Pipette for use with a pipette tip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11554367-B2
Application number	US-202016735066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A pipette for use with a pipette tip includes a housing, a pin on the bottom end of the housing holding a pipette tip having first means for form-fit connection and a second means for form-fit connection which can be shoved onto the pin, constricting the pin, and/or expanding the tip before form-fit connection with the pin, a drive apparatus, at least one locking sleeve arranged concentric to the pin which is guided toward the pin in the housing, wherein the locking sleeve has a locked position having a pin in the inside constricted by shoving on a pipette tip, and/or is bordered on the outside by a tip shoved onto the pin, preventing a release from the pin, and the locking sleeve is upwardly displaceable out of the locked position so that the pin, and/or the tip is released, and the tip is removable from the pin.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pipette for use with a pipette tip comprising:
a rod-shaped pipette housing,
a pin on a bottom end of the pipette housing for holding a pipette tip, the pin having a first means for the form-fit connection to the pipette tip, the pipette tip having a second means for the form-fit connection to the first means for the form-fit connection, the pin being elastically contractible or the pipette tip being elastically expandable, wherein the pin elastically contracts to the pipette tip or the pipette tip elastically expands to the pin prior to the form fit connection of the pipette tip onto the pin,
a drive apparatus for displacing a displacement element for aspirating a liquid specimen into the pipette tip held on the pin, and ejecting the specimen from the pipette tip,
at least one locking sleeve arranged concentric to the pin, the at least one locking sleeve being displaceably guided in an axial direction of the pin in the pipette housing, wherein the locking sleeve is displaceable into a locked position and in an upward direction away from the locked position into an unlocked position,
wherein the at least one locking sleeve borders the inside of the pin in the locked position or borders the outside of the pipette tip in the locked position, the locking sleeve preventing the removal of the pipette tip from the pin during the form fit connection of the pipette tip onto the pin, and wherein the locking sleeve in the unlocked position is distal relative to the inside of the pin or the outside of the pipette tip, wherein in the unlocked position the pipette tip is removable from the pin.

2. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the pin has at least one slot running in a longitudinal direction of the pin, and the locking sleeve in the locked position borders the pin on the inside of the pin, or wherein the locking sleeve in locked position borders the pipette tip on the outside of the pipette tip, the least one slot running in the longitudinal direction at an upper end of the pin.

3. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the locking sleeve is connected to a first operating element projecting from the pipette housing, the first operating element actuating relative to the pipette housing and displacing the locking sleeve in a downward direction into the locked position, and in the upward direction out of the locked position.

4. The pipette according to claim 1 , having an ejection apparatus that comprises an ejection rod which is displaceably guided in the pipette housing in a longitudinal direction of the pin, and the ejection apparatus comprises a second operating element connected to the ejection rod, the second operating element being constructed and arranged to displace the ejection rod, wherein the ejection apparatus is constructed and arranged to press the pipette tip held on the pin, off of the pin by displacing the ejection rod in a downward direction when the locking sleeve at least partially releases the pin or the pipette tip.

5. The pipette according to claim 4 , wherein the ejection rod is arranged within an axial bore in a stroke rod, the ejection rod displacing a tip plunger in the pipette tip, and the ejection rod is arranged with a lower end above a seat of the stroke rod for a tip plunger upper end of the tip plunger of the pipette tip held on the pin, and the pipette tip engaging the tip plunger in a through bore in the pin.

6. The pipette according to claim 5 , wherein a displacement apparatus having a displacement element is displaced by a drive element of the drive apparatus in the pipette housing, and the displacement apparatus is connected to the through bore in the pin, and the lower end of the ejection rod is arranged proximate to the pin.

7. The pipette according to claim 5 , wherein the locking sleeve and the ejection rod are connected to a gear apparatus, the gear apparatus comprising the first operating element and the second operating element, the gear apparatus being constructed and arranged to control the displacement of the locking sleeve and the ejection rod in opposite directions when at least one of the first operating element and the second operating element is actuated wherein the pipette tip held on the pin prevents the tip plunger from being removed from the pin by displacing the ejection rod in the upward direction and the locking sleeve in the downward direction, and wherein the pipette tip is removed from the pin by displacing the locking sleeve in the upward direction and the ejection rod in the downward direction.

8. The pipette according to claim 6 , wherein the locking sleeve and the ejection rod are connected to a gear apparatus, the gear apparatus comprising the first operating element and the second operating element, the gear apparatus being constructed and arranged to control the displacement of the locking sleeve and the ejection rod in opposite directions when at least one of the first operating element and the second operating element is actuated wherein the pipette tip held on the pin prevents the tip plunger from being removed from the pin by displacing the ejection rod in the upward direction and the locking sleeve in the downward direction, and wherein the pipette tip is removed from the pin by displacing the locking sleeve in the upward direction and the ejection rod in the downward direction.

9. The pipette according to claim 7 , wherein the gear apparatus ( 73 ) is constructed and arranged to first displace the locking sleeve in the upward direction, and then the pipette tip is pressed off of an attachment by displacing the ejection rod in the downward direction.

10. The pipette according to claim 7 , wherein the first operating element controls the displacement of the locking sleeve and the displacement of the ejection rod.

11. The pipette according to claim 4 , wherein the second operating element controls the drive apparatus.

12. The pipette according to claim 7 , wherein the gear apparatus is a gear train having a first output having a first output-side rack and a second output having a second output-side rack, the gear train being connected to the ejection rod and the locking sleeve, the gear train having a first drive engaged to the first drive-side rack connected to a first actuating element, wherein the first drive-side rack is connected to the second output-side rack by a drive pinion, and a first output pinion is rigidly connected to the drive pinion, and is connected to the first output-side rack by the drive pinion, an intermediate gear and a second output pinion which is rigidly connected to the intermediate gear.

13. The pipette according to claim 12 , wherein the gear apparatus has a second drive having a second drive-side rack having a second operating element having a second operating element end distal relative to the first operating element, wherein the first output-side rack and the second output-side rack mesh with the drive pinion on different sides of the drive pinion controlling the movement of the locking sleeve and the ejection rod by actuating one of the first operating element and the second operation element.

14. The pipette according to claim 7 , wherein the second operating element controls the displacement of the locking sleeve and the displacement of the ejection rod.

15. The pipette according to claim 14 , wherein the first operating element controls the drive apparatus.

16. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the pin is elastically contractible and the pipette tip is elastically expandable.

17. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the pin elastically contracts to the p

Assignees

• Eppendorf Ag

Inventors

• Seippel Martin
• Kunsch Matthias
• Reichmuth Burkhardt
• David Tobias
• Horstmann Frank
• Wilmer Jens
• Wilth Marc

Classifications

• B01L2300/0832

  cylindrical, tube shaped · CPC title

• B01L3/0279 Primary

  co-operating with positive ejection means · CPC title

• B01L3/0217

  of the plunger pump type · CPC title

• B01L9/547

  for dispensing pins · CPC title

• B01L3/0227 Primary

  Details of motor drive means (B01L3/0231, B01L3/0234 take precedence) · CPC title