Measuring instrument for measuring an object of an automatic laboratory device, object for the measuring instrument and measuring method

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring instrument for detecting the relative position of an end section of a pipette container by alternating between a measuring auxiliary section of the pipette container and the measuring instrument. The invention relates to an automatic laboratory device having such a measuring instrument and a corresponding measuring method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a measuring instrument for a laboratory automation system for measuring an object, in particular a pipette container, which can be moved automatically by the laboratory automation system. The invention also relates to an object, in particular a pipette container, which can be moved automatically by the laboratory automation system and is used in such a measuring instrument, and a corresponding method. Such a measuring instrument can in particular be a component of a laboratory automation system. Background Art

[0002] Laboratory automation devices are used for efficient processing of samples, in particular liquid samples, in chemical, biological, biochemical, medical or forensic laboratories. They are also referred to as "liquid handling" automation devices. Laboratory automation devices automate processing steps that otherwise have to be performed manually and in this way increase the speed, precision and reliability of these processes.

[0003] The aim of processing liquid laboratory samples can be to change the composition of such samples by physical, chemical, biochemical means or by other means. A sample can be, for example, modified or diluted by processing the sample. The content of the sample can be analyzed or new content can be produced, for example by chemical reactions, in particular when the sample is used. In particular in conjunction with the processing and analysis of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid) or their components, laboratory automation equipment helps to obtain a large amount of information in a suitable period of time or to analyze a lot of information of such a sample.

[0004] Laboratory automation systems usually have a work surface with workstations on which samples can be processed or stored in different ways. Usually, program-controlled motion devices are combined with fluid transport devices (e.g., pipetting systems can have such fluid transport devices) for transporting, for example, liquid samples between different locations, in particular between sample containers. Not only the transport of samples, but also the processing of these samples at different stations can be automated under program control.

[0005] The greatest possible precision is particularly desirable when metering laboratory samples in an automated manner. When a liquid sample is taken in during a program-controlled procedure in a laboratory automation system, the laboratory sample is first sucked into a pipette container at a first workstation. The filled pipette container is transported to the desired target location, where the laboratory sample is discharged in a predetermined discharge volume. In the case of discharge according to the free jet method, the fluid sample leaves the pipette container as a jet or free droplets. In the case of wall discharge, the discharge volume slides down the inner wall of the sample container.

[0006] A prerequisite for the successful discharge of the discharge volume is the precise positioning of the pipette container relative to the sample container. This applies in particular in the case of high surface density of sample chambers arranged side by side, as in the case of microtiter plates. The higher the surface density, the smaller the opening diameter of the sample chamber and the higher the requirements for positioning accuracy. In the case of wall discharge, a particularly high positioning accuracy is also required.

[0007] In most known pipetting devices, conventional pipetting containers are used, which are designed to be essentially rotationally symmetrical about an axis, so that the first and second end sections are arranged coaxially. In the case of a vertical arrangement, such pipetting containers discharge the sample vertically downward in a free jet. For wall discharge, it is known to bring the pipetting container into an inclined position by tilting the holding device of the pipetting container, in which the downward movement of the discharged volume on the inner wall of the sample container is simplified.

[0008] Depending on the geometry and material of the pipette container, the pipette container may deform to a greater or lesser extent either during production or due to storage and environmental influences. This may result in the fluid displacement opening of the pipette container no longer being arranged coaxially, so that the pipette container can no longer be easily used for precise discharge of liquid and has to be discarded. In addition, in many applications using valuable test samples, it is particularly desirable to verify the correct or satisfactory properties of the pipette container before or during use.

[0009] According to document US 9,678,094 B2, it is possible to check the geometry of the pipette needle by measuring in order to adjust the position of the pipette needle holder if necessary to take into account the bending of the pipette needle. However, since the individual geometry measurement of the pipette container is more complicated, the solution leads to a significant delay in the working process in the laboratory automation device.

[0010] It is not only the position of the pipette container that should be clearly defined in the laboratory automation system, but in general the position of all movable objects - objects that the laboratory automation system manipulates and moves during the automation process - should be able to be accurately detected and defined. For example, a rod element can be supported by an automatable movable tool head of the laboratory automation system, which rod element should be used to orient other objects in the working area of ​​the laboratory automation system, and its orientation should therefore be able to be accurately defined. In addition, the pipette container can also be used to orient other objects in the working area of ​​the laboratory automation system. EP 2 934 821 A1 describes an automated orientation system for a laboratory robot, in which a laser measuring tool is clamped by a manipulator to be oriented, and the orientation of the manipulator is carried out by laser measurement on markings in the working environment. Summary of the invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution by means of which an economical, efficient, reliable and precise automated operation of laboratory automation equipment can be achieved.

[0012] The invention can also be defined by a system having a measuring instrument and a pipetting container.

[0013] The solution according to the invention comprises a measuring device for detecting the relative position of an object, in particular an end section of a pipette container, which has a measuring auxiliary section.

[0014] The measuring instrument preferably has:

[0015] a holding device for holding an object, in particular a pipette container, for receiving a laboratory sample of a fluid and / or for discharging a laboratory sample of a fluid by means of suction into the pipette container, the object having an object body, in particular a tubular container body, which comprises a first end section and a second end section, wherein the first end section is provided for connecting the object, in particular the pipette container, to the holding device and comprises a measuring auxiliary section, and the second end section comprises an end region, in particular a mouth region, with a fluid displacement opening,

[0016] - an electronic control device having processor means for data processing and data storage means for storing data,

[0017] - wherein the measuring instrument comprises a first measuring device and a second measuring device, wherein the first measuring device is configured to measure the position, in particular the rotational position, of an object, in particular a measuring auxiliary section of a pipette container, on a holding device, and the second measuring device is configured to measure the position of an end region of the object, in particular the position of a mouth region of the pipette container, and

[0018] -The measuring instrument is configured to store the position of an end region, in particular a mouth region, in relation to the position of a measuring auxiliary section as relative orientation data in a data storage device, so that the position of the end region of the object, in particular the mouth region of the pipetting container, can be determined later by measuring the position of the auxiliary section and from the relative orientation data.

