Apparatus and method for automatic distribution

• US 6,006,800 A
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nichiryo Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nichiryo Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakano, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US08/975,994
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/9, 141/98, 141/100, 141/130, 73/864.24, 73/864.25, 73/864.31, 73/864.13, 422/63, 422/65, 422/100, 436/47
• US Class Current: 141/130
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/42 Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position by means of filling-nozzles B65B39/00; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation by filling-nozzles B65B39/00

Abstract

An apparatus for automatic distribution includes a frame (1) having at least a bottom frame portion (1a) and a side frame portion (1b), a tip holding rack (2) and at least one micro plate (4, 5) which are disposed on the bottom frame (1a). A pipette unit (21) is supported by the side frame portion (1b) and adapted to support a plurality of pipettes (43), each of which includes a plunger (41) fitted into a cylinder (35) for movement relative thereto in a vertical direction. In this apparatus the bottom frame portion (1a) is kept stationary and the entire pipette unit (21) can be reciprocally moved in a horizontal direction so that, while the entire pipette unit (21) is being moved reciprocally in the horizontal direction, the pipette unit picks up a plurality of tips (44) from the tip holding rack (2) in order to distribute liquid with respect to a plurality of wells (4a-4h) of the micro plate.

Claims

1. A method for automatic distribution performed by using an apparatus for automatic distribution including a frame having at least a bottom frame section and a side frame section, a tip holding rack, a reservoir, at least one first micro plate, and a used-tip disposing box which are disposed on said bottom frame section, and an entire pipette unit supported by said side frame section and adapted to support a plurality of pipettes which each include a plunger fitted into a cylinder for movement relative thereto in a vertical direction, the method comprising:

a first step of attaching tips to lower ends of said plurality of pipettes by moving said plurality of pipettes in downward and upward directions;

a second step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to said reservoir by moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a first predetermined distance and then sucking predetermined liquid into said tips by moving said plurality of pipettes in the downward and upward directions;

a third step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to a first row of wells of said micro plate by further moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a second predetermined distance and then distributing the liquid with respect to said first row of wells by moving said plurality of pipettes in the downward and upward directions;

a fourth step of distributing the liquid with respect to the other rows of wells of said micro plate by further moving said entire pipette unit successively in the horizontal direction by a third predetermined distance; and

a fifth step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to said used-tip disposing box by further moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a fourth predetermined distance and disposing of said tips into said used-tip disposing box and then returning said entire pipette unit to an initial position,

wherein, in said second to fourth steps, a stroke through which each plunger is moved with respect to said cylinder in the vertical direction to suck and discharge the liquid including a post-suction air gap stroke through which said plunger is further moved in the upward direction by a predetermined distance to prevent the liquid from dropping from said tip after the liquid is sucked into said tip, metering stroke for sucking a predetermined amount of liquid into said tip and for discharging the liquid from said tip, and pre-suction air gas stroke through which said plunger is further moved in the upward direction by a predetermined distance to completely remove the liquid from said tip during the liquid discharging in the post-process before the liquid is sucked into said tip.

2. A method for automatic distribution according to claim 1, wherein a PCR tube containing test liquid is used in place of said reservoir.

3. A method for automatic distribution according to claim 1, wherein a second micro plate is used in place of said reservoir and test liquid in said second micro plate is distributed into said first micro plate.

4. A method for automatic distribution performing by using an apparatus for automatic distribution including a frame having at least a bottom frame section and a side frame section, a tip holding rack, a reservoir, at least one first micro plate, and a used-tip disposing box which are disposed on said bottom frame section, and an entire pipette unit supported by said side frame section and adapted to support a plurality of pipettes each of which includes a plunger fitted into a cylinder for movement relative thereto in a vertical direction, the method comprising:

a first step of attaching tips to lower ends of said plurality of pipettes by moving said plurality of pipettes in downward and upward directions;

a second step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to said reservoir by moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a first predetermined distance and then sucking predetermined liquid into said tips by moving said plurality of pipettes in the downward and upward directions;

a third step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to a first row of wells of said micro plate by further moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a second predetermined distance and then distributing the liquid with respect to said first row of wells by moving said plurality of pipettes in the downward and upward directions;

a fourth step of distributing the liquid with respect to the other rows of wells of said micro plate by further moving said entire pipette unit successively in the horizontal direction by a third predetermined distance; and

a fifth step of bringing said entire pipette unit to a position corresponding to said used-tip disposing box by further moving said entire pipette unit in the horizontal direction by a fourth predetermined distance and disposing of said tips into said used-tip disposing box and then returning said entire pipette unit to an initial position,

wherein, in said second step, while the plurality of pipettes are being moved in the downward direction, said plungers being lowered within the corresponding cylinders to continue to discharge air from the tip ends of said tips steadily so that the fact that said tip ends of said tips come in contact with the liquid surface can be detected, thereby automatically detecting the position of the liquid surface.

5. A method for automatic distribution according to 4, wherein a PCR tube containing test liquid is used in place of said reservoir.

6. A method for automatic distribution according to claim 4, wherein a second micro plate is used in place of said reservoir, and test liquid in said second micro plate is distributed into said first micro plate.