Mechanical pipette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415387-B2
Application number	US-201113877639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2011
Priority date	Oct 4, 2010
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A mechanical pipette comprising: a. a manually drivable mechanical unit for pipetting liquids, b. at least one sensor for detecting operating and/or performance data, c. an operating unit, and d. a display unit, e. wherein a device module comprises the mechanical unit for pipetting, the sensor and operating unit, f. a display module physically separate from the device module completely or partially comprises the display unit, and g. means for wireless communication between the device module and the display module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanical pipette comprising:
a manually drivable mechanical unit for pipetting liquids ( 2 ),
at least one sensor for detecting operating and/or performance data,
an operating unit, and
a display unit ( 3 ),
wherein a device module ( 7 ) comprises the mechanical unit for pipetting, the sensor and operating unit,
a display module ( 8 ) physically separate from the device module ( 7 ) that completely or partially comprises the display unit ( 3 ), wherein the display module ( 8 ) is designed such that it recognizes the respective device module ( 7 ) when communicating with one of a plurality of device modules ( 7 ), and automatically sets a device-specific user interface on the display unit ( 8 ), and
means for wireless communication ( 9 ) between the device module ( 7 ) and the display module ( 8 ), said means for wireless communication constructed and arranged such that it transmits data from different device modules on different channels, or data from different device modules each with a device-specific ID and the display module is constructed and arranged to recognize the respective device module by the data being transmitted on a specific channel or the data comprising a device-specific ID.

2. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) comprises an electronic control unit for detecting operating data and/or performance data.

3. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) is designed so that it can only be used when a proof of authorization is entered.

4. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) is designed such that certain measuring results and other data can only be processed when proof of authorization is entered.

5. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) is designed to have a reservation function by means of which the pipette can be blocked for certain intervals for certain users.

6. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) has switches and/or keys and/or a keyboard and/or a microphone and/or a screen and/or a touch-sensitive screen and/or a loudspeaker and/or an acoustic signal generator.

7. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) is handheld, and/or the operating display module ( 8 ) is portable and/or handheld by one person.

8. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) is a cell phone and/or a personal digital assistant and/or a smartphone ( 22 ).

9. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) comprises a head-up display and/or a transparent screen ( 31 ) that can be placed in front of a work area.

10. The pipette according to claim 1 having an electronic data processing system ( 12 ) physically separate from the device module and display module ( 8 ), and means for communicating wirelessly or by wire between the display module and the electronic data processing system.

11. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the means for wireless communication ( 9 ) communicates by means of radio waves and/or optically and/or inductively and/or capacitively.

12. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module ( 8 ) is releasably connectable with the device module ( 7 ).

13. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) has an electrical charger ( 18 ) for charging an electrical energy storage unit ( 17 , 19 ) of the display module ( 8 ) or vice versa, and electrical contacts are available for transmitting an electrical charge from the device module ( 7 ) to the display module ( 8 ) or vice versa.

14. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) and the display module ( 8 ) have contacts that are connectable with each other for communication and/or transmitting an electrical charge between the device module ( 7 ) and display module ( 8 ).

15. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) has at least one operating element ( 15 ) for controlling dosing procedures and/or disconnecting a pipette tip ( 26 ) or syringe from the device module ( 7 ).

16. The pipette according to claim 15 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) has a manually drivable mechanical drive unit for an ejector.

17. The pipette according to claim 1 , further including a displacement unit and/or an ejector, said displacement unit having a displacement organ, wherein the device module ( 7 ) has at least one drive unit mechanically coupled to a displacement organ of the displacement unit and/or the ejector, and an operating element coupled to the mechanical drive unit for driving the displacement unit by means of the muscle power of the user.

18. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) does not have a display unit.

19. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the device module ( 7 ) is rod-shaped as a whole or at the top end.

20. The pipette according to claim 1 , wherein the display module is arranged on a pipette holder.

21. The pipette of claim 1 having a plurality of device modules, and at least one display module.

22. The pipette according to claim 21 , wherein the at least one operating unit and display unit required per device module is designed such that it only communicates with device modules within a specific spatial range.

23. The laboratory device system according to claim 22 , wherein the specified spatial range is limited by a maximum distance, or by one room or a part of a room, or several rooms of a building.

24. A mechanical pipette comprising:
a manually drivable mechanical unit for pipetting liquids ( 2 ),
at least one sensor for detecting operating and/or performance data,
an operating unit, and
a display unit ( 3 ),
wherein a device module ( 7 ) comprises the mechanical unit for pipetting, the sensor and operating unit,
a display module ( 7 ) physically separate from the device module ( 8 ) that completely or partially comprises the display unit ( 3 ), and

means for wireless communication ( 9 ) between the device module ( 7 ) and the display module ( 8 ), wherein the display module ( 8 ) is releasably connectable with the device module ( 7 ) and the device module ( 8 ) and the display module ( 7 ) are designed such that the pipette can selectively be used either in a separated state wherein the display module is separate from the device module or in a connected state wherein the device module and the display module form a handheld pipette like a conventional pipette.

Assignees

• Mohr Günther A
• Von Beichmann Boris
• Werner Lurz
• Eppendorf Ag

Inventors

• Mohr Günther A
• Von Beichmann Boris
• Werner Lurz

Classifications

• B01L2300/024

  Storing results with means integrated into the container · CPC title

• B01L2300/023

  Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using Bluetooth® · CPC title

• B01L3/0237 Primary

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

• B01L3/0213

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

• B01L2300/025

  Displaying results or values with integrated means · CPC title