[0019] The measuring instrument according to the present invention utilizes the special shape of an object, in particular a pipette container, according to which the position of the object, in particular a pipette container, on the holding device can be clearly determined from the measurement of the measuring auxiliary section. Since such a position measurement (first measurement) is actually easier to implement than a geometric measurement (second measurement), it is generally cheaper to perform repeated position measurements than repeated geometric measurements during the operation of the automated sample processing. In order to determine the relative position of an end region, in particular a mouth region with a fluid displacement port, or a second end section relative to the position of the object, in particular the position of the pipette container, for a specific object, in particular a pipette container, only one geometric measurement is required. The position of the end region is in particular the relative position of the end region relative to the position of the measuring auxiliary section. If the object, in particular a pipette container, measured in this way is used again later, the absolute position of the end region, in particular the fluid displacement port, or the second end section relative to the holding device or other reference points can be determined with the help of a simple position measurement and the available information about the relative position. It should be noted that when the measuring instrument is used in an automatic laboratory device, information about the individual placement position of the pipette container can be stored in a data storage device, so that even after the object, in particular the pipette container, has been temporarily placed, it can still be manipulated again in a targeted manner and connected to the holding device, and the desired information about the position of the end area can be obtained by means of simple position measurement combined with the relative orientation data stored for this object, in particular the pipette container.

[0020] In particular, position measurement can be easily achieved because the object to be measured, in particular the pipette container, is connected to the holding device with a first end section, on which the measuring auxiliary section is also located. Therefore, the first measuring device can be realized in particular as a component of the holding device. In contrast, the second end section with the end region or mouth region has a greater distance from the holding device than the first end section and should also not be touched as much as possible in the case of the pipette container in order to ensure the sterility of the pipette container.

[0021] The invention is explained below in different sections for preferred embodiments of the invention, the object used and measured by the measuring instrument is a pipette container. However, it is also preferred that this object is another object that can be moved automatically in its working area by a laboratory automation device in particular and is provided for use with the measuring instrument. For example, the object can be a rod element or has such a rod element, which, for example, should be used to orient the other object in the working area of ​​the laboratory automation device and whose orientation should therefore be precisely defined.

[0022] The measuring device can be an instrument which can be operated independently of the laboratory automation device, but it is preferably installed in the laboratory automation device or can be installed in the laboratory automation device by the manufacturer as an optional accessory.

[0023] The measuring instrument has in particular an interface for data transmission, via which data can be exchanged with an electrical control device of a laboratory automation system, which in particular also controls the automated processing of (multiple) laboratory samples. In this way, measurement data from the first and / or second measuring device can be exchanged.

[0024] This relates in particular to data (also referred to as position data) which include information about the position of the pipette container relative to the holding device measured by means of the first measuring device. For example, the coordinate system used by the electronic control can be fixed to the holding device so that this coordinate system moves with the holding device if necessary. In laboratory automation systems with measuring instruments, the coordinate system can also be fixed to the working area of ​​the laboratory automation system if the electronic control system recognizes the exact relative position of the movable holding device (which is usually the case).

[0025] Furthermore, data containing information about the position of the mouth region of the pipette container measured by means of the second measuring device (also referred to as position data) can be exchanged between the measuring instrument and the control device of the laboratory automation system and stored in association with position data that have been measured or are still to be measured. The relative position data can be determined and stored by the measuring instrument, or the control device of the laboratory automation system (or another suitable device, such as a computer) receives the position data and the position data from the measuring instrument and determines the relative position data therefrom and stores them. In particular, the position data are measured in such a way that the position of the pipette container or of a measuring auxiliary section that is immovably connected to the pipette container remains unchanged during the measurement or has been changed in a previously determined and therefore understandable manner.

[0026] The first measuring device is provided for measuring the position, in particular the rotational position, of a measuring auxiliary section of the pipette container on the holding device. The importance of the measuring auxiliary section is that it firstly enables clear detection of position changes of the pipette container. A conventional pipette container has a first end section, which is designed to be completely rotationally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the pipette container or the entire pipette container is mostly rotationally symmetrical. If it is believed that the rotationally symmetrical pipette container is securely abutted against the holding device in the axial direction, then the rotational position cannot be determined due to the rotational symmetry. Like every object, a rotationally symmetrical pipette container has a unique orientation or rotational position after each position change; however, this rotational position cannot be detected in a rotationally symmetrical object. The measuring auxiliary section is used to break the rotational symmetry and in particular enables clear orientation determination of the pipette container relative to a fixed coordinate system, which can be fixed in particular on the holding device or in the working area of ​​a measuring instrument or a laboratory container.

[0027] The auxiliary measuring section and the first measuring device can be arranged in such a way that only the rotational position of the pipette container about its longitudinal axis on the holding device is determined. This presupposes that the other degrees of freedom of the pipette container on the holding device are correctly determined, in particular assuming that the pipette container rests horizontally on the contact area of ​​the holding device in a predetermined manner and that the longitudinal axis is arranged at a predetermined position. This can be achieved, for example, in that the pipette container has a connecting section, for example a flange surrounding the container body, which flange cooperates appropriately with a matching connecting section of the holding device, for example a locking device.

[0028] The measuring auxiliary section and the first measuring device can be configured to determine the entire position of the pipetting container on the holding device, i.e., the entire spatial position of the pipetting container can be determined from the shape of the measuring auxiliary section. In this way, position deviations of the pipetting container beyond the rotational position on the holding device can also be detected.

[0029] The measuring auxiliary section can be a mechanically scannable height profile, which is arranged on a first end section of the pipette container and has a height variation in the direction of the longitudinal axis, which height variation can in particular extend concentrically around the longitudinal axis. In particular, if the height profile does not have a rotationally symmetrical shape repetition with respect to the longitudinal axis, such as a sinusoidal profile that extends continuously concentrically around the longitudinal axis, the rotational position of the pipette container can be determined. The measurement can then be performed by detecting the height profile using a scanning sensor mechanism integrated in the holding device, which can then constitute a component of the first measuring device. The height profile can be made integral with the pipette container during manufacture, in particular by injection molding.

