Diagnostic pipette assembly including apparatus for automated aspiration

A diagnostic pipette assembly including aspiration structure for automation, comprising:

• a main pipette housing having a hollow interior and having open first and second ends communicating through the hollow interior, and an exterior surface, each of the ends being open, the exterior surface having at least one window for viewing diagnostic results;
• and
• a pipette tip assembly connectable to the main pipette housing at the second open end, the pipette tip assembly including a housing, the pipette tip housing having a hollow interior and a first end proximate to the main pipette housing at the second open end, the pipette tip housing ends communicating with one another through the hollow interior, the interior of the tip body in communication with the interior of the main pipette housing, the pipette tip assembly including structure within the tip housing interior for closing and opening the first and second ends of the tip housing, the structure having a normal first position wherein the first end of the pipette tip housing being open and the second end of the pipette tip housing being closed and capable of responding to pressure at the second end of the pipette tip housing by moving to a second position wherein the first end of the pipette tip housing is remains open and the second end of the pipette tip housing is open, wherein there is fluid communication from the second end of the pipette tip through the pipette tip interior and the main pipette housing interior.
• whereby, the second end of the pipette tip is normally closed, but upon the application of pressure, the second end of the pipette tip opens while closing the first end and sample is capable of being aspirated into the housing when the pipette tip responds to the pressure at the second end of pipette tip.

A method of using a diagnostic pipette assembly for aspirating sample from a sample tube to the diagnostic pipette assembly, the steps of which comprise:

• providing a diagnostic pipette assembly comprising:
• a main pipette housing having a hollow interior defining a first chamber and a proximal end and an open distal end;
• a pipette tip assembly connectable to the main pipette housing having a hollow interior defining a second chamber, the pipette tip hollow interior having open proximal and distal ends and the first and second chambers in fluid communication and the pipette tip including means for normally be closed and opened upon pressure;
• lowering the pipette tip into a sample tube until the pressure caused from contacting the sample tube causes the pipette tip to open;
• aspirating sample from the sample tube to the diagnostic pipette assembly;
• and
• raising the diagnostic pipette assembly and closing the pipette tip.