Calibrated pipette tip and method
First Claim
1. A pipette tip comprising:
- a hollow body defining an interior volume, said body having channel means with a longitudinal axis, said channel means extending from a fluid intake opening to a fluid overflow opening and having surface means defining said overflow opening inclined relative to said longitudinal axis by an amount sufficient to produce gravity shedding of fluid overflowing from said opening when said longitudinal axis is in a substantially vertical orientation,said overflow opening being positioned for overflow of fluid from said channel means into said interior volume, andsaid channel means having a calibrated volume between said intake opening and said overflow opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pipette tip (30) for use with a pipetter (10) and a method for dispensing a precise volume of a fluid (54). The pipette tip (30) has a hollow body (32), which defines an interior volume (34), and a channel (42) therein having a calibrated volume. Channel (42) extends from an intake opening (44) to an overflow opening (46) positioned inside the interior volume (34) of the tip above a reservoir portion (50) inside the tip. Fluid (54) drawn through the intake opening (44) and into the channel (42) in excess of the calibrated channel volume is gravity-shed or sloughed into an overflow reservoir (50). Thus, a calibrated volume of fluid (54) remains in the channel (42) and can be dispensed accurately from the channel (42). Additionally, the reservoir portion (50) captures and contains the overflow fluid in a stable condition, permitting the reservoir (50) to be used to react various substances (76, 77) with the overflow fluid (56a) inside the pipette tip (30). The internal reservoir (50) also may be divided by a partition (72) to provide a plurality of reservoirs or sub-volumes (73, 74) inside the pipette tip (30).
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A pipette tip comprising:
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a hollow body defining an interior volume, said body having channel means with a longitudinal axis, said channel means extending from a fluid intake opening to a fluid overflow opening and having surface means defining said overflow opening inclined relative to said longitudinal axis by an amount sufficient to produce gravity shedding of fluid overflowing from said opening when said longitudinal axis is in a substantially vertical orientation, said overflow opening being positioned for overflow of fluid from said channel means into said interior volume, and said channel means having a calibrated volume between said intake opening and said overflow opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A pipette assembly comprising:
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a pipette tip having a hollow body defining an interior volume, said body being formed with channel means extending from an intake opening to an overflow opening communicating with said interior volume, said overflow opening being positioned for overflow of a liquid taken into said channel means into a reservoir portion of said interior volume positioned below said overflow opening, said channel means having a predetermined calibrated volume between said intake opening and said overflow opening and said channel means is formed for gravity-sloughing of liquid from said overflow opening into said reservoir portion when said channel means is oriented in a substantially vertical orientation; and
said body being further formed with a mounting opening for mounting said pipette tip to a pipetter device for urging said liquid into said interior volume through said channel means; anda pipetter device mounted to said pipette tip by said mounting opening, said pipetter device being formed to draw a volume of liquid into said channel means known to be in excess of said calibrated volume of said channel means.
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15. A pipette tip comprising:
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a hollow body defining an interior volume, said body having channel means extending from a fluid intake opening to a fluid overflow opening positioned for overflow of fluid from said channel means into said interior volume, and wall means provided in said interior volume and dividing said interior volume into a plurality of sub-volumes. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of dispensing a calibrated volume of fluid using a pipette comprising the steps of:
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orienting a hollow pipette tip having a channel means with a calibrated volume in a substantially vertical orientation; urging a fluid into said channel means until said fluid fills said channel means and overflows out of said channel means through an overflow opening; gravity-shedding excess fluid overflowing from said overflow opening; and after said urging step, displacing the fluid remaining in said channel means from said channel means to dispense a calibrated volume of said fluid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method of dispensing a calibrated volume of fluid, comprising the steps of:
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a) urging a fluid through an inlet orifice into an elongate, hollow receptacle having a calibrated volume and an overflow orifice; b) orienting said elongated receptacle along a substantially vertical axis with said overflow orifice above said inlet orifice; c) overflowing the fluid out of an overflow orifice of said receptacle after filling completely the calibrated volume of the receptacle; d) removing fluid in excess of said calibrated volume from said overflow orifice solely by gravity-shedding said fluid from said overflow orifice during the overflowing step; and e) displacing the fluid remaining in the calibrated volume of the receptacle after the overflowing step, thereby dispensing a calibrated volume of fluid. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A pipette tip comprising:
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a hollow body defining an interior volume, said body having channel means extending from a fluid intake opening to a fluid overflow opening, said body and channel means being formed as an integrally formed member from a plastic material, said overflow opening being positioned for overflow of fluid from said channel means into said interior volume, and said channel means having a calibrated volume between said intake opening and said overflow opening and a gravity-shedding surface means surrounding said overflow opening for sloughing of fluid under the influence of gravity when said channel means is in a substantially vertical orientation.
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Specification