Method for Dosing Liquid by Means of a Pipette and a Syringe, and Pipette for Actuating a Syringe for Dosing Liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018169647-A1
Application number	US-201715844921-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for dosing liquid by means of a pipette with an adjustable dosing increment, a display apparatus, a drawing lever to draw liquid into a syringe, and a control button to discharge liquid in steps from the syringe, and the syringe actuated by means of the pipette, wherein:
1.1. the syringe is releasably connected to the pipette, 1.2. the dosing increment is optionally set, or the previously set dosing increment is retained, 1.3. the dosing volume set by the dosing increment is displayed by means of the display apparatus, 1.4. liquid is sucked into the syringe by actuating the drawing lever, 1.5. the respective position of a drive element of a drive mechanism of the pipette for filling and draining the syringe when the drive element is shifted along a path is detected, 1.6. the possible maximum number of dosing steps with the set dosing increment without refilling the syringe after executing the reverse stroke starting from the position of the drive element reached at the end of filling is determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus, 1.7. after the syringe is completely or partially filled with liquid, the reverse stroke is executed by actuating the control button at least once, 1.8. dosing steps are executed by actuating the dosing button, the executed dosing steps are counted, the number of executed dosing steps and/or the number of still possible dosing steps without refilling the syringe are determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus, and 1.9. after executing the maximum possible number of dosing steps without refilling the syringe, either the syringe is removed from the pipette, or steps 1.2 to 1.8 are repeated with same syringe, wherein in step 1.8, the total number of dosing steps performed with the syringe with the set dosing increments is counted, and/or the number of still possible dosing steps without refilling the syringe is determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus.

First claim

1 . A method for dosing liquid by means of a pipette with an adjustable dosing increment, a display apparatus, a drawing lever to draw liquid into a syringe, and a control button to discharge liquid in steps from the syringe, and the syringe actuated by means of the pipette, wherein:
the syringe is releasably connected to the pipette, the dosing increment is optionally set, or the previously set dosing increment is retained, the dosing volume set by the dosing increment is displayed by means of the display apparatus, liquid is sucked into the syringe by actuating the drawing lever, the respective position of a drive element of a drive mechanism of the pipette for filling and draining the syringe when the drive element is shifted along a path is detected, the possible maximum number of dosing steps with the set dosing increment without refilling the syringe after executing the reverse stroke starting from the position of the drive element reached at the end of filling is determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus, after the syringe is completely or partially filled with liquid, the reverse stroke is executed by actuating the control button at least once, dosing steps are executed by actuating the dosing button, the executed dosing steps are counted, the number of executed dosing steps and/or the number of still possible dosing steps without refilling the syringe are determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus, and after executing the maximum possible number of dosing steps without refilling the syringe, either the syringe is removed from the pipette, or the dosing increment step to the actuating the dosing button step are repeated with same syringe, wherein in the actuating the dosing button step, the total number of dosing steps performed with the syringe with the set dosing increments is counted, and/or the number of still possible dosing steps without refilling the syringe is determined and displayed by means of the display apparatus.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pipette outputs a display, and a signal, and/or other output indicating the execution of the required number of actuations of the dosing button until, and/or when the reverse stroke to be executed is executed.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after the syringe is releasably connected to the pipette before termination of filling of the syringe with liquid, the maximum possible number of dosing steps with the set dosing increment and a completely filled syringe after execution of the reverse stroke without refilling the syringe is displayed by the display apparatus.

4 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein the termination of filling the syringe is recognized when the displacement of the drive element has stopped, and/or the direction of displacement of the drive element is reversed.

5 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein a display, signal or other output by the display apparatus, and/or by another output apparatus of the pipette is output indicating the ongoing process of drawing liquid into the syringe and performing the reverse stroke, while suctioning liquid by actuating the drawing lever until executing the reverse stroke by actuating the control button, and the output is not output before suctioning liquid and after executing the reverse stroke.

