Combinable cavity tray, assembly of combinable cavity trays, method of manufacturing and use of a combinable cavity tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11925936-B2
Application number	US-202017113700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A combinable cavity tray for liquid handling is provided. The combinable cavity tray has at least one cavity for receiving a fluid and at least one passage for leading through a cavity of a second combinable cavity tray and/or for connecting to a pipetting apparatus. The at least one cavity of the combinable cavity tray is formed integrally. An assembly of combinable cavity trays having at least two combinable cavity trays, a method of manufacturing a combinable cavity tray and the use of a combinable cavity tray or of an assembly of combinable cavity trays for liquid handling are provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) for liquid handling, the combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) comprising:
at least one cavity ( 20 ) formed in the combinable cavity tray for receiving a fluid; and
at least one passage ( 30 ) comprising an aperture formed in the combinable cavity tray for receiving a cavity of another combinable cavity tray and/or for receiving a pipetting tube of a pipetting apparatus,
wherein the at least one cavity ( 20 ) is formed integrally and extends from the combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) and wherein at least a bottom area of the at least one cavity ( 20 ) extends outside the at least one passage ( 30 ) of a second combinable cavity tray when the at least one passage ( 30 ) of the second combinable cavity tray receives the at least one cavity ( 20 ).

2. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity ( 20 ) is formed by thermoforming.

3. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 made at least in parts of a thermosoftening plastic, or of a compound foil comprising at least one of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), or polypropylene (PP).

4. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the thermosoftening plastic is chosen from the group comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP).

5. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the compound foil is chosen from the group comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP).

6. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity ( 20 ) is a pipetting cavity ( 21 ) with an aperture ( 23 ) for aspirating and/or dispensing a fluid.

7. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity ( 20 ) is a test tube for analytics and/or diagnostics.

8. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) comprises at least one positioning means ( 41 , 42 ) for guiding an assembling process of assembling a first cavity tray and a second cavity tray and/or at least one fixation means ( 50 ) for fixing a first cavity tray and a second cavity tray when assembled.

9. The combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity ( 20 ) and at least one passage ( 30 ) are arranged alternating.

10. An assembly ( 100 ) of combinable cavity trays comprising at least two combinable cavity trays ( 10 ) according to claim 1 .

11. An assembly ( 100 ) of combinable cavity trays according to claim 10 , wherein the total number of cavities ( 20 ) is 384, 96 or 48.

12. Method of connecting a combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 or an assembly ( 100 ) of combinable cavity trays according to a pipetting apparatus with pipetting tubes ( 61 ), the method comprising:
inserting at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) with its first end ( 62 ) in a cavity ( 20 ) of a combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) through the opening ( 22 ) of the cavity ( 20 ) with a first force to achieve a friction fit between the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the combinable cavity tray ( 10 );
positioning the combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) connected to the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) on a rigid base and further inserting the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) in the cavity ( 20 ) with a second force being stronger than the first force to achieve a fluid-tight connection between the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the cavity ( 20 ) of the combinable cavity tray ( 10 ).

13. Method of connecting a combinable cavity tray ( 10 ) according to claim 1 or an assembly ( 100 ) of combinable cavity trays according to a pipetting apparatus with pipetting tubes ( 61 ), the method comprising:
inserting at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) with its first end ( 62 ) in a cavity ( 20 ) of a first combinable cavity tray ( 11 ) through the opening ( 22 ) of the cavity ( 20 ) with a first force to achieve a friction fit between the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the first combinable cavity tray ( 11 );
inserting at least one further pipetting tube ( 61 ) with its first end ( 62 ) in a cavity ( 20 ) of a second combinable cavity tray ( 12 ) through the opening ( 22 ) of the cavity ( 20 ) with a second force to achieve a friction fit between the at least one further pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the second combinable cavity tray ( 12 );
positioning the first combinable cavity tray ( 11 ) connected to the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the second combinable cavity tray ( 12 ) connected to the at least one further pipetting tube ( 61 ) on a rigid base and further inserting the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the at least one further pipetting tube ( 61 ) in the cavities ( 20 ) with a third force being stronger than the first force and the second force to achieve a fluid-tight connection of the at least one pipetting tube ( 61 ) and the at least one further pipetting tube ( 61 ) to the cavities ( 20 ) and to in particular achieve assembling the first combinable cavity tray ( 11 ) and the second combinable cavity tray ( 12 ) to form an assembly ( 100 ) of combinable cavity trays ( 10 ).

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Sager Adrian
• Ott Philipp

Classifications

• B01L9/543 Primary

  for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes · CPC title

• B01L3/5085

  for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates · CPC title

• B01L2200/025

  Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other · CPC title

• B01L2300/0829

  Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates · CPC title

• B01L3/0275 Primary

  Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips · CPC title