Automatic Pipette Extraction
AssigneeBc Enterprises
InventorsDavid E. Butz, Michael T. Cupo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic extractor for volumetric pipettes includes a pair of gripping jaws. Each gripping jaw has a non-slip gripping surface juxtaposed symmetrically along a longitudinal pipette axis. The non-slip gripping surfaces are spaced apart from one another to provide ample room to place a volumetric pipette therebetween. A stationary support plate located above the pair of gripping jaws receives the nose of a hand-held pump while the stem of the attached pipette triggers an activation switch that closes the gripping jaws and removes the pipette.
Claims16
A method of extracting a volumetric pipette mounted into a nose cone of a hand-held pipetting pump, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a volumetric pipette mounted to a friction fitting in a nose cone of a hand-held, volumetric pipette pump;
- b) providing two or more non-slip gripping surfaces juxtaposed from one another symmetrically along a longitudinal pipette axis and spaced apart from one another a sufficient distance to provide room for placing a portion of a stem of the volumetric pipette between the juxtaposed gripping surfaces;
- c) placing a portion of the stem of the volumetric pipette between the juxtaposed gripping surfaces when the volumetric pipette is mounted to the friction fitting of the hand-held pump;
- d) advancing the non-slip gripping surfaces simultaneously towards the longitudinal pipette axis so that the gripping surfaces hold the stem of the pipette with contemporaneous opposing holding forces;
- e) once a portion of the stem of the pipette is held between the juxtaposed gripping surfaces, simultaneously moving the non-slip gripping surfaces to pull the pipette away from the nose of the hand-held pump and disengage the pipette from the friction fitting on the nose cone of the hand-held pump;
- and
- f) after the pipette has been disengaged from the friction fitting on the nose cone of the hand-held pump, retracting the gripping surfaces away from the longitudinal pipette axis so that the pipette is released from the gripping surfaces.
A volumetric pipette extractor comprising:
- a pair of gripping jaws each with a non-slip gripping surface juxtaposed symmetrically along a longitudinal pipette axis and spaced apart from one another to provide ample room to place a volumetric pipette therebetween;
- a stationary support located above the pair of gripping jaws to receive a nose of a hand-held pump, the support containing an opening that provides access for a volumetric pipette to be aligned with the longitudinal pipette axis when the volumetric pipette is mounted to a friction fitting on the nose of the hand-held pump;
- means for advancing the gripping jaws simultaneously towards the longitudinal pipette axis so that the gripping surfaces hold the stem of the volumetric pipette with contemporaneous opposing holding forces and for pulling the pipette away from the stationary support to disengage a collar of the pipette from the nose on the hand-held pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.