[0030] Furthermore, the measuring auxiliary section can have at least one optically detectable marking which can be evaluated by measuring the reflection intensity, according to the light barrier principle, by colorimetric measurement or imaging measurement by the first measuring device.

[0031] Furthermore, the measuring auxiliary section can have at least one electrically conductive section which can be detected, for example, by a capacitive measurement of the first measuring device.

[0032] The second measuring device is provided for measuring the position of the mouth region of the pipette container. The second measuring device is preferably provided for measuring the position of the mouth region without mechanical contact with the pipette container, i.e. without contact. This avoids contamination of the mouth region, which is important for use in laboratory automation. For contactless measurement, optical measurement is firstly conceivable, but also measurement by means of capacitive measurement or ultrasonic detection.

[0033] Preferably, the second measuring device has at least one light source and at least one optical sensor, which are or can be configured to measure the position of the opening region. In particular, such components of the second measuring device and the pipette container can be configured to perform a predetermined relative movement. In this way, the spatial region including the pipette container can be optically scanned in order to determine the position of the opening region.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the second measuring device has a light source, in particular an LED, in particular an infrared LED, which provides light for illuminating a spatial segment, which at least partially contains the second end segment or the mouth area of ​​the pipette container for the purpose of measurement. It is preferred that the light is uniformly projected onto this spatial area, in particular by radiating collimated light. In particular, the light is guided by means of beam guiding measures such as (multiple) lenses, (multiple) reflectors, etc., so that the light passes through the spatial segment from two directions and is then projected onto at least one optical sensor. The optical sensor can be a line sensor, in particular a CMOS line sensor. In order to determine the orientation of the outlet area by means of the line sensor, the control device analyzes and evaluates the halo changes detected by position resolution, which are generated when the second end segment moves in the spatial segment with a predetermined movement, in particular at a constant speed along a predetermined direction, in particular along the longitudinal axis of the first end segment or in the vertical direction. Since the light passes through the spatial segment from two directions, two separate shadows are first generated when the pipette container is arranged in the spatial segment. If the pipette container is moved out of the spatial section, the position of the halo on the scanning sensor changes, from which the position of the reference point of the outlet region on the holding device can be inferred in conjunction with the known measurement geometry using conventional considerations of projection and coordinate transformation. Such a solution is particularly effective if the holding device as a component of the laboratory automation system is originally designed to be movable.

[0035] The second measuring device is preferably configured to perform at least one optical measurement from two different directions. This optical measurement can in particular provide for the detection of an image of the mouth region. For this purpose, the second measuring device can have one or two image sensors, or a further image sensor. The image sensor is preferably arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first end section of the pipette container.

[0036] The second measuring device and the holding device are preferably arranged to be movable relative to each other. In particular, the pipetting container connected to the holding device can be positioned on the second measuring device as required in order to perform position measurements. If the measuring instrument is fixedly arranged in the working area of ​​the laboratory automation system, the holding device can be moved to the position of the measuring instrument in order to perform position measurements.

[0037] The time required for this can be optimally shortened if the second measuring device is movably arranged on the holding device in a preferred embodiment. In this case, the second measuring device can also be moved toward the pipetting container as required, but the necessary distance for the movement is already shortened. If the holding device is moved, the second measuring device is also moved in the same way, so that the distance is not dependent on the position of the holding device in the working area as in the first case.

[0038] The invention further relates to an object that can be used with the measuring instrument according to the invention, in particular a pipette container for receiving and / or removing laboratory samples of fluids, which object cooperates exclusively with the measuring instrument according to the invention at least via the measuring auxiliary section.

[0039] The object according to the invention, in particular the pipette container, comprises an object body, in particular a tubular container body, which has a first end section and a second end section, wherein the first end section is provided for connecting the object, in particular the pipette container, to a holding device of the measuring instrument according to the invention and comprises a measuring auxiliary section, wherein at least one section of the object body, in particular the tubular container body, extends along a longitudinal axis A, in particular the first end section extends along this longitudinal axis A,

[0040] The first end section has a measuring auxiliary section which is designed such that a position measurement relative to the holding device enables a position determination of an object, in particular a pipette container, relative to the holding device, and

[0041] Therein, the second end section has an end region, in particular a mouth region, having a fluid displacement opening, which is arranged opposite the measuring auxiliary section.

[0042] In a first preferred embodiment, the object, in particular the pipette container, is shaped such that the longitudinal axis extends centrally through the second end section and the end region or the mouth region, and in particular the first end section and the second end section are arranged coaxially. Such a pipette container is particularly suitable for sample discharge according to the free jet principle, in particular in the vertically downward direction, i.e. in the direction of gravity.

[0043] In a second preferred embodiment, the object, in particular the pipette container, is shaped such that the mouth region is arranged at a vertical distance d>0 from the longitudinal axis. Such a pipette container is particularly suitable for wall discharge of samples due to this offset d>0, wherein the exact selection of d depends on the desired application of the pipette container, in particular on the diameter of the sample container on which the wall discharge is to take place. The mouth region is in this case particularly arranged such that a longitudinal axis extends through the fluid displacement opening and the mouth region, in particular also through the entire second end section, in an inclined vertically downward direction, i.e. at an angle α>0° to the longitudinal axis, wherein preferably 0°<α<80°, preferably 0.5°<α<60°, preferably 1°<α<45°. The selection of this angle is also dependent on the desired application of the pipette container.

[0044] The measuring auxiliary section is arranged on the pipetting container in a manner that is predetermined and known to the control device in an unchangeable manner as follows, so that the position of the pipetting container is clearly known from the position measurement of the position of the measuring auxiliary section. The measuring auxiliary section can be constructed as an integral part with the pipetting container. However, it can also be connected to the pipetting container afterwards, for example, by a force-locked and / or shape-locked and / or material-locked connection, for example, by bonding with the pipetting container. The measuring auxiliary section can also be constructed in the following way, that is, the pipetting container is modified afterwards, for example, by stamping, milling or other methods to produce a height profile, also by embossing or bonding. The subsequent modification can also be carried out by embossing a visually identifiable and analyzable mark, embossing or bonding or otherwise producing a visually identifiable structure, for example, by heat treatment.

