Rinsing tray for multipipetting device

• US 5,866,825 A
• Filed: 08/15/1997
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CyBio AG (Noblex GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Opaljena Gesellschaft Fuer Optische Analytik Und Labortechnik MbH
• Inventors: Naumann, Uwe, Moore, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US08/911,903
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 73/863, 73/863.32, 73/864.17, 73/864.22, 422/99, 134/166 R, 134/170, 134/166 C, 134/22.11, 134/23, 134/84, 134/85, 134/88, 134/91
• US Class Current: 73/864.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 Multiple transfer devices

Abstract

A rinsing tray system for cleaning the pipette tips of a multipipetting device is described. The rinsing tray system substantially comprises a first tray and a second tray below the latter, these two trays communicating via openings which are arranged in the same grid dimension as the pipette tips of a multipipetting device. The openings are made in webs so that the rinsing liquid located in the first tray can flow into the second tray only by means of the pipette tips and not directly. The rinsing tray system according to the invention enables a particularly time-saving and space-saving cleaning of the pipette tips of a multipipetting device.

Claims

1. A rinsing tray system for a multipipetting device, comprising:

a first tray for receiving unused rinsing liquid; and

a second tray for receiving used rinsing liquid;

said first tray being arranged so as to be seated on top of the second tray;

said first tray having a bottom in which there are openings in a matrix form, said matrix form corresponding to a matrix form of a matrix-shaped pipette tip arrangement of the multipipetting device;

raised webs being provided around said opening of said first tray so that unused rinsing liquid is prevented from flowing out of said first tray through said openings;

said webs being so dimension that pipette tips of the multipipetting device which are arranged in a matrix shape can be lowered, with respect to the openings for emptying the used rinsing liquid through these openings into the second tray, in at least one direction, offset by an amount corresponding to half a grid dimension, for receiving the unused rinsing liquid up to, at most, the bottom of the first tray.

2. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein the second tray has an outlet at the lowest point.

3. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein the first tray has an inlet at its lowest point.

4. The rising tray system according to claim 1, wherein the first tray has an overflow which is arranged in an outer wall below the height of the web and which prevents supplied unused rinsing liquid from overflowing out of the first tray into the second tray.

5. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein the first tray contains a filling level sensor in order to prevent the supplied unused rinsing liquid from overflowing from the first tray into the second tray.

6. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein the webs are arranged in rows and every web has as many openings as the number of columns in the column arrangement of pipette tips of the multipipetting device.

7. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein each web contains two openings and the webs are aligned in rows.

8. The rinsing tray system according to claim 6, wherein vent openings are provided in the webs between adjacent openings belonging to one and the same web.

9. The rinsing tray system according to claim 1, wherein the first tray is provided with a cover, wherein the webs extend to an inner side of the cover, and said cover has through-holes therein corresponding to the grid dimension over the openings of the webs and, further, there is at least an equal quantity of through-holes in the cover, so as to be offset by half the grid dimension, for receiving unused rinsing liquid by means of the multipipetting device through these through-holes from the first tray and then letting this rinsing liquid out via the other through-holes and openings to the second tray.