Automatic device for dispensing samples in liquid medium for use in chemical or biological reactions
First Claim
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1. An automatic device for producing a plurality of reaction samples in liquid medium, wherein said device comprises:
- a first supply plate, comprising N receptacles each intended to contain a first constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a second supply plate, comprising M receptacles each intended to contain a second constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a removable plate for samples, comprising a plurality of cavities arranged in the form of an array comprising at least N rows and at least M columns, wherein each cavity is configured to hold a volume on the order of at least ten nanoliters, wherein said cavities are intended to contain a mixture of constituents originating from said first and second supply plates;
a piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said micropipette is able to sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents and to deliver a volume on the order of a nanoliter, wherein said piezoelectric micropipette is capable of delivering at least one drop of said first and/or second constituents into each cavity of said removable plate for samples;
a means for displacing said piezoelectric micropipette along at least two perpendicular axes Y, Z so that said piezoelectric micropipette can sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents from each filled receptacle of said first and second supply plates; and
a means for relatively displacing the piezoelectric micropipette and the removable plate for samples.
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Abstract
An automatic device for dispensing samples in liquid medium for use in chemical or biological reactions, including a first supply plate with N receptacles, a second supply plate with M receptacles, a removable plate for sample and a piezoelectric micropipette.
27 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An automatic device for producing a plurality of reaction samples in liquid medium, wherein said device comprises:
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a first supply plate, comprising N receptacles each intended to contain a first constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a second supply plate, comprising M receptacles each intended to contain a second constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a removable plate for samples, comprising a plurality of cavities arranged in the form of an array comprising at least N rows and at least M columns, wherein each cavity is configured to hold a volume on the order of at least ten nanoliters, wherein said cavities are intended to contain a mixture of constituents originating from said first and second supply plates;
a piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said micropipette is able to sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents and to deliver a volume on the order of a nanoliter, wherein said piezoelectric micropipette is capable of delivering at least one drop of said first and/or second constituents into each cavity of said removable plate for samples;
a means for displacing said piezoelectric micropipette along at least two perpendicular axes Y, Z so that said piezoelectric micropipette can sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents from each filled receptacle of said first and second supply plates; and
a means for relatively displacing the piezoelectric micropipette and the removable plate for samples. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An automatic device for producing a plurality of reaction samples in liquid medium, wherein said device comprises:
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a first supply plate, comprising N receptacles each intended to contain a first constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a second supply plate, comprising M receptacles each intended to contain a second constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a removable plate for samples, comprising a plurality of cavities arranged in the form of an array comprising at least N rows and at least M columns, wherein each cavity is configured to hold a volume on the order of at least ten nanoliters, wherein said cavities are intended to contain a mixture of constituents originating from said first and second supply plates;
a piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said micropipette is able to sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents and to deliver a volume on the order of a nanoliter, wherein said piezoelectric micropipette is capable of delivering at least one drop of said first and/or second constituents into each cavity of said removable plate for samples;
a means for displacing said piezoelectric micropipette along at least two perpendicular axes Y, Z so that said piezoelectric micropipette can sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents from each filled receptacle of said first and second supply plates;
a means for displacing the piezoelectric micropipette relative to the removable plate for samples; and
a refrigeration tray supporting said removable plate for samples.
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19. An automatic device for producing a plurality of reaction samples in liquid medium, wherein said device comprises:
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a first supply plate, comprising N receptacles each intended to contain a first constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a second supply plate, comprising M receptacles each intended to contain a second constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a removable plate for samples, comprising a plurality of cavities arranged in the form of an array comprising at least N rows and at least M columns, wherein each cavity is configured to hold a volume on the order of at least ten nanoliters, wherein said cavities are intended to contain a mixture of constituents originating from said first and second supply plates;
a piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said micropipette is able to sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents and to deliver a volume on the order of a nanoliter, wherein said piezoelectric micropipette is capable of delivering at least one drop of said first and/or second constituents into each cavity of said removable plate for samples;
a means for displacing said piezoelectric micropipette along at least two perpendicular axes Y, Z so that said piezoelectric micropipette can sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents from each filled receptacle of said first and second supply plates;
a means for displacing the piezoelectric micropipette relative to the removable plate for samples; and
at least one optical system, wherein said optical system is in line with said sample plate and is configured to count the number of drops delivered with each discharge of said piezoelectric micropipette, and to transmit this number to a coordination device, and wherein the coordination device is configured to send an order for a second pass in line with a cavity or several cavities to the micropipette when a discrepancy is noted between the counted number of drops discharged and the designated theoretical number of drops.
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20. An automatic device for producing a plurality of reaction samples in liquid medium, wherein said device comprises:
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a first supply plate, comprising N receptacles each intended to contain a first constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a second supply plate, comprising M receptacles each intended to contain a second constituent, wherein said plate is a removable microplate;
a removable plate for samples, comprising a plurality of cavities arranged in the form of an array comprising at least N rows and at least M columns, wherein each cavity is configured to hold a volume on the order of at least ten nanoliters, wherein said cavities are intended to contain a mixture of constituents originating from said first and second supply plates;
a piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said micropipette is able to sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents and to deliver a volume on the order of a nanoliter, wherein said piezoelectric micropipette is capable of delivering at least one drop of said first and/or second constituents into each cavity of said removable plate for samples;
a means for displacing said piezoelectric micropipette along at least two perpendicular axes Y, Z so that said piezoelectric micropipette can sample a predetermined amount of said first and/or second constituents from each filled receptacle of said first and second supply plates; and
a means for displacing the piezoelectric micropipette relative to the removable plate for samples; and
an automatic washing station for each piezoelectric micropipette, wherein said washing station is configured to decontaminate said piezoelectric micropipette.
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Specification