Automated pipetting apparatus having a combined liquid pump and pipette head system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9347586-B2
Application number	US-201213652368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2012
Priority date	Jul 13, 2007
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

The technology described herein generally relates to systems for extracting polynucleotides from multiple samples, particularly from biological samples, and additionally to systems that subsequently amplify and detect the extracted polynucleotides. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on multiple samples of nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The technology still more particularly relates to automated devices for carrying out pipetting operations, particularly on samples in parallel, consistent with sample preparation and delivery of PCR-ready nucleotide extracts to a cartridge wherein PCR is run.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated pipetting apparatus comprising:
a controller;
a gantry comprising a horizontal rail; and
a liquid dispenser moveable vertically within a container to make contact with the liquid therein and configured to carry out suck and dispense operations therein, the liquid dispenser comprising a mechanical connection to the horizontal rail of the gantry and moveable along the gantry, the liquid dispenser comprising:
a plurality of pumps;
a plurality of dispense heads, each dispense head configured to receive gas from a respective one of the plurality of pumps; and
electrical connections configured to transmit control signals from the controller to the plurality of pumps, the control signals controlling operation of each dispense head by controlling when to reduce gas pressure in one of the plurality of dispense heads, thereby causing a sucking operation, and controlling when to increase gas pressure in one of the plurality of dispense heads, thereby causing a dispense operation, the controller programmed to simultaneously actuate individual pumps of the plurality of pumps to dispense individual fluid volumes, at least one of the plurality of dispense heads configured to dispense a different fluid volume than the fluid volume simultaneously dispensed by at least one other dispense head,
wherein the mechanical connection to the horizontal rail and the electrical connections to the controller are the only external connections to the liquid dispenser.

2. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein no gas lines connect the plurality of pumps to the gantry.

3. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein every dispense head of the plurality of dispense heads receives gas from its respective pump and dispenses fluid without gas being directed to any other pump or its respective dispense head.

4. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid dispenser comprises four pumps and four dispense heads, and wherein each head is configured to accept a pipette tip.

5. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the liquid dispenser comprises a sensor configured to detect when a pipette tip is positioned on a dispense head, and wherein the automated pipetting apparatus further comprises one or more sensors configured to sense when vertical motion of the liquid dispenser is obstructed.

6. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , configured to aspirate and dispense fluid in connection with analysis or preparation of solutions of two or more samples.

7. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid dispenser is configured to move in three dimensions.

8. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispense heads are individually sprung.

9. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein no solution of a sample enters the plurality of dispense heads during normal operation of the dispenser.

10. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , configured to aspirate, in a single operation, an amount of 1.0 ml of fluid or less, the automated pipetting apparatus further configured to dispense, in a single operation, an amount of 1.0 ml of fluid or less.

11. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , configured to aspirate, in a single operation, an amount of fluid in the range 10 n1-1 ml, the automated pipetting apparatus further configured to dispense, in a single operation, an amount of 10 nl-1 ml of fluid or less.

12. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an individual pipette tip sensor, an encoder for the one or more pumps, a force sensor, a barcode sensor, and an image sensor.

13. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pumps each comprise a plunger configured to compress or uncompress a volume of gas.

14. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to independently control movement of each plunger to regulate gas flow to each of the plurality of dispense heads independent of gas flow to any other dispense head.

15. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid dispenser further comprises a printed circuit board configured to control operation of the plurality of pumps.

16. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to simultaneously actuate individual pumps of the plurality of pumps to aspirate individual fluid volumes, the fluid volume aspirated by at least one dispense head different from the fluid volume simultaneously aspirated by at least one other dispense head.

17. The automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to simultaneously vent individual pumps of the plurality of the pumps.

18. A method of dispensing a liquid using the automated pipetting apparatus of claim 1 , the method comprising:
moving the liquid dispenser from a first position to a second position through the mechanical connection to the horizontal rail of the gantry;
transmitting a control signal from the controller to the plurality of pumps via the electrical connections; and
independently regulating the flow of gas from each of the plurality of pumps to a respective one of the plurality of dispense heads.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein independently regulating the flow of gas comprises independently moving a plunger in each of the plurality of pumps to compress or uncompress a volume of gas.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein independently controlling a plunger comprises transmitting a control signal from the controller to a motor in each of the plurality of pumps.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein regulating gas flow to a dispense head corresponds to sucking a solution of a sample out of a container.

Assignees

• Handylab Inc

Inventors

• Williams Jeff
• Wilson Kerry

Classifications

• F16K2099/0084

  Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology · CPC title

• F16K99/0032

  using phase transition or influencing viscosity · CPC title

• B01L3/021

  Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids · CPC title

• B01L2300/044

  pierceable, e.g. films, membranes · CPC title

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title