6 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein a display is only shown by the display apparatus when a syringe is releasably connected to the pipette, and wherein the display disappears when the syringe is disconnected from the pipette.

7 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus shows the maximum possible number of dosing steps with the reset dosing increment without refilling the syringe and the dosing volume set by the reset dosing increment when the dosing increment is reset after executing the reverse stroke and before executing the maximum possible number of dosing steps without refilling the syringe.

8 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein when a dosing step has been incompletely executed, the pipette outputs a display, signal, or other information by the display apparatus or another display apparatus indicating the incompletely executed dosing step, and/or the number of completely discharged dosing steps, and/or the still possible number of dosing steps without refilling the syringe.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the number of performed dosing steps is not counted after an incompletely executed dosing step until the syringe is completely drained or until a complete dosing step has been executed, and the pipette outputs a display, signal or other information by means of the display apparatus or another display apparatus indicating the incomplete discharge of liquid until the syringe is completely drained or a complete dosing step has been executed.

10 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein the amount of liquid drawn while filling the syringe is determined with reference to the detected position of the drive element on the path, and is displayed by means of the display apparatus.

11 . The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein the pipette detects a code indicating a syringe volume of the connected syringe and determines the dosing volume based on the set dose increment and the detected code, and shows the dosing volume by means of the display apparatus.

12 . A pipette ( 1 ) for handling a syringe ( 3 ), comprising:
a strip-shaped housing ( 2 ), a seat ( 20 ) with an opening ( 21 . 1 ) at the bottom end of the housing ( 2 ) for inserting a syringe ( 3 ) with a fastening section ( 16 ) at the top edge of a cylinder ( 11 ), a seat body ( 25 ) with another seat ( 24 ) and another opening ( 21 . 2 ) at the bottom end in the housing ( 2 ) for inserting another fastening section ( 19 ) of a plunger ( 12 ) of the syringe ( 3 ), means for releasably holding the fastening section ( 16 ) in the seat ( 20 ) and the additional fastening section ( 19 ) in the additional seat ( 24 ), at least one means for displacing the seat body ( 25 ) within the housing ( 2 ) in the longitudinal direction of the housing ( 2 ), that have the drawing lever ( 5 ) that can be actuated outside of the housing ( 2 ) for drawing liquid into the syringe ( 3 ), a control button ( 8 ) that can be actuated outside of the housing ( 2 ) for the stepwise discharging of liquid from the syringe ( 3 ), and an adjusting element for adjusting a dosing increment that can be adjusted outside of the housing ( 2 ), means for detecting the dosing increment set with the adjusting element, means for detecting a syringe ( 3 ) releasably connected to the pipette ( 1 ), means for detecting the respective position of the means for displacing the seat body ( 25 ) when displacing the displacement means along a path relative to the housing ( 2 ), an electronic control apparatus ( 42 ) connected to the detection means, and an electronic display apparatus ( 9 ) connected to the electronic control apparatus ( 42 ), wherein the control apparatus ( 42 ) is configured so that it determines the dosing volume by the set dosing increment when the syringe ( 3 ) is inserted in the pipette ( 1 ), and determines the maximum possible number of dosing steps following the execution of the reverse stroke without refilling the syringe ( 3 ) given the set dosing increment and completely or partially filled syringe ( 3 ) by the position of the displacement means on the path, and displays them by the display apparatus ( 9 ), it determines the execution of a reverse stroke to be executed by at least once actuating the control button ( 8 ), and outputs outpu

Assignees

• Eppendorf Ag

Inventors

• Reichmuth Burkhardt

Classifications

• B01L3/0234

  Repeating pipettes, i.e. for dispensing multiple doses from a single charge · CPC title

• B01L3/0237

  Details of electronic control, e.g. relating to user interface · CPC title

• B01L2400/0478

  pistons · CPC title

• B01L2300/025

  Displaying results or values with integrated means · CPC title

• B01L3/0224 Primary

  having mechanical means to set stroke length, e.g. movable stops (B01L3/0231, B01L3/0234 take precedence) · CPC title