[0045] The invention is further defined by a system for detecting the relative position of an object, in particular an end section of a pipette container, wherein the system according to the invention has:

[0046] - an object, in particular a pipette container, which has an object body, in particular a tubular container body, and a measuring auxiliary section, the object body having a first end section and a second end section, wherein the first end section is arranged to connect the object, in particular the pipette container, to a holding device of the measuring instrument according to the present invention, wherein at least one section of the object body, in particular the tubular container body, extends along the longitudinal axis, in particular the first end section extends along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first end section has a measuring auxiliary section, which is arranged in such a way that its position measurement relative to the holding device enables the position determination of the object, in particular the pipette container, relative to the holding device, and the second end section has an end region, in particular an orifice region having a fluid displacement port, which end region is arranged in a relative position to the measuring auxiliary section;

[0047] - and a measuring instrument, which has a holding device for holding an object, in particular a pipette container, an electronic control device, the electronic control device having a processor device for data processing and a data storage device for storing data, wherein the measuring instrument has a first measuring device and a second measuring device, the first measuring device being configured to measure the position, in particular the rotational position, of a measuring auxiliary section of an object, in particular a pipette container, on the holding device, and the second measuring device being configured to measure the orientation of an end region or a mouth region of an object, in particular a pipette container, and the measuring instrument being configured to store the orientation of the end region, in particular the mouth region, related to the position of the measuring auxiliary section as relative orientation data in the data storage device, so that the orientation of the object, in particular the mouth region of the pipette container, can be determined later by measuring the position of the measuring auxiliary section and determining the orientation from the relative orientation data.

[0048] Further features of the system according to the invention emerge from the description of the measuring device according to the invention, the laboratory automation device and the method according to the invention.

[0049] The invention further relates to a method for detecting the relative position of an object, in particular a mouth region of a pipette container, the pipette container being used for receiving and / or discharging a laboratory sample of a fluid by means of suction, the object having an object body, in particular a tubular container body, which has a first end section and a second end section, wherein the first end section is provided for connecting the object, in particular the pipette container, to a holding device and has a measuring auxiliary section, wherein the second end section has an end region, in particular a mouth region having a fluid displacement port, the method comprising the following steps:

[0050] Measuring the position, in particular the rotational position, of an object, in particular a measuring auxiliary section of a pipetting container, arranged on the holding device by means of a first measuring device; (201)

[0051] Measuring the position of an object arranged on the holding device, in particular an end region or a mouth region of a pipette container, by means of a second measuring device; (202)

[0052] The position of the end region or the mouth region relative to the position of the measuring auxiliary section is stored in the data storage device as relative position data, so that the position of the end region or the mouth region of the pipetting container can be determined from the relative position data by measuring the position of the measuring auxiliary section of the pipetting container. (203)

[0053] The measurement of the position of the measuring auxiliary section and the measurement of the position of the end region can be carried out simultaneously, sequentially or repeatedly and in any order.

[0054] Preferably, the measuring method according to the present invention has at least one of the following steps:

[0055] Placing the measured object, in particular the pipetting container (50; 50') into the storage position; (204)

[0056] Retrieving the measured object, in particular the pipette container (50; 50') from the storage position and connecting the object, in particular the pipette container, to the holding device in a current position which deviates from the position of the object, in particular the pipette container, during its measurement, so that the orientation of the end region or the mouth region also deviates from the orientation during its measurement; (205)

[0057] Measuring the real-time position of the measured object, in particular the pipette container (50; 50'), by measuring the position of the object, in particular the pipette container, of the measuring auxiliary section (54; 54') relative to the holding device; (206)

[0058] Determining the position of the measured object, in particular the end region or the mouth region of the pipette container, from the current position of the object, in particular the measuring auxiliary section of the pipette container and from the stored relative position data. (207)

[0059] Further features of the method according to the invention emerge from the description of the laboratory automation device according to the invention.

[0060] Laboratory samples are samples that can be processed in a laboratory. In the description of the present invention, the concept of "sample" is also used instead of the concept of laboratory sample. Sample is a fluid and can be liquid, gel, powder, or have such phases. Sample can be a mixture of these phases, in particular a liquid mixture, solution, suspension, such as a cell suspension, emulsion or dispersion. Liquid sample can be a sample that is usually processed in a biological, chemical, or medical laboratory. Liquid sample can be an analytical sample, a reagent, a culture medium, a buffer, etc.

[0061] In addition, the present invention also relates to a laboratory automation device for program-controlled processing of laboratory samples of at least one fluid, which has a measuring instrument according to the present invention. The control device of the measuring instrument can in this case be consistent with the control device of the laboratory automation device, which performs program-controlled processing of the laboratory sample of the at least one fluid by means of a control program. However, the two control devices can also be separated and can be arranged in particular for data exchange, so that on the one hand the laboratory automation device can participate in the control of the measuring instrument and / or the implementation of the first measurement and / or the second measurement or can control them, and on the other hand the measuring instrument can send measurement data, in particular data about the first or second measurement, in particular relative position data, to the control device of the laboratory automation device. In addition, the holding device of the measuring instrument can in this case be consistent with the holding device of the laboratory automation device, but they can also be different holding devices.

[0062] The electrical control device of the laboratory automation device has in particular an electronic data processing device, in particular a CPU (central processing unit) or a microprocessor, and at least one data storage device. The control device can be program-controlled, in particular by means of program parameters, in order to determine the automated control of the sample processing and preferably also the determination of relative position data from the position measurement data of the pipetting container.

[0063] The control device is preferably configured to carry out the measuring method according to the invention.

[0064] In order to measure the position of the mouth region of the pipette container, the control device is preferably provided to control the movement of the holding device relative to the second measuring device or to its sensor.

