EP0223758A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for manipulating small volumes of liquid
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1986-10-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-10-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to apparatus for manipulating small quantities of liquid, comprising at least one test tube (1, 2) for accommodating the quantity of liquid, a cannula (10) which can be inserted into the vessel, and a control arrangement (6, 21) for controlling the system vessel and cannula in relation to one another in a manner such as to bring the cannula to the bottom of the vessel. In accordance with the invention, the cannula is provided with a suspension means (9,11, 12) which is connected to a mechanical or electronic sensor arrangement (22) which records pressure acting axially on the end of the cannula. When pressure is detected, the control arrangement halts further insertion of the cannula into the vessel.
Inventors
- 👤 Ulf E.H.H. Backlund
- 👤 Carl Urban Ungerstedt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:41
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/10; G01N35/1009; G01N30/00; G01N30/02; G01N30/80; G01N2035/00346; G01N2035/00435; G01N2035/1025; G01N35/1081; G01N35/1083; G01N2035/1086
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
Apparatus for manipulating a small quantity of liquid, comprising at least one vessel (1,2) for accommodating said quantity of liquid, a cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) having a cannula (10) capable of being inserted into said vessel, and a control arrangement (6,21) which, for the purpose of manipulating said quantity of liquid, is arranged to so control the system, vessel and cannula in relation to one another as to position the cannula in the bottom of the vessel, characterized in that the cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) includes a sensor (22) which is coupled to the control arrangement (6,21) and which is arranged to respond when the tip of the cannula (10) is subjected to a force acting axially to the cannu- la; and in that the control arrangement (6,21) is arranged to stop further insertion of the cannula into the vessel upon receipt from the sensor of a signal above a given signal level.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
Apparatus for manipulating a small quantity of liquid, comprising at least one vessel (1,2) for accommodating said quantity of liquid, a cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) having a cannula (10) capable of being inserted into said vessel, and a control arrangement (6,21) which, for the purpose of manipulating said quantity of liquid, is arranged to so control the system, vessel and cannula in relation to one another as to position the cannula in the bottom of the vessel, characterized in that the cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) includes a sensor (22) which is coupled to the control arrangement (6,21) and which is arranged to respond when the tip of the cannula (10) is subjected to a force acting axially to the cannu- la; and in that the control arrangement (6,21) is arranged to stop further insertion of the cannula into the vessel upon receipt from the sensor of a signal above a given signal level.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the vessel is provided with a protective membrane over the opening thereof, characterized in that for the purpose of manipulating liquid the control arrangement (6,21) is arranged to respond to signals from the sensor solely when the cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) and a vessel holding arrangement (3-5) are located within a first pre-determined distance range in relation to one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the control arrangement (6,21) is also arranged to respond to signals from the sensor (22) which lie outside the aforesaid distance range, these signals having a highest permitted level which is much higher than the level to which the control arrangement responds within said first distance range, therewith to stop further insertion of the cannula into the vessel and to stop all subsequent liquid manipulating sequences.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that for the purpose of manipulating liquid the control arrangement is arranged to move the system vessel and cannula through a short distance in the reverse direction subsequent to stoppage of further insertion of the cannula into the vessel, this distance being shorter than the diameter or a droplet of the liquid being manipulated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the cannula suspension arrangement (9,11,23) is immoveable in the vertical direction, and in that the vessel (1,2) is placed in a holder device (3-5) capable of being moved vertically in a controlled manner by the control arrangement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
83 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims incorporating a plurality of vessels (1,2), characterized in that the cannula suspension arrangement and/or a vessel holding device (3-5) can be controlled for substantially horizontal movement by the control arrangement (6,8,20,21) when the cannula suspension arrangement and the vessel holder device are spaced apart vertically in a second pre-determined distance range, within which the tip of the cannula upon movement in said horizontal direction moves free from contact with any vessel or vessel holding device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus according to any of Claims 2-6, characterized in that the given sensor signal level to which the control arrangement is arranged to respond within said first distance range is a pre-determined level above a detected level during an insertion movement sequence, which lies between a detected level outside said first distance range and said first distance range, this latter detected level being high although lower than the highest permitted level.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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