Reaction receptacle apparatus
First Claim
1. A receptacle apparatus for use in performing a chemical or biological assay, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of aligned receptacles, each receptacle comprising a hollow body, an open top end and a closed bottom end, wherein the receptacles are capable of interacting with a substance transfer device constructed and arranged to dispense fluid into or withdraw fluid from one or more of the receptacles;
one or more contact-limiting element holding structures, each contact-limiting element holding structure being adjacent the open top end of at least one of the receptacles and comprising a body having an orifice therein for removably receiving a contact-limiting element; and
a connecting rib structure fixedly connecting the receptacles to one another, wherein the receptacles, the contact-limiting element holding structures and the connecting rib structure form a single, integral piece.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reaction receptacle apparatus includes one or more individual receptacles for containing chemical or biological substances. The one or more receptacles are arranged to be engaged by tubular elements of a substance transfer device for transferring substances into or out of the individual receptacles. Multiple receptacles are coupled to one another by a connecting rib structure that defines straight shoulders along opposite sides of the reaction receptacle apparatus, and the shoulders support the apparatus within reaction receptacle apparatus carrying structures. A contact-limiting element holding structure for holding contact-limiting elements, such as protective tips for tubular elements, is associated with each individual receptacle and holds a contact-limiting element in an operative orientation so as to be operatively engageable by the tubular element of the substance transfer device. A receptacle apparatus manipulating structure permits the reaction receptacle apparatus to be moved from one location to another by a robotic manipulating device, and an information panel presents a surface on which human and/or machine readable information may be placed.
308 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A receptacle apparatus for use in performing a chemical or biological assay, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of aligned receptacles, each receptacle comprising a hollow body, an open top end and a closed bottom end, wherein the receptacles are capable of interacting with a substance transfer device constructed and arranged to dispense fluid into or withdraw fluid from one or more of the receptacles;
one or more contact-limiting element holding structures, each contact-limiting element holding structure being adjacent the open top end of at least one of the receptacles and comprising a body having an orifice therein for removably receiving a contact-limiting element; and
a connecting rib structure fixedly connecting the receptacles to one another, wherein the receptacles, the contact-limiting element holding structures and the connecting rib structure form a single, integral piece. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A receptacle apparatus for use in performing a chemical or biological assay, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of aligned receptacles, each receptacle comprising a hollow body, an open top end and a closed bottom end, wherein the receptacles are capable of interacting with a substance transfer device constructed and arranged to dispense fluid into or withdraw fluid from one or more of the receptacles;
one or more contact-limiting element holding structures, each contact-limiting element holding structure being adjacent the open top end of at least one of the receptacles and comprising a body having an orifice therein for removably receiving a contact-limiting element;
one or more contact-limiting elements, each contact-limiting element being associated with one of the contact-limiting element holding structures, wherein the contact-limiting elements are constructed and arranged to be operatively engaged by the substance transfer device to limit contact between at least a portion of the substance transfer device and fluid dispensed into or withdrawn from one or more of the receptacles by the substance transfer device; and
a connecting rib structure fixedly connecting the receptacles to one another, wherein the receptacles, the contact-limiting element holding structures and the connecting rib structure form a single, integral piece. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
a tubular body having a proximal end, a distal end and an inner bore extending from the proximal end to the distal end; and
a peripheral flange disposed about an outer periphery of the tubular body, wherein each contact-limiting element is constructed and arranged to be frictionally secured onto a free end of a tubular element of the substance transfer device when the contact-limiting element is engaged by the tubular element.
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22. The receptacle apparatus of claim 21, wherein a portion of the tubular body proximate the distal end is formed at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body.
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23. The receptacle apparatus of claim 21, wherein:
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the contact-limiting element holding structure has a peripheral end face oriented transversely to an axis of the orifice of the contact-limiting element holding structure; and
the peripheral flange of the contact-limiting element is in contact with the peripheral end face of the contact-limiting element holding structure when the tubular body of the contact-limiting element is fully inserted into the orifice of the contact-limiting element holding structure.
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24. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14, wherein the contact-limiting element is a disposable protective tip.
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25. The receptacle apparatus of claim 24, wherein the disposable protective tip is a pipette tip.
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26. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14, wherein the contact-limiting element is a tiplet.
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27. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14, wherein the connecting rib structure defines generally straight edge surfaces extending along opposite sides of the aligned receptacles and having generally flat shoulders facing toward the bottom ends of the receptacles.
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28. The receptacle apparatus of claim 27, wherein one end of the connecting rib structure is bent upwardly along opposite sides of the aligned receptacles to define upwardly sloped edge surfaces extending from the generally straight edge surfaces.
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29. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a label-receiving structure having a surface for affixing human and/or machine readable information thereto.
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30. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a receptacle apparatus manipulating structure which is constructed and arranged to be engaged by a receptacle apparatus manipulating device to manipulate the receptacle apparatus.
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31. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the receptacles has ribs extending outwardly from opposed outer surfaces thereof, the opposed surfaces corresponding to the opposite sides of the aligned receptacles.
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32. The receptacle apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a lid structure constructed and arranged to enclose one or more of the receptacles.
Specification