[0065] In order to measure the position of the mouth region of the pipette container, the control device is preferably provided to control the movement of the second measuring device relative to the holding device.

[0066] The processing of the laboratory sample(s) may in particular comprise one or more of the following processes simultaneously or sequentially:

[0067] - transport of laboratory samples under the effect of gravity and / or under the effect of forces generated by laboratory automation equipment, in particular by means of transport devices;

[0068] - non-contact (non-invasive) physical treatment of the sample, in particular thermal treatment of the sample, in particular heating and / or cooling, in particular controlled temperature treatment; or freezing or thawing the sample, or causing a phase change in the sample by other thermal means, such as evaporation, condensation, etc.; magnetic treatment of the sample; optical treatment of the sample, in particular irradiation of the sample with a light beam, in particular light, in particular visible light, infrared light or ultraviolet light, or detection of such a light beam, in particular fluorescence, emanating from the sample; magnetic treatment of the sample with magnetic components, in particular magnetic separation of magnetic components of a fluid phase of the sample, in particular "magnetic beads"; moving the sample, i.e. mechanical treatment of the sample, in particular shaking, rotating, shaking, vibrating, centrifuging, in particular acoustic treatment with ultrasound, for example for the purpose of mixing the sample or for the purpose of separating components within the sample or for transporting magnetic components out of the sample or into the sample;

[0069] - invasive physical treatment of the sample, i.e. mechanical treatment of the sample: introduction of stirring tools, such as stirring rods or magnetic stirrers, into the sample and stirring, introduction of probes for acoustic or ultrasonic treatment, introduction of transport elements, in particular pipette containers, such as dispenser tips or pipette tips or needles or hoses, into the sample; introduction of other auxiliary elements into the sample;

[0070] - chemical, biochemical or biomedical treatment of the sample: adding chemical (e.g. reactants, reagents, solvents, solutes), biochemical (e.g. biochemical macromolecules, such as DNA, DNA components, pharmaceutical active substances) or biomedical (blood, serum, cell culture medium) materials;

[0071] - storing the sample for a defined period of time, in particular in a program-controlled manner, in particular under defined physical conditions, for example at a defined temperature, at a plurality of temperatures or at a temperature change, in particular at a repeated temperature change, for example a cyclically repeated and / or periodically repeated temperature change; and / or with controlled ambient pressure, for example with an overpressure or underpressure, in particular a vacuum; and / or with controlled atmospheric conditions, for example a protective gas or a defined air humidity, in darkness under defined radiation conditions, for example shielding from the influence of visible light, or with defined radiation;

[0072] - measuring or analyzing a sample, in particular analyzing by non-invasive and / or invasive processing of the sample, in particular for measuring at least one or more chemical, physical, biochemical and / or medical properties of the sample; in particular counting cells with the aid of a cell counter;

[0073] - processing the sample, in particular changing at least one property of the sample, in particular by means of non-invasive and / or invasive sample processing.

[0074] The laboratory automation device can be configured to enable further processing methods. This can be achieved by subsequently transferring the data and / or programs or program components required for this purpose, in particular program modules assigned to the processing methods, to the laboratory automation device, in particular its data storage device.

[0075] The processing of laboratory samples can be used in particular for:

[0076] Nucleic acid purification, especially

[0077] "MagSep Blood gDNA" kit: Purification of genomic DNA from whole blood, especially in the use of In the case of MagSep Blood gDNA Kits;

[0078] "MagSep Tissue gDNA" kit: Purification of genomic DNA from living tissue, especially in the use of In the case of MagSep Tissue gDNA Kits;

[0079] "MagSep Viral DNA / RNA" kit: Purification of viral RNA or DNA from cell-free body fluids, especially in the use of In the case of MagSep Viral DNA / RNA kits;

[0080] and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) applications, especially

[0081] "Compose Mastermix"; generation of one or more PCT (procalcitonin) mastermixes ("mastermixes") from premixes ("pre-mixes") or individual components, in particular buffers, polymerases, deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates, primers, gene markers, etc.); in this case, in particular the volumes of each necessary component are calculated by the control device, in particular with the aid of a program module assigned to the "Compose Mastermix" process;

[0082] "Normalize Concentrations"; at least two DNA / RNA samples are diluted in order to obtain the same concentration in all samples; the desired concentration can be entered manually by the user or from the data, for example;

[0083] "Create Dilution Series" where one or more DNA / RNA standards are sequentially diluted to known concentrations to generate a calibration curve that can be used for quantitative PCR;

[0084] "Setup Reactions" - Here, a reaction process is generated by combining a plurality of samples or a plurality of samples with one or more master mixtures. As an alternative, reactions for replicating DNA / RNA can also be generated in this way.

[0085] In particular, the processing takes place in a program-controlled manner using at least one program parameter.

[0086] In particular, the processing is performed according to at least one control parameter, which determines the processing of the laboratory sample by means of the processing device. The control parameter can determine a period of time, a point in time, a determined sample volume and / or a metering volume, a determined sample temperature, etc. The control parameter can relate to the automatic application of a determined transport head, a determined type of pipetting container, a determined type of sample container, one or more individual samples or a determined position of these components in the working area. The control parameter can relate to the processing of an individual sample or the processing of a plurality or a plurality of samples. The control parameter can relate to the implementation of the first and / or second measurement.

[0087] The transport of the sample can be the transport from one sample container to another sample container or another destination. In particular, this transport is carried out program-controlled using at least one program parameter.

[0088] A pipette container, in particular a pipette container according to the invention, is used for receiving and / or discharging laboratory samples of fluids. It preferably has a tubular container body having a first end section and a second end section. The first end section has a first opening, and the second end section has a second opening, which is also referred to as a fluid replacement port.

[0089] The pipette container, in particular the pipette container according to the invention, preferably has a connecting section which is provided for connecting the pipette container to a holding device. The connecting section is preferably a component of the first end section and can have a measuring auxiliary section.

