US 8,372,356 B2 · Manually directed, multi-channel electronic pipetting system

Abstract

A manually directed, multi-channel electronic pipetting system is designed to transfer liquids from a standard multi-well plate, deep-well plate or reservoir into another multi-well plate. The preferred pipetting head includes an array of 96-tip fittings. A deck with at least one but preferably two or more wellplate nesting receptacles holds one or more multi-well plates or reagent reservoirs for access by an array of disposable pipette tips mounted to the pipetting head. The electronic motion control system includes a control handle that is mounted to a load cell, the carriage for the pipetting head and is held in the palm of the user. In use, the user grasps the control handle and operates the system in a manner similar to one using a handheld electronic pipettor.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An electronic multi-channel pipetting system comprising:

a multi-channel pipetting head having a plurality of pipetting channels arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns;
a pipetting motor that drives the multi-channel pipetting head to aspirate and dispense;
a deck for holding at least one multi-well plate, tube rack or reservoir, said at least one multi-well plate having a plurality of wells arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns;
and
a drive mechanism having at least one motor for moving the multi-channel pipetting head with respect to the deck;
a control handle that is operated by a user of the electronic multi-channel pipetting system;
an electronic motion control system for controlling the motion of the multi-channel pipetting head to move either horizontally, vertically, or both, with respect to the deck in response to the direction of force applied to the control handle by the user.

4 more elements

An electronic multi-channel pipetting system comprising:

a multi-channel pipetting head having a plurality of pipetting channels arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns;
a pipetting motor that drives the multi-channel pipetting head to aspirate and dispense;
a deck for holding at least two multi-well plates, tube racks or reservoirs, each multi-well plate having a plurality of wells arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns;
and
a control handle that is operated by a user of the multi-channel pipetting system, wherein the multi-channel pipetting head moves either horizontally, vertically, or both, with respect to the deck in response to the direction of force applied to the control handle by the user;
and further wherein the control handle comprises:
an elongated body adapted to be held in the hand of the user;
a touch wheel control located on a front side of the control handle body to be operated by the user;
and
a dot matrix user interface display located on the front side of the control handle body above the touch wheel control.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Manually directed, multi-channel electronic pipetting system

Life of this patent

Manually directed, multi-channel electronic pipetting system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23