PIPETTE TIP TRAYS

• US 20110236278A1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotix, Inc. (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biotix, Inc. (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Motadel, Arta, Blaszcak, Peter Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,545,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/560
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/041 Connecting closures to device or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes

Abstract

Provided are pipette tip trays for use in biotechnology applications. In certain embodiments, provided are pipette tip trays having one or more of the following features: (i) lacking an external hinge between the lid and the rack, and (ii) having snap plate fasteners configured to releasably secure a snap plate to a base.

Claims

1. A pipette tip tray, comprising:

a top that includes an array of bores, each bore configured to receive a partially-inserted pipette tip;

sides, one or more sides including a step and a first fastener in association with the step; and

a lid that includes a second fastener, wherein;

the first fastener and the second fastener independently are chosen from a fastener comprising a slot and a fastener comprising a tab,

the tab is in flexible association with the lid or side,

the first fastener and the second fastener are reversibly engaged.

2. The pipette tray of claim 1, wherein:

the edge of each of two or more of the sides includes a plurality of third fasteners,

the surface of the top includes a plurality of fourth fasteners, and

the third fasteners are releasably secured to the fourth fasteners.

3. The pipette tray of claim 2, wherein the third fasteners and the fourth fasteners independently are chosen from orifices and projections.

4. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the projections snap-fit with the orifices.

5. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the orifices comprise a slot.

6. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the orifices comprise walls and wall termini, and the projections comprise barbs configured to engage contact points in the walls, wall termini or walls and wall termini of the orifices.

7. The pipette tip tray of claim 6, wherein each projection comprises two barbs.

8. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the top is in reversible association with the sides.

9. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the top is not irreversibly fixed to one or more of the sides.

10. The pipette tip tray of claim 9, wherein the top is not welded to one or more of the sides.

11. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the surface of the top comprises the projections.

12. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the edge of each of the two or more sides comprises the orifices.

13. The pipette tip tray of claim 3, wherein the surface of the top comprises projections and orifices and the edge of each of the two or more sides comprise orifices and projections.

14. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the side comprises at least one slot.

15. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises at least one tab.

16. The pipette tip tray of claim 15, wherein the tab is in flexible association with the edge of the lid.

17. The pipette tip tray of claim 16, wherein the lid comprises a top and sides, and an edge of one of the sides is in association with the tab.

18. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the side comprises two slots and the lid comprises two tabs.

19. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein the step defines a lip.

20. The pipette tip tray of claim 19, wherein the lip comprises the first fastener.

21. The pipette tip tray of claim 20, wherein the first fastener is a slot.

22. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, whereby engagement of the first fastener with the second fastener conceals the tab.

23. The pipette tip tray of claim 1, wherein a side including the step and a first fastener in association with the step is located on a short side of the tray.

24. A pipette tip tray, comprising:

a top that includes an array of bores, each bore configured to receive a partially-inserted pipette tip;

sides, one or more sides including a step and a first fastener in association with the step; and

a lid that includes a second fastener, wherein;

the first fastener and the second fastener independently are chosen from a fastener comprising a slot and a fastener comprising a tab,

the tab is in flexible association with the lid or side, and

the first fastener and the second fastener are reversibly engaged.

25. A pipette tip tray, comprising:

a top that includes an array of bores, each bore configured to receive a partially-inserted pipette tip; and

sides, each side including an edge in association with a surface of the top, wherein;

the edge of each of two or more of the sides includes a plurality of first fasteners,

the surface of the top includes a plurality of second fasteners, and

the first fasteners are releasably secured to the second fasteners.

26. The pipette tray of claim 25, wherein the first fasteners and the second fasteners independently are selected from orifices and projections.

27. The pipette tip tray of claim 26, wherein the projections snap-fit with the orifices.

28. The pipette tip tray of claim 26, wherein the orifices comprise a slot.