Method of operating a pipetting system, a pipetting system, a tool, and a computer-implemented method
AssigneeTecan Trading AG
InventorsFrancois UEBELHART, Marianne ANGST-HELBLING, Werner HÄLG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is described of operating a pipetting system (10) that has a worktable (12), at least one manipulator arm (18), and first and second Z-rods (20′,20″) arranged on the at least one manipulator arm (18). The method involves receiving by the second Z-rod (20″) a tool (24) via an adapter attached to the second Z-rod (20″), wherein the tool (24) has a central axis and a working area, the working area being defined by a circle which center is located on the central axis of the tool (24) and which radius being a distance between the central axis and a largest extension of an outline of the tool (24) in a projection.
Claims16
A method of operating a pipetting system (10) comprising a worktable (12), at least one manipulator arm (18) and a plurality of Z-rods (20′,20″) arranged on the at least one manipulator arm (18), said plurality of Z-rods (20′,20″) comprise a first Z-rod (20′) and second Z-rod (20″), said first Z-rod (20′) comprises a fixed tip (22′;46′) or a disposable tip (36) attached to said first Z-rod (20′) via a connecting feature (40′), wherein the first Z-rod (20′) comprises a Z-axis (ZA) defined along a central axis of the fixed tip (22′;46′) or disposable tip (36),
- said method comprising the step of:
- receiving by said second Z-rod (20″) a tool (24) via an adapter (34″) attached to said second Z-rod (20″), wherein said tool (24) comprises a central axis (CA) and a working area (WA), said working area (WA) being defined by a circle which center is located on the central axis (CA) of said tool (24) and which radius (R) being a distance between said central axis (CA) and a largest extension of an outline of the tool (24) in a projection,
- and the method further comprises the steps of:
- traversing the Z-rods (20′,20″) such that the working area (WA) of the respective tool (24) is penetrated orthogonally by the Z-axis (ZA) of the first Z-rod (20′), as viewed in longitudinal direction of said first Z-rod (20′),
- operating on the fixed tip (22′;46′) or disposable tip (36) of the first Z-rod (20′) by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″),
- putting aside the tool (24) received by the second Z-rod (20″) on a docking station (28) subsequent to said operating,
- or
- traversing the Z-rods (20′,20″) such that the Z-axis (ZA) of the first Z-rod (20′) and the working area (WA) of the respective tool (24), as viewed in longitudinal direction of said first Z-rod (20′), at least partially overlap a target area (TA) comprised by a target (16) operable by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″),
- operating on the target (16) by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″) and/or by means of the fixed tip (22′;46) or the disposable tip (36) of the first Z-rod (20′),
- putting aside the tool (24) received by the second Z-rod (20″) on a docking station (28) subsequent to said operating.
A pipetting system (10) comprising a worktable (12), at least one manipulator arm (18) and a plurality of Z-rods (20′,20″) arranged on the at least one manipulator arm (18), said plurality of Z-rods (20′,20″) comprise a first Z-rod (20′) and a second Z-rod (20″), said first Z-rod (20′) comprises a fixed tip (22′;46′) or comprises a disposable tip (36) attached to said first Z-rod (20′) via a connecting feature (40′), wherein the first Z-rod (20′) comprises a Z-axis (ZA) defined along a central axis of the fixed tip (22′;46′) or disposable tip (36),
- wherein the pipetting system (10) is adapted to:
- receiving by said second Z-rod (20″) a tool (24) via an adapter (34″) attached to said second Z-rod (20″), wherein said tool (24) comprises a central axis (CA) and a working area (WA), said working area (WA) being defined by a circle which center is located on the central axis (CA) of said tool (24) and which radius (R) being a distance between said central axis (CA) and a largest extension of an outline of the tool (24) in a projection,
- and wherein the pipetting system (10) is further adapted to:
- traversing the Z-rods (20′,20″) such that the working area (WA) of the respective tool (24) is penetrated orthogonally by the Z-axis (ZA) of the first Z-rod (20′), as viewed in longitudinal direction of said first Z-rod (20′),
- operating on the fixed tip (22′;46′) or disposable tip (36) of the first Z-rod (20′) by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″),
- putting aside the tool (24) received by the second Z-rod (20″) on a docking station (28) subsequent to said operating,
- or
- traversing the Z-rods (20′,20″) such that the Z-axis (ZA) of the first Z-rod (20′) and the working area (WA) of the respective tool (24), as viewed in longitudinal direction of said first Z-rod (20′), at least partially overlap a target area (TA) comprised by a target (16) operable by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″),
- operating on the target (16) by means of the tool (24) of the second Z-rod (20″) and/or by means of the fixed tip (22′;46) or the disposable tip (36) of the first Z-rod (20′),
- putting aside the tool (24) received by the second Z-rod (20″) on a docking station (28) subsequent to said operating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.