EP0337726A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pipette tip pickup apparatus
Assignee: Meda Pharmaceuticals Ltd
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Filing: 1989-04-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-04-11
Abstract
Abstract In a liquid handling station taking up and dispensing liquid through one or a plurality of pipettes each having a syringe and a respective nozzle, it is customary to fit the nozzle(s) with a disposable pipette tip(s) which is replaced between samples to avoid cross-contamination. There are difficulties in reliably fitting and sealing these pipette tips onto the nozzles. The present invention simplifies the fitting and sealing of pipette tips onto nozzles by forming each nozzle with an annular groove having a controllably variable axial width. An elastomeric O-ring seal is fitted in each annular groove. The nozzle and its fitted O-ring seal is inserted into a pipette tip, and then the axial width of the annular groove is controllably reduced to cause a circumferential expansion of the O-ring seal. The nozzle and the pipette tip become mechanically and sealingly attached without the pipette tip having to be force-fitted onto the nozzle as was previously necessary. The pipette tip is subsequently detached by controllably increasing the axial width of the annular groove to allow a circumferential contraction of the O-ring seal. Manufacturing tolerances in the pipette tips do not have an adverse effect on the resultant nozzle/tip seal.
Inventors
- 👤 Abram David Yeudall
- 👤 Richard Harry Mark Freeman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 07:11
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/02; B01L3/0275; B01L3/0279
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
Pipette tip pickup apparatus, said apparatus comprising a syringe barrel having a nozzle to which a pipette tip may be attached or from which the pipette tip may be detached, the nozzle having an external annular groove, means to controllably vary the axial width of said annular groove, and an elastomeric O-ring seal disposed in said annular groove, the apparatus being such that upon insertion of the nozzle into a pipette tip, the axial width of the annular groove may be controllably decreased to cause a circumferential expansion of the O-ring seal whereby the nozzle becomes mechanically and sealingly attached to the pipette tip.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
Pipette tip pickup apparatus, said apparatus comprising a syringe barrel having a nozzle to which a pipette tip may be attached or from which the pipette tip may be detached, the nozzle having an external annular groove, means to controllably vary the axial width of said annular groove, and an elastomeric O-ring seal disposed in said annular groove, the apparatus being such that upon insertion of the nozzle into a pipette tip, the axial width of the annular groove may be controllably decreased to cause a circumferential expansion of the O-ring seal whereby the nozzle becomes mechanically and sealingly attached to the pipette tip.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the annular groove is externally formed on the nozzle between a shoulder on the nozzle tip and the adjacent end of a sleeve axially moveable on the exterior of the nozzle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the sleeve is screw-threaded on the nozzle whereby rotation of the sleeve on the nozzle causes axial displacement of the sleeve relative to the shoulder on the nozzle tip with consequent variation of the axial width of the annular groove formed therebetween.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the sleeve is rotatable on the nozzle by being gearingly coupled to a gear mechanism comprised in said means to controllably vary the axial width of the annular groove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the gear mechanism comprises a toothed rack slideable tangentially relative to the nozzle and engaging a toothed pinion formed on or secured to the sleeve.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the rack is mechanically linked to a manually rotatable operating handle, rotation of the operating handle linking through the gear mechanism to rotate the sleeve and hence control variation of the axial width of the annular groove.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the sleeve is rotatable on the nozzle by means of an electric motor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
131 words
Pipette tip pickup apparatus, said apparatus comprising a plurality of syringe barrels arranged in a substantially straight row with substantially parallel axes, each syringe barrel having a repective nozzle to which a respective pipette tip may be attached or from which the pipette tips may be detached, each said nozzle having a respective external annular groove, means to controllably and conjointly vary the axial width of each said annular groove, and a respective elastomeric O-ring seal disposed in each said annular groove, the apparatus being such that upon insertion of each nozzle into a respective pipette tip, the axial width of each annular groove can be controllably and conjointly decreased to cause circumferential expansion of each O-ring seal whereby each nozzle becomes mechanically and sealingly attached to the respective pipette tip.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
131 words
Pipette tip pickup apparatus, said apparatus comprising a plurality of syringe barrels arranged in a substantially straight row with substantially parallel axes, each syringe barrel having a repective nozzle to which a respective pipette tip may be attached or from which the pipette tips may be detached, each said nozzle having a respective external annular groove, means to controllably and conjointly vary the axial width of each said annular groove, and a respective elastomeric O-ring seal disposed in each said annular groove, the apparatus being such that upon insertion of each nozzle into a respective pipette tip, the axial width of each annular groove can be controllably and conjointly decreased to cause circumferential expansion of each O-ring seal whereby each nozzle becomes mechanically and sealingly attached to the respective pipette tip.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 wherein components associated with individual ones of the nozzles are substantially the same as equivalent components in the apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8, but multiplied as requisite by the number of syringe barrels save for components that the are common to all nozzles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
A liquid handling station comprising pipette tip pickup apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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