PIPETTE TIP RACK

• US 20140234182A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotix, Inc. (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biotix, Inc. (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Motadel, Arta, Hairfield, Phillip Chad, Blaszcak, Peter Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,108,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/526
• 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 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0858 Side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/108 Devices, e.g. plates, presenting apertures through which the articles project
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/54 for articles of special shape not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Provided herein is a single-walled pipette tip rack for use in automated systems, in some embodiments.

Claims

1. A single-walled pipette tip rack base, comprising:

a bottom and base sidewalls;

each of which base sidewalls comprises an exterior sidewall surface, an interior sidewall surface, and one or more buttresses;

each which buttresses is bossed and projects from an exterior sidewall surface;

and which base is configured for use in an automated liquid dispensing device.

2. The base of claim 1, comprising flanges, wherein the flanges are integrated with a sidewall and a buttress and comprise a proximal surface and a distal surface.

3. The base of claim 2, wherein each of the flanges are integrated with two buttresses.

4. The base of claim 3, wherein the two buttresses are on one base sidewall.

5. The base of claim 1, wherein the pipette tip rack base comprises a footprint defined by SBS standards for the dimensions for a microplate footprint.

6. The base of claim 5, where the outside dimension of the footprint has a length of about 127.76 mm±

0.5 mm and a width of 85.48 mm±

0.5 mm.

7. The base of claim 1, comprising two opposing short sidewalls and two opposing long sidewalls.

8. The base of claim 7, wherein each of the short sidewalls is joined to each of the long sidewalls at a junction comprising a flange and a lip.

9. The base of claim 1, wherein each base sidewall comprises two buttresses.

10. The base of claim 1, wherein each of the buttresses comprises a buttress face, two opposing buttress sidewalls and a buttress bottom.

11. The base of claim 10, wherein each buttress sidewall comprises a buttress sidewall edge resulting from the buttress sidewall projecting further from a base sidewall than the buttress face.

12. The base of claim 1, comprising a ridge, portions of which ridge are substantially co-extensive with each buttress face.

13. The base of claim 12, comprising one or more lips in connection with the ridge, each of which one or more lips projects from the ridge away from the base interior.

14. The base of claim 13, wherein one or more of the lips comprise lip connectors configured to receive a connector of a lid.

15. The base of claim 1, wherein adjacent buttresses on adjoining sidewalls are setback buttresses.

16. The base of claim 1, wherein the flanges comprise a flange connector configured to receive a connector of a tray.

17. The base of claim 1, wherein the base bottom comprises a bottom interior surface comprising wells, wherein the wells are recessed in the bottom interior surface.

18. The base of claim 17, wherein the bottom interior surface of the base comprises a wall or a ridge around the perimeter of each the wells.

19. The base of claim 1, wherein each wall of the base has a maximum thickness of about 1 mm or less.

20. A pipette tip rack tray, comprising:

a plate, tray sidewalls and a tray flange;

which plate comprises a proximal plate surface, a distal plate surface, and a plurality of plate bores;

each of which plate bores is configured to receive a pipette tip;

which tray sidewalls project from the distal plate surface; and

which tray flange extends from one or more of the tray sidewalls and comprises a proximal ledge and a distal rim.

21. The tray of claim 20, comprising exterior ribs integrated with the proximal ledge and one of the sidewalls.