[0090] A pipette container, in particular a pipette container according to the invention, can be, for example, a dispenser container, also known as a dispenser tip, which has a cylindrical cavity with a first opening and a second opening, wherein a movable piston is inserted into the cavity through the first opening as a plunger and is automatically controlled by a laboratory automation device. The piston generates a negative pressure or an overpressure in the cavity and thus draws the sample into the cavity through the second opening or discharges it again. This process is carried out according to the squeezer principle, that is, the sample to be moved, which is usually liquid and therefore incompressible, is forced to move in such a way that the piston moves the volume previously occupied by the sample. The piston is usually moved, in particular program-controlled, by a movement device assigned to the laboratory automation device.

[0091] The pipette container, in particular the pipette container according to the invention, can also be a pipette tip. The pipette tip has a first opening and a fluid displacement port. The first opening is connected to a suction device so that a liquid sample can be sucked (pipetted) from the sample container via the fluid displacement port into the pipette container by negative pressure. The sample is discharged by ventilating the suction area by means of gravity and / or by means of an overpressure generated, for example, via the second opening of the pipette container. The suction device is in particular a component of a laboratory automation device and is controlled by this laboratory automation device by means of a control program.

[0092] The pipetting container, in particular the pipetting container according to the present invention, is preferably partially or entirely made of plastics, in particular polypropylene. It is preferably a consumable, which is typically only used for the processing of the sample or a small amount of processing steps. However, the pipetting container may also be partially or entirely made of other materials.

[0093] The sample container may be a single container in which only a single sample is contained, or may be a multiple container in which a plurality of single containers are arranged in a manner connected to one another.

[0094] The individual containers can be open containers or closable containers. In the closable containers, a cover element, in particular a closure, can be provided. The cover element can be firmly connected to the container, for example as a flip cover or a flip closure, or can be used as an independent component.

[0095] Preferably, in a multiple container, a plurality of individual containers are arranged in fixed positions relative to each other, in particular according to the intersection of a grid pattern. This simplifies the automated manipulation of the orientation and in particular the individual addressing of the sample. The multiple container can be configured as a plate element, in which the individual containers are connected as follows, that is, they form a plate-like structure. Each individual container can be configured as a recessed depth in the plate or can be connected to each other via a bridging element. The plate element can have a frame element in which each individual container is held. These connections of the components can be integral connections, that is, material-locked connections and / or connections produced by a common injection molding process, or can be produced force-locked (English: "force-fit") and / or form-locked. The plate element can be a microtiter plate in particular.

[0096] The multiple containers can have a plurality (2 to 10) of individual containers. They can also have a plurality (greater than 10), typically 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96, 384, 1536 individual containers. The multiple containers can be microtiter plates in particular. The microtiter plates can be constructed according to one or more industrial standards, in particular according to industrial standards ANSI / SBS1-2004, ANSI / SBS2-2004, ANSI / SBS 3-2004, ANSI / SBS 4-2004.

[0097] The maximum sample volume that can be accommodated by the pipette container or sample container is typically between 0.01 ml and 100 ml, in particular between 10 and 100 μl, between 100 and 500 μl, between 0.5 and 5 ml, between 5 and 25 ml, between 25 and 50 ml, between 50 and 100 ml, depending on the selected pipette container model or sample vessel model.

[0098] The sample container or the pipetting container may have an information area, which may have information about the sample container or about the contents of the sample container. The information area may have coded information, such as a barcode or a QR code (QR-Code) or a radio frequency identification chip (RFID-Chip) or other coded information. The information may have information for identifying the sample and / or the sample container. The laboratory automation device may have an information reading device to read this information and preferably provide it to the control device. The information area of ​​the pipetting container can be used as the measurement auxiliary section.

[0099] The sample container is preferably partially or completely made of plastic, in particular polypropylene. It is preferably a consumable, which is typically only used for one treatment or a small number of treatment steps of the sample. However, the sample container can also be partially or completely made of other materials.

[0100] The sample container can preferably be transported using a transport device of a laboratory automation device.

[0101] The laboratory automation device is preferably configured to process a plurality of test samples sequentially and / or simultaneously. In particular, the laboratory automation device is preferably configured to process, in particular transport, empty and / or fill a plurality of test sample vessels, in particular single containers and / or multiple containers, in a program-controlled manner.

[0102] Preferably, the laboratory automation device has at least one holding device for holding or storing or clamping at least one sample container, in particular a holding frame for holding multiple individual containers, called a "sample vessel rack". The holding device is preferably configured to be portable so that it can be moved within the working area of ​​the laboratory automation device or between different working areas. Multiple or many individual containers can be held by the holding device at a predetermined position of the holding device. In this way, the individual, program-controlled manipulation or addressing of the sample container or the sample is simplified.

[0103] The workstation may have auxiliary parts for positioning and / or orienting one or more components at this workstation. These components may be, for example, one, more or many individual containers, or may have one or more multiple containers, or may have a holding device for a sample vessel. These auxiliary parts can be used to connect these components to the workstation in a force-locking and / or form-locking manner. For example, in the workstation, a recessed portion may be provided in the work surface as an auxiliary part at a predetermined position of the workstation, so as to receive a projection of the component as a complementary auxiliary part there in a form-locking manner and thus achieve positioning and / or orientation.

[0104] One or more adapter devices may be provided in order to arrange the first holding device on the second holding device or on the workstation in a predetermined manner, in particular to position and / or orient it there.

[0105] The laboratory automation device preferably has at least one operating area, which can be open to the surrounding environment or can be partially or completely shielded by the housing device. Preferably, the housing device is partially transparent so that the user can observe the processes in the operating area shielded by the housing device, which processes are carried out in a program-controlled manner.

[0106] The laboratory automation device preferably has exactly one working area. Such a laboratory automation device is compact and can be particularly suitable for use on a laboratory workbench, which is then also particularly referred to as a tabletop instrument. The workbench can be, for example, a work platform in a chemical, biochemical or biomedical laboratory. The laboratory automation device can also be configured for installation in such a laboratory. The laboratory automation device with the working area can also be configured as an independently operated instrument for such a laboratory, or can already be or will be combined into an instrument assembly.

