Apparatus and method for verifying the volume of liquid dispensed by a liquid-dispensing mechanism

• US 7,114,368 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Tipotsch, David M., Jibson, Larry R., Stewart, Jeffrey W., Swanson, Jeffrey R., Youngs, Randall E., Matuszewski, Paul A., Dempski, James L., Klosterman, Kurt M., Rajagopal, Ganesh, Abunimeh, Noman A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rogers, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/409,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20040200260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 73 101- 103, 73/11.3, 73/11.5, 73/13.4, 73/13.6, 73/17.3, 73/17.4, 73/18.8, 702 85- 88, 702100-102, 702/104, 702/105
• US Class Current: 73/1.88
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0293 for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/0092 for metering by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/04 for weighing fluids, e.g. gases, pastes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00217 involving measurement of weight
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced

Abstract

An apparatus for improving the procedure for quantifying the volume of liquid dispensed by a liquid-dispensing mechanism of an analytical instrument. The apparatus of this invention comprises (a) at least one weigh cup; (b) at least one standard mass; (c) at least one transducer assembly to convert a value of weight to an electrical response; and (d) at least one electronic circuit for converting the electrical response to a measurement of volume. This invention provides a method for calibrating readings of the volume of liquid dispensed by a liquid-dispensing mechanism of an analytical instruments so that absolute measurements of the volume of liquid dispensed can be obtained.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an apparatus for determining the volume of liquid dispensed by a liquid-dispensing mechanism of an analytical instrument, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing said apparatus, said apparatus comprising;

(1) at least one weigh cup;

(2) at least one standard mass;

(3) at least one transducer assembly to convert a value of weight to an electrical response; and

(4) at least one electronic circuit for converting said electrical response to a measurement of volume of liquid dispensed;

(b) recording the value of weight of one of said at least one weigh cup and one of said at least one standard mass when said one of said at least one standard mass is in said one of said at least one weigh cup;

(c) recording the value of weight of said one of said at least one weigh cup when said one of said at least one weigh cup is empty; and

(d) calibrating the apparatus by computing the gain based on the response of the electronic circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of compensating for the drift of the at least one transducer assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a gain of at least 1.2 Volts/gram is obtained.

4. A method of calibrating an apparatus for determining the volume of gaseous fluid dispensed in the vicinity of a liquid-dispensing mechanism of an analytical instrument, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing said apparatus, said apparatus comprising;

(1) at least one weigh cup;

(2) at least one standard mass;

(3) at least one transducer assembly to convert a value of weight to an electrical response; and

(4) at least one electronic circuit for converting said electrical response to a measurement of volume of liquid dispensed;

(b) recording the value of weight of one of said at least one weigh cup and one of said at least one standard mass when said one of said at least one standard mass is in said one of said at least one weigh cup;

(c) recording the value of weight of said one of said at least one weigh cup when said one of said at least one weigh cup is empty; and

(d) calibrating the apparatus by computing the gain based on the response of the electronic circuit.