Aspirator probe with long pivot arm to minimize tip flick
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorJames D. Shaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aspirator probe, such as is used with a disposable tip in a clinical analyzer. The probe is pivotable to allow for horizontal displacement error in seating the probe at a liquid-dispensing station. To reduce the amount of "tip flick" that occurs by pivoting the tip about the pivot point as the probe starts to withdraw from the liquid-dispensing station, the pivot point is located from the fulcrum at the liquid dispensing station, a distance that is at least five times the length of the disposable tip measured from the fulcrum.
Claims4
In an aspirator probe for aspirating and dispensing liquid, said probe comprising a support shaft and a tip-mounting surface connected to said shaft for a disposable tip having a seating surface and a dispensing orifice, said support shaft being disposed generally vertically and including pivotable compliant means for allowing for horizontal displacement of said tip at a liquid-dispensing station, an exterior surface of said tip adjacent to its seating surface acting as a fulcrum for inadvertent tip-pivoting at the sample dispense station, causing a horizontal displacement of the liquid-dispensing orifice of the tip;
- the improvement wherein said compliant means is pivoted vertically along said support shaft at a point from said tip mounting, surface that is at least about five times the length of said tip from said seating surface to said tip orifice,
- whereby the horizontal displacement of said orifice due to said inadvertent pivoting, is minimized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.