[0107] Laboratory automation equipment can also be configured as a laboratory work line (Labortraβe), in which multiple work areas are arranged adjacent to each other as follows, that is, one, multiple or many samples can be transported between the work areas in sequence and / or simultaneously by means of a transport device. The work areas of the laboratory work line are preferably configured to perform specific laboratory tasks, mostly involving simultaneous and / or sequential processing of multiple samples. Through this specialization of each work area, a high workload of the laboratory work line is achieved. In order to perform such a specific task, it can be provided that only one treatment of at least one sample or only a few treatments, for example two to ten treatment methods, is performed in each work area. The transport device can have a track system and / or a manipulator device, which is used to move the sample or the sample container in a program-controlled manner.

[0108] Laboratory automation equipment may have been or can be connected to a laboratory information management system (LIMS). LIMS stands for Laboratory Information and Management System. As is well known, LIMS is a software system that involves automatic or semi-automatic data processing in chemical, physical, biological, and medical laboratories. Such data may come from sample measurements and / or may involve control of data processing. LIMS is preferably used for measurement value acquisition and measurement value analysis and evaluation. LIMS is used to increase the workload in the laboratory and / or optimize the processing efficiency of laboratory sample inspections.

[0109] The working area can have a preferably substantially flat, preferably horizontally arranged working surface. The working area can have a plurality of predefined working stations. A working station can be assigned to a section of the working area. This assignment can be fixed or can be determined in a program-controlled manner. A working station can be fixedly arranged or can have different configurations.

[0110] The position of the workstations and / or the configuration of the workstations can be stored as information in the laboratory automation system, in particular in a data storage device. This information can be used to enable program-controlled processing of test samples which are arranged at specific positions in the work area and are to be processed at one or more of these workstations.

[0111] A workstation can be used to store materials, such as test samples, cleaning agents, and waste materials.

[0112] A work station can be used to store tool components.

[0113] A tool element can be, for example, a transport head for fluid transport, in particular a pipette head, which can have a connection section for connecting a pipette container, in particular a pipette tip or a dispenser tip (single-channel pipette head). The holding device can be the transport head or have this transport head, or the transport head can have this holding device. When at least one pipette tip is connected to the connection section, the liquid can be sucked into the at least one pipette tip via at least one pressure-tight and gas-tight channel connected to the pipette head. In the laboratory automation system, this pipetting is carried out in particular under program control, in particular through the influence of at least one program parameter. In the case of a dispenser head, this dispenser head has at least one movement device, which is used to move at least one piston of at least one dispenser tip. In the laboratory automation system, the movement of the movement device is carried out in particular under program control. The transport head can be used for metering liquids, in particular for metering in different areas; the transport head can be designed for metering liquid samples with a volume, which can be selected from a volume range specific to this transport head: for example, 1 to 50 μL or 20 to 300 μL or 50 to 1000 μL ("l" and "L" as abbreviations stand for liters, respectively). The transport head can be designed as a single-channel head, in which only one sample is transported. Preferably, a specific transport container is provided, which can be used according to the corresponding model of the transport head, in particular according to the corresponding volume range.

[0114] The tool element can be, for example, a transport head for transporting an object, for example a support tool and / or a gripping tool for supporting and / or gripping an object, in particular a sample container or a holding device for at least one container. The support tool can have a fastening section for releasably fastening the object to the support tool, for example by connecting the object to the support tool in a force-locking and / or form-locking and / or magnetic manner. In this way, it is possible within a working surface or between a plurality of working areas and / or working surfaces.

[0115] Furthermore, the tool element can be a processing unit, for example for thermal, acoustic, optical and / or mechanical processing of at least one test sample.

[0116] The workstation can be used to process the laboratory sample. For this purpose, the processing unit can be firmly mounted on the workstation or can be arranged there. In particular, the processing is carried out under program control using at least one program parameter.

[0117] The processing unit for the heat treatment can have a temperature control device in order to adjust at least one sample to a certain temperature and / or to change the temperature in a certain ratio simultaneously or successively, in particular within a defined period of time. In particular, the heat treatment is carried out program-controlled using at least one program parameter. In this way, for example, a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) can be carried out on one, several or many PCR samples.

[0118] The processing unit for measuring laboratory samples can have a measuring device for measuring at least one physical property of at least one sample. The processing unit can have a processing device for processing the at least one sample, in particular in order to process the at least one sample. The processing device can be used for mechanical processing of the sample, such as movement, such as shaking or vibration, thermal processing or heat treatment by means of a light beam, in order to achieve a (bio)chemical reaction or a biological or biomedical state change, such as sterilization, of the sample. In particular, this processing is carried out under program control, in particular using at least one program parameter.

[0119] The laboratory automation device can have a transport device for transporting at least one movable head section. The head section can be a transport head, in particular for transporting at least one test sample and / or for transporting at least one tool element. The head section can have at least one connecting section for releasably or permanently connecting it to the transport device.

[0120] In addition, the transport device can have a program-controlled movement device, also called a manipulator device, in order to move the head section and / or the connecting section and, if necessary, the at least one pipette container in a program-controlled manner, in particular according to a movement process preset by a control device or other control devices. The laboratory automation device, in particular its control device and / or the manipulator device, is preferably configured to transport at least one pipette container connected to the holding device to a measuring station of the laboratory automation device, which has a second measuring device, which is configured to measure the orientation of the second end section of the pipette container. The laboratory automation device, in particular its control device and / or the manipulator device, is preferably configured to move the holding device and at least one pipette container connected to the holding device during the measurement of the orientation of the second end section of the pipette container, in particular according to a previously determined movement, which movement can be a linear, in particular a vertical movement. As an alternative or supplement, the measuring device or a movable part of the measuring device can also be moved in a similar manner during the measurement.

