ; 121 c ; 122 c ; 121 d ; 122 d ) which extends from the closure surface into the depth of the closure element and forms at least one closure surface opening in the closure surface,
wherein said at least one closure surface opening has a length measured parallel to the direction of the movement (B) and a width measured perpendicular thereto,
wherein the width of the at least one closure surface opening and/or the depth of the at least one recess varies at least sectionally in the direction of the movement, and
in particular the closure surface with the at least one closure surface opening slides along the first and/or second chamber opening such that the closure cross section of the first and/or second chamber opening varies during the movement.

3. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closure element comprises a first recess ( 121 ; 121 a ; 121 b ; 121 c ; 121 d ) which extends from the closure surface into the depth of the closure element and forms a first closure surface opening in the closure surface, and wherein the closure element comprises a second recess ( 122 ; 122 a ; 122 b ; 122 c ; 122 d ) which extends from the closure surface into the depth of the closure element and forms a second closure surface opening in the closure surface,
wherein the first closure surface opening lies against the first chamber opening and the second closure surface opening lies against the second chamber opening during the movement.

4. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the width of the first closure surface opening and/or the depth of the first recess increases at least sectionally in the direction of movement and wherein the width of the second closure surface opening and/or the depth of the second recess decreases at least sectionally in the direction of movement.

5. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first chamber opening and the at least one closure surface define a first connecting channel with a variable first flow resistance R1, wherein said first connecting channel connects the pipetting channel to the valve chamber, and wherein the second chamber opening and the at least one closure surface define a second connecting channel with a variable second flow resistance R2, wherein said second connecting channel connects the bypass channel to the valve chamber, wherein the distribution of the chamber pressure on the pipetting channel and the bypass channel changes the R2/R1 ratio, wherein the ratio in particular increases during the movement.

6. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the closure element comprises at least one first closure surface and one second closure surface which are not parallel and in particular oriented at an angle of 60°<=α<=120° to each other.

7. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first closure surface is positioned opposite the first chamber opening and slides along same and the second closure surface is positioned opposite the second chamber opening and slides along same during the movement.

8. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second chamber opening comprises a sealing section which the at least one closure surface contacts, particularly to seal the first and/or second chamber opening in substantially completely gas-tight manner in at least one position of the closure element.

9. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve chamber or the closure element comprises at least one sealing section in order to seal the valve chamber in substantially completely gas-tight manner in at least one position of the closure element and/or during the movement.

10. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a first valve device having a first valve chamber and a second valve device having a second valve chamber, wherein the pump device is connected to the first valve chamber in order to generate a first chamber pressure in said first valve chamber and connected to the second valve chamber in order to generate a second chamber pressure in said second valve chamber, wherein the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber are in each case connected to the pipetting channel and the bypass channel,
wherein the first valve device is designed such that a suitable pressure is set in the pipetting channel for suctioning a fluid sample into a pipetting container hermetically connected to the pipetting channel, and
wherein the second valve device is designed such that a suitable pressure is set in the pipetting channel for dispensing a fluid sample from a pipetting container hermetically connected to the pipetting channel.

11. A method for producing the pipetting apparatus according claim 1 , comprising the steps:
producing the at least one valve device of the valve assembly at least partly from a first material;
producing at least one closure element;
producing the at least one pipetting channel, and in particular also the at least one bypass channel, at least partly from a second material.

12. The pipetting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the closure element comprises a first recess ( 121 ; 121 a ; 121 b ; 121 c ; 121 d ) which extends from the closure surface into the depth of the closure element and forms a first closure surface opening in the closure surface, and wherein the closure element comprises a second recess ( 122 ; 122 a ; 122 b ; 122 c ; 122 d ) which extends from the closure surface into the depth of the closure element and forms a second closure surface opening in the closure surface,
wherein the first closure surface opening lies against the first chamber opening and the second closure surface opening lies against the second chamber opening during the movement.

Assignees

• Eppendorf Ag

Inventors

• Link Holger
• David Tobias
• Merkens Hedda

Classifications

• B01L3/0213 Primary

  Accessories for glass pipettes; Gun-type pipettes, e.g. safety devices, pumps · CPC title

• B01L2400/049

  vacuum · CPC title

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title

• B01L2400/065

  sliding valves · CPC title