US 2002/0176803 A1 · Automated pipetting system

Abstract

A highly automated, high volume multichannel pipetting system which transfers liquid from mother plates to daughter plates, or from a fill station to daughter plates. The mother plates are stacked in one set of stacker assemblies, while the empty daughter plates are stacked in another stacker assembly. A plate handling assembly which is capable of moving the plates in three orthogonal directions retrieves the plates from the stacker assemblies, carries them to the pipetting head, and returns them to other stacker assemblies. The pipetting head is removable for replacement or repair thereof, or for insertion of another head assembly having a different number of pipetting channels. The head slides into the housing on slideways, and is retained in place by manually operable, threaded knobs mounted on shafts. The stacker assemblies include a chimney which is removable from a base. The plates may be stacked in the chimney and then inserted on the base. The base includes solenoids whose arms are retractable to permit plates to be retrieved or replaced one at a time. The chimneys contain flaps which serve to retain the plates within the chimney if manually removed from the base. Doors in the stacker chimneys allow manual insertion and replacement of plates. Methods of operation of the pipetting system are also disclosed.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A liquid dispenser comprising:

a housing;
a plurality of interconnected chambers disposed within the housing into which liquid is drawn and from which liquid is expelled;
apparatus connected to the chambers for drawing a measured amount of liquid into each of the chambers and for expelling from each of the chambers another measured amount of liquid;
an opening disposed at one end of each chamber into which liquid may be drawn;
and
slideways supporting the plurality of chambers and the apparatus for drawing and expelling liquid from the chambers, said plurality of chambers and said apparatus for drawing and expelling liquid being slidable into and out of the housing along the slideways.

3 more elements

A liquid transfer apparatus comprising:

a source of liquid to be dispensed;
a head for withdrawing liquid from the source of liquid through a plurality of dispensing tips, and for dispensing the liquid in measured amounts through the dispensing tips into wells of plates;
and
an assembly for storing, receiving and providing plates containing wells into which liquid is to be dispensed, said assembly comprising:
at least one stacker for containing a stack of plates and having a top opening and a bottom opening;
a base on which the stacker rests, the base having an opening communicating with the bottom opening of the stacker through which plates may be received by the stacker and from which plates may be withdrawn from the stacker;
retractable arms disposed adjacent the base opening and below a lowermost plate stacked within the stacker, the arms being normally in a first position in which the arms extend into the base opening and engage a lowermost plate, said arms being retractable to a second position away from the base opening in which the arms do not engage the lowermost plate of the stacker to permit selective insertion and removal of plates from the stacker through the base opening and the bottom opening of the stacker.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated pipetting system

Life of this patent

Automated pipetting system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38