Closure for a reagent container

• US 20040067169A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omega Diagnostics GmbH (Eurofins Scientific SE)
• Original Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Krause, Reinhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,727,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/022 Capillary pipettes, i.e. having very small bore B01L3/0224 - B01L3/0237 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/002 Closures to be pierced by an extracting-device for the contents and fixed on the container by separate retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure for a reagent container (7) with a screw-cap or lid (6), comprising a conical insert (4), reaching in the direction of the contents. The conical insert (4) is cut at least once, such that said insert may be bent apart in the lower region thereof and further comprises, for example, an annular step (3) in the middle region thereof. In the rest state the cone completely seals the reagent container. For the removal of liquid, a pipette with a release sleeve (2), in other words, a broadening (2) at a particular separation from the needle end (1), is introduced. The release sleeve contacts the step of the conical insert (3) and produces a separation of the divided walls of the cone. The pipette needle enters the container without making contact with the cone, in other words with the closure. As the pipette needle, complete with release sleeve (2), is withdrawn, the walls of the cone close back together, as the release sleeve (2) is no longer pressing on the step (57).

Claims

1. Closure for a reagent container (7) consisting of a cap part (6) for attachment to the reagent container (7) and a conical insert (4), where the conical insert (4) is incorporated into an opening of the cap part (6) and has. a conical or pyramidal wall which terminates in a point in the direction of the reagent container, characterised in that the conical or pyramidal wall is divided into flaps by at least one cut and has an actuation ridge (3) on the side facing away from the reagent container.

2. Closure corresponding to claim 1, characterised in that the conical insert (4) is provided on the side facing the reagent container (7) with pressure springs, elastic bands or an elastic membrane.

3. Method for the withdrawal of liquids from reagent containers, characterised by the following method steps:

a) provision of a reagent container (7) sealed with a closure and a pipette corresponding to one of claims 1 and 2 whose pipetting needle (1) is provided with an actuation sleeve (2);

b) vertical insertion of the pipetting needle (1) into the centre of the conical insert (4) of the closure until the end of the pipetting needle (5) dips into the liquid, with the flaps on the actuation ridge (3) of the conical insert (4) being pushed outward by the actuation sleeve (2) so that the pipetting needle (1) does not touch the conical insert (4);

c) drawing-off or injection of liquid;

d) vertical withdrawal of the pipette, during which the flaps of the conical insert (4) close tightly again as soon as the actuation sleeve (2) no longer pushes the flaps outward.

4. Pipetting device consisting of at least one reagent container (7) which is provided with a closure according to claim 1 or 2 and at least one pipette which has a pipetting needle (1) with an actuation sleeve (2).