Microcentrifuge tube cap opening and closing apparatus and method
AssigneeDrummond Scientific Company
InventorH. Charles Locke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single-hand apparatus for opening and closing the cap of a microcentrifuge tube. The apparatus comprises an elongate base having means on one end for mounting the base on a laboratory ring stand and means on the other end of the base for allowing a technician to hold the microcentrifuge tube in one hand and to open and close the cap without requiring a second hand.
Claims35
A single-hand apparatus for opening a cap on a microcentrifuge tube, the cap being hinged to the tube and having a radially-protruding lip and a diameter D, comprising:
- a) an elongate base having first and second end surfaces, a plurality of side surfaces extending intermediate said end surfaces, and a lengthwise axis;
- b) a first cylindrical bore proximate said first end surface extending through said base transverse to said lengthwise axis;
- c) a notch in said base proximate said second end surface, said notch having a horizontal surface extending a distance “Y” generally-parallel to said lengthwise axis, and a vertical surface extending a distance “X” generally-parallel to said end surfaces;
- d) a race in said horizontal notch surface extending from said second end surface a distance “Z” which is greater than “Y”;
- and,
- e) a pocket contiguously formed with the end of said race proximate the intersection of said horizontal and vertical notch surfaces, said pocket having a length “LP1” which is equal to “Z” minus “Y” and a width “WP”.
A single-hand apparatus which allows a technician to hold different size microcentrifuge tube caps, each cap having a diameter D and a radially-protruding lip, comprising;
- a) an elongate base having first and second end surfaces, a plurality of side surfaces extending intermediate said end surfaces, and a lengthwise axis;
- b) means on the first end for mounting said base at any location along the length of the support rod of a laboratory ring stand;
- and,
- c) means on said base for allowing a technician to hold the microcentrifuge tube in one hand, and to open and close the cap without requiring a second hand.
A single-hand apparatus for opening and closing any size mricrocentifuge cap within a specified size range, each cap having a diameter D and a radially-protruding lip, comprising:
- a) an elongate base having first and second end surfaces, a plurality of side surfaces extending intermediate said end surfaces, and a lengthwise axis;
- b) a cylindrical bore proximate said first end surface extending through said base transverse to said lengthwise axis;
- c) means on the second end for releasably holding a range of different size caps without holding the tube in which the cap is removably fixed;
- and,
- d) means for allowing the tube to be pivoted about the holding means so that the cap is pried open from the top of the tube.
A method of opening and closing a cap on a microcentrifuge tube using only one hand, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a single-hand tube cap opener, comprising:
- i) an elongate base having first and second end surfaces, a plurality of side surfaces extending intermediate said end surfaces, and a lengthwise axis;
- ii) a cylindrical bore proximate said first end surface extending through said base transverse to said lengthwise axis;
- and,
- iii) means for allowing a technician to hold the microcentrifuge tube in one hand, and to open and close the cap without requiring a second hand;
- b) grasping the microcentrifuge tube with a first hand;
- c) engaging the cap of the tube with said single-hand tube cap opener by using only the first hand;
- and,
- d) pivoting the tube with the first hand about the cap until the cap is pried open from the tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.