Automatic pipette identification and detipping

A mechanism for facilitating the removal of a pipette tip from a pipette nozzle including:

• an ejector normally biased to a first position near an end of said nozzle to which said tip is mounted, and movable as said tip is mounted to said nozzle against the bias, the ejector reaching a retracted position when the tip is fully mounted;
• and
• a latch for maintaining the ejector in said retracted position, said latch including a selectively operable latch release, the bias returning said ejector to said first position when said latch release is operated to facilitate ejection of the tip mounted to the nozzle.

A mechanism for facilitating the removal of a pipette tip from a pipette nozzle including a mechanism which stores mechanical energy when a tip is mounted to said nozzle, and which releases the stored mechanical energy when the tip is to be removed to facilitate removal thereof.

In a pipette, a mechanism for detecting the type of pipette tip being mounted to a pipette nozzle including:

• a sleeve mechanism surrounding said nozzle, at least one of said sleeve mechanism and said nozzle being mounted to be selectively retracted when in contact with a tip as a tip is pressed on said nozzle to be mounted thereto, each tip type having a different base configuration which results in a difference in the relative displacement of the nozzle to the sleeve mechanism, and a mechanism for detecting such difference in relative displacement to thus identify tip type.