Autoclavable pipette jar and method of using it

Claim 1

A two-position autoclavable container comprising: walls of autoclavable material forming a compartment for holding pipettes; said walls of autoclavable material being shaped to form a base, a side wall and a top of said container with the base, side wall and top at least partly defining and enclosing said compartment; said base having a flat bottom surface, whereby said container may be supported thereon in a first stable position; said side wall being tubular and extending upwardly from said base; constraint means for preventing said container from rolling when it rests in a second stable position where it is not supported by the flat bottom surface, whereby said container may be supported in the second stable position and wherein said constraint means includes a straight resting edge which extends as a side of said base, with the base being otherwise generally disc shaped; said base, side wall and top having a continuous portion, whereby said pipette jar may hold a liquid when resting in either said first or said second stable position; and said side wall having an opening immediately adjacent to said top and located on the opposite side of said compartment from said straight resting edge, whereby said opening is near the top of said compartment and pipettes can be inserted through said opening with said container resting in a selected one of said first or said second stable positions to permit said container to be placed in an autoclave in either of said two positions while holding a liquid.