Method and device for separating samples from a liquid

• US 6,926,866 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Inventors: Sickinger, Anselm, Ingenhoven, Nikolaus, Knecht, Urs, Romer, Hanspeter
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US09/992,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/106, 422/67, 700/266, 700281-283
• US Class Current: 422/504
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/0092 for metering by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1006 Rinsing only the inside of the tip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1039 Micropipettes, e.g. microcapillary tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 Condition responsive control

Abstract

System, method, and computer program product for synchronizing a system for aspirating and/or dispensing of liquid samples that includes a microejection device and a pump, which are connected with one another via tubing, wherein a computer is capable of being loaded with an activatable computer program product for synchronizing operation of the microejection device and the pump. Embodiments are characterized in that the loaded and activated computer program product, directs the computer to control and synchronize the system: (a) to actively define a sample volume and dispense the defined sample volume using the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid; and (b) to track a part of the pump that conveys liquid around a value, dependent on the sample volume, which is defined and is actively dispensed only by the microejection device, to prevent excessive pressure differences in the microejection device, tubing, and pump.

Claims

1. A system for aspirating and/or dispensing of liquid samples that comprises a microejection device and a pump, which are connected with one another via tubing, wherein the pump is accomplished as a piston pump comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston, and a pump drive, and wherein this system comprises a computer that is capable of being loaded with an activatable computer program product for synchronizing operation of the microejection device and the pump,

wherein the system carries out the following functions because of the computer program product loaded and activated into the computer to control and synchronize the system:

a) to actively define sample volumes until a maximum under-pressure is reached in the tubing, using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid;

b) dispense the sample volumes defined in (a) using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid; and

c) to track the piston of the pump that conveys liquid about a tracking value that is dependent on the sample volume, which is defined in (a) and is actively dispensed only by the microejection device in (b);

wherein said tracking value is maximized at an error volume.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the maximum under-pressure in the tubing as defined in (a) corresponds to an error volume of 100 nL, and wherein a residual volume is smaller than 100 nL.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the computer is integrated into the system as an electronic component that can also be externally operated and read out can be obtained therefrom.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microejection device comprises an endpiece that is a microejection pump.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microejection device is a piezoelectric micropump.

6. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microejection device further comprises an endpiece that is a disposable pipette tip, a pulse generator, and tubing connecting the endpiece and pulse generator.

7. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reservoir, a three-way valve, or a reservoir and a three-way valve, with the three-way valve located between the pump and the reservoir, and the reservoir, the three-way valve and the pump being connected with one another by tubing.

8. A method for synchronizing a system for aspirating and/or dispensing liquid samples, wherein the system comprises a microejection device and a pump connected with one another by tubing, wherein the pump is accomplished as a piston pump comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston, and a pump drive, and wherein the system further comprises a computer that includes a loaded activatable computer program product that synchronizes the microejection device and the pump,

wherein the loaded and activated computer program product directs the computer to control and synchronize the system, the method comprising:

a) actively defining sample volumes until a maximum under-pressure is reached in the tubing, using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid;

b) dispensing the sample volumes defined in (a) using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid; and

c) tracking the piston of the pump that conveys liquid about a tracking value that is dependent on the sample volume, which is defined in (a) and is actively dispensed only by the microejection device in (b);

wherein said tracking value is maximized at an error volume.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the maximum under-pressure in the tubing as defined in (a) corresponds to an error volume of 100 nL, and wherein a residual volume is smaller than 100 nL.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein dispensing of the sample volume occurs in volume-defined partial steps.

11. The method according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein tracking of the piston of the pump occurs continuously or in partial steps.

12. The method according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein tracking of the piston of the pump occurs in partial steps, said partial steps are collected into series of steps, with a series of steps always comprising the same number of partial steps.

13. The method according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein the beginning or the end of the tracking of the piston of the pump occurs with a time shift relative to the beginning or the end of dispensing of the sample volume.

14. The method according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein, where a residual volume occurs due to the dispensing of the sample volume and the tracking of the piston of the pump in partial steps, dispensing and tracking are adjusted to one another so that this residual volume is always borne by the tracking of the piston of the pump.

15. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a value corresponding to a residual volume is stored in the computer and is taken into account in dispensing samples following occurrence of the residual volume.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of partial steps is 8 steps.

16. A computer program product for synchronizing a system for aspirating and/or dispensing liquid samples, wherein the system comprises a microejection device and a pump that are connected with one another by tubing, wherein the pump is accomplished as a piston pump comprising a pump cylinder, a pump piston and a pump drive, and wherein the system further comprises a computer wherein the computer is capable of being loaded with activatable computer program product for synchronizing operation of the microejection device and the pump, and wherein this computer program product, in its activated state, enables the computer to control and synchronize the system:

a) to actively define sample volumes until a maximum under-pressure is reached in the tubing, using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid;

b) dispense the sample volumes defined in (a) using only the microejection device, which is filled with sample liquid; and

c) to track the piston of the pump that conveys the liquid about a tracking value that is dependent on the sample volume, which is defined in (a) and is actively dispensed only by the microejection device in (b) wherein said tracking value is maximized at an error volume.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising commands for controlling a three-way valve, connected upstream from the pump.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising commands for controlling the pump for the aspiration of a liquid.