Method of Operating a Laboratory Instrument
AssigneeRoche Molecular Systems, Inc.
InventorsEveline Bachmair, Andreas Gisler, Raphael Gut, Alejandro Hernandez, Alexander Meier
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method and laboratory instrument aimed at reducing the loss of time of liquid level determination each time a liquid container is loaded into an instrument and at the same time reducing waste of liquid containers due to unforeseen changes in the liquid levels by combining a fast liquid level check at an expected liquid level with a liquid level search if no liquid level is found at the expected level, while also ensuring proper liquid aspiration as the liquid level is always verified (expected level is not blindly relied upon).
Claims13
A computer implemented method of operating a laboratory instrument comprising a pipettor and a control unit configured to control said pipettor, the method comprising:
- a) retrieving an expected volume of a liquid within a liquid container from a datastore;
- b) retrieving a container description of the liquid container from a datastore, the container description being indicative of a relationship between volume and height within the liquid container;
- c) determining by a control unit of an expected liquid level (eL) based on the container description and expected volume;
- d) perform a liquid level check at said expected liquid level (eL) by the pipettor;
- e) if liquid is detected at expected liquid level (eL), generating by the control unit of a signal indicative of verified liquid level (vL) equal to expected liquid level (eL);
- f) if liquid is not detected at expected liquid level (eL):
- f1) perform a liquid level search by the pipettor until liquid is detected;
- f2) update expected liquid level (eL) to a liquid level where liquid has been detected using the second liquid detection method;
- f3) repeat steps d) through f).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.