Closure element and closure system
OwnerMatthias Nauck, Jochem Kottinginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closure element for closing a container or vessel with circular opening is described. It has the shape of a sphere, a sphere segment, a sphere cutout or a sphere layer and is able to releasably close the circular opening at the sphere surface or spherical surface. The closure element and the closure system formed with a container or vessel is very well suited for use in medical, chemical, biochemical, biological and/or analyses or reactions, in particular in medical diagnostics and chemical or biochemical analysis.
Claims33
1-30. (canceled)
A closure element for closing a container or vessel with circular opening, the closure element comprising a core and a surface layer, the closure element having a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel, wherein the core comprises a magnetic material and the surface layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a plastic-containing material, a glass-containing material and a ceramic-containing material.
A closure system comprising:
- a) a container or vessel with circular opening;
- and
- b) a closure element having a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel;
- wherein the core comprises a magnetic material and the surface layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a plastic-containing material, a glass-containing material and a ceramic-containing material.
A closure system comprising:
- a) a container or vessel with circular opening;
- b) a closure element comprising a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel;
- and
- c) a suction device for removing the closure element from the opening by means of suction force.
A process for carrying out a chemical, biochemical, biological and/or medical analysis or reaction with samples or reagents present in a container or vessel, the process comprising:
- providing a container or vessel having at least one circular opening, the circular opening being releasably closed with a closure element having a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel;
- removing the closure element from the circular opening by applying a magnetic field or a suction to the closure element wherein, when a magnetic field is applied, the closure element comprises a core containing magnetic material and
- performing pipetting steps required for carrying out the chemical, biochemical, biological and/or medical analysis or reaction with samples or reagents present in the container or vessel.
A method for closing a circular opening in a container or vessel, the method comprising:
- providing a closure element having a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel;
- and
- closing the container or vessel with the closure element between partial filling, filling or emptying of the containers.
A device for automatically carrying out series investigations on samples present in a container or vessel having a circular opening that can be releasably closed by a closure element having a spherical shape surface comprising a diameter for the closure element to releasably engage with the circular opening of the container or vessel, wherein the investigations include pipetting steps for the removal and/or addition of liquid reagents or samples, the device comprising:
- a conventional structure and configuration of a pipetting machine;
- and
- a magnetic device or a suction device for reversibly opening and closing the circular opening of the container or vessel by removing or replacing the closure element;
- wherein, when a magnetic device is used, the closure element comprises a core containing a magnetic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.