Coupling formation of a pipetting channel of a pipetting device for coupling of a pipette tip thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803789-B2
Application number	US-201314417336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2013
Priority date	Jul 25, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling formation of a pipetting channel of a pipetting device for coupling of an implement, for instance a pipette tip, or a laboratory instrument, laboratory tool or the like, thereto, wherein the coupling formation surrounds a pipetting channel section which extends along a pipetting channel axis which defines an axial direction, wherein the coupling formation additionally has, at its free longitudinal end, a pressure-imparting orifice into which the pipetting channel section opens and has, at its radially outer surface which surrounds the pipetting channel axis and extends principally in axial direction and in peripheral direction about the pipetting channel axis relative to the pipetting channel axis, a coupling projection which yields in the radial direction, which is characterized in that the coupling projection is provided so as to be essentially undeformable but radially movable on a spring arrangement which is elastic in radial direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipetting device comprising: a pipetting channel having a coupling formation for coupling of an implement, wherein the coupling formation surrounds a section of the pipetting channel which extends along a axis of the pipetting channel axis defining an axial direction, wherein the coupling formation further includes a pressure-imparting orifice on its a free longitudinal end of the coupling formation, into which the pipetting channel section opens and includes, at a surface which is radially external with respect to the pipetting channel axis and which surrounds the pipetting channel axis, and extending primarily in the axial and in a circumferential direction about the pipetting channel axis, a coupling projection yielding in the radial direction,
wherein the coupling projection is provided substantially undeformable but radially displaceable on a spring assembly which is elastic in the radial direction.

2. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , wherein the unloaded coupling projection is radially displaceable against the elastic force of the spring assembly by a radial force directed radially inward toward the pipetting channel axis.

3. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling projection circulates completely about the pipetting channel axis.

4. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , wherein the spring assembly comprises at least one leaf spring assembly which extends from an axial end far from the pressure-imparting orifice to an axial end close to the pressure-imparting orifice.

5. The pipetting device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one leaf spring assembly is fixedly connected on its axial end closer to the pressure-imparting orifice to an end section of the coupling formation, which end section includes the pressure-imparting orifice, and that the leaf spring assembly is fixedly connected on its axial end farther from the pressure-imparting orifice to a channel-side section of the coupling formation.

6. The pipetting device according to claim 5 , wherein a position-securing formation for securing the positioning of a pipette tip coupled with the coupling formation relative to the coupling formation is provided on an end section of the coupling formation, which end section includes the pressure-imparting orifice.

7. The pipetting device according to claim 6 , wherein the position-securing formation includes at least one of a radial shoulder and a cylindrical section, extending along at least one of the pipetting channel axis and a conical surface.

8. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling projection is divided into a plurality of partial coupling projections of which each is provided on a spring assembly, in particular a leaf spring assembly, which is elastic in the radial direction.

9. The pipetting device according to claim 8 , wherein it includes a plurality of parallel leaf spring assemblies of which each includes a at least one partial coupling projection.

10. The pipetting device according to claim 9 , wherein two leaf spring assemblies immediately adjacent in the circumferential direction have a circumferential gap between them and are thus disposed spaced from each other in the circumferential direction.

11. The pipetting device according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of said at least one partial coupling projection, is formed one-piece with the respective carrying leaf spring assembly.

12. The pipetting device according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one partial coupling projection includes a plurality of partial coupling projections that are formed one-piece with the respective carrying leaf spring assembly.

13. The pipetting device according to claim 9 , wherein all partial coupling projections of said at least one partial coupling projection are formed one-piece with the respective carrying leaf spring assembly.

14. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a seal ring circulating around the coupling formation, which is formed to seal a pipette volume in the interior of the pipette tip on a coupling section of the pipette tip against the external environment in a coupling state with the pipette tip coupled on the coupling formation.

15. The pipetting device according to claim 14 , wherein the seal ring is formed tapered towards the pressure-imparting orifice at least in an axial section.

16. The pipetting device according to claim 14 , wherein the seal ring is disposed farther away from the free longitudinal end of the coupling formation than the coupling projection.

17. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , wherein the spring assembly, the coupling projection, an end section of the coupling formation, which end section includes the pressure-imparting orifice, and a channel-side section of the coupling formation, which channel-side section is located farther away from the free longitudinal end of the coupling formation than the spring assembly, are formed one-piece.

18. The pipetting device according to claim 1 , further including a pipetting channel of which the pipetting channel section of the coupling formation forms a section,
wherein the pipetting device includes a pipette piston which is dimensioned, at least on its longitudinal end nearest the pressure-imparting orifice, and is movably accommodated on the pipetting device in the pipetting channel such that it is introducible axially into the pipetting channel section of the coupling assembly and retractable again therefrom so far that its longitudinal end nearest the pressure-imparting orifice is closer to the pressure-imparting orifice than the coupling projection.

19. The pipetting device according to claim 18 , wherein the pipetting device includes an axial slip-off device, which is formed to produce an abutting engagement during a slipping-off movement via an abutment surface with a counterabutment surface of an implement coupled with the coupling formation, for example a pipette tip or a laboratory instrument, laboratory tool and the like, in order to slip the pipette tip off of the coupling formation by continuing the slipping-off movement after producing of the abutting engagement, and thus decouple from the pipetting device,
wherein the abutment surface of the slip-off device is inclined or curved with respect to the axial movement direction of the slipping-off movement.

Assignees

• Hamilton Bonaduz Ag

Inventors

• Städler Andreas
• Peetz Torsten

Classifications

• F16L2201/44

  sterile · CPC title

• B01L3/0224 Primary

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

• F16L21/035

  placed around the spigot end before connection ({F16L21/022,} F16L21/025 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01L3/021

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

• F16L21/08

  with additional locking means (F16L21/06 takes precedence; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00) · CPC title