[0121] The manipulator device may have one or more drive devices, such as electric motors, in order to enable program-controlled movement of movable parts, such as a movable head segment, in particular a holding tool or a clamping tool or other movable tool elements, such as a movable processing unit. The manipulator device may have a single- or multi-segment moving arm, by means of which the head segment and in particular the sample can be transported between different, preferably freely selectable positions in the working area. In addition, the manipulator device may have a rail system, wherein the head segment is fastened to a movable sliding element or rolling element in this case, which can be moved via the rail system to a position preset by setting the rail system. The manipulator device is preferably moved program-controlled and in particular controlled by at least one program parameter.

[0122] The laboratory automation device can have an information reader to read information about the sample and / or the sample container and / or processing instructions for this sample and / or this sample container and / or a pipette container and preferably make it available to the control device of the laboratory automation device.

[0123] The laboratory automation device preferably has at least one metering device. With this metering device, at least one desired sample volume can preferably be pipetted and automatically metered and distributed. The metering device or control device is preferably configured to transport the previously determined volume of the sample from the sample container to the pipetting container and / or from the pipetting container to the sample container or other destination. This is achieved, for example, by controlling the suction device of the pipetting device, in particular by controlling the motion device of the dispensing device, and the suction device and the motion device are preferably integrated in the transport head respectively. The control is preferably performed program-controlled.

[0124] The laboratory automation device preferably has at least one timer and / or preferably a timer in order to enable time-dependent processing of the test sample. The time-dependent processing is preferably carried out in a program-controlled manner and in particular controlled by at least one program parameter.

[0125] In a preferred embodiment of the laboratory automation device according to the present invention, the laboratory automation device is configured to automatically select one or more of the following components for use in the program-controlled processing according to the processing mode selected by the user and the program parameters input by the user:

[0126] at least one suitable sample container, in particular suitable for receiving a plurality of samples which are to be processed together, for example to be mixed or between which a chemical reaction or a biochemical, biological or biomedical interaction is to be produced;

[0127] at least one suitable pipette container, in particular a pipette tip and / or a dispenser tip;

[0128] at least one suitable transport head, to which a preferably automatically selected pipetting container can be connected,

[0129] - At least one suitable tool element for carrying out the desired treatment.

[0130] Preferably, the laboratory automation device according to the present invention is configured to automatically select one or more of the following control parameters for use in a program-controlled process according to a process mode selected by a user and a program parameter input by a user:

[0131] - at least one time period during which a certain operation step of the processing is performed;

[0132] - at least one sample volume and / or metering volume;

[0133] - at least one working position of at least one working surface;

[0134] Movement parameters which are used to define the movement sequences of a robot device of a laboratory automation system which are required for the desired processing of the test specimens.

[0135] The automatic selection of the components and / or control parameters as a function of at least one program parameter, in particular as a function of the at least one program parameter selected by the user, results in the following advantage for the user: he does not have to determine the selection of components and control parameters individually himself. Rather, the selection of the control parameters required for the process is carried out with the aid of the program parameters input by the user. The use of the laboratory automation device is thus particularly convenient.

[0136] The processor device of the laboratory automation system preferably has at least one working area, preferably at least one transport device, preferably at least one processing unit.

[0137] The pipette container can be a multichannel pipette container in particular. The multichannel pipette container, in particular the multichannel pipette container according to the present invention, is used to receive and / or discharge multiple fluid laboratory samples in parallel and / or simultaneously. The multiple channels and laboratory samples of the multichannel pipette container can be matched to the number of rows and / or columns of multiple containers, in particular microtiter plates. The multiple is particularly preferably M=8. However, other values ​​M can also be selected, which can be selected from a group including thirty-one preferred values ​​{2, 3, 4, ..., 8, ..., 12, ..., 16, ..., 24, ...31, 32}. The multichannel pipetting container preferably has: M multiple tubular container bodies, which are preferably arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other, preferably with a spacing suitable for a standard microtiter plate, preferably d=9 mm or d=4.5 mm (from the center to the center of the openings of adjacent tubular container bodies; as an alternative, the spacing of the longitudinal axes of adjacent container bodies can be used), wherein the multichannel pipetting container has a first end section and a second end section. The first end section has a first opening, and the second end section has M multiple second openings, which are also called fluid replacement ports.

[0138] Each of the plurality of container bodies preferably has a longitudinal axis A, along which the container body extends. The longitudinal axes A preferably extend in parallel, as described, each with a spacing d, wherein the longitudinal axes A are in particular arranged straight next to each other, in particular the longitudinal axes intersect a straight line C extending substantially perpendicularly to each axis A.

[0139] A multi-channel pipette container, in particular a multi-channel pipette container according to the present invention, preferably has a connecting section, which is provided for connecting the multi-channel pipette container to a holding device. The connecting section is preferably a component of the first end section and may have a measurement auxiliary section. The first connecting section of the object constructed as a multi-channel pipette container extends in particular along the longitudinal axis A (rotation axis) of the multi-channel pipette container. At least one of the longitudinal axes A extending through a plurality of container bodies, in particular each of these longitudinal axes, extends substantially parallel to, in particular parallel to, the longitudinal axis A (rotation axis) of the multi-channel pipette container, about which the multi-channel pipette container can be rotated in order to reach a rotational position. A possible deviation of the longitudinal axis from the parallel position of the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of the multi-channel pipette container may be caused by a defect, which may be formed by the manufacture of the multi-channel pipette container or which may be formed after manufacture, for example by thermal deformation of the container body made of plastic.

[0140] A multichannel pipetting container, in particular a multichannel pipetting container according to the present invention, for example, can have at least two container bodies configured as dispenser containers. Such a dispenser container is also referred to as a dispenser spout or a dispenser syringe (Dispenser spritze). The dispenser container has a cylindrical cavity having a first opening and a second opening, wherein a movable piston is inserted into the cavity through the first opening as a plunger and is automatically controlled by a laboratory automation device. The piston generates a negative pressure or an overpressure in the cavity and thus sucks the sample into the cavity through the second opening or discharges it again. This process is carried out in accordance with the extruder principle, that is, the sample to be moved, which is usually liquid and therefore incompressible, is forced to move in the following manner, that is, the piston moves the volume previously occupied by the sample. The piston is usually moved, in particular program-controlled, by a motion device configured for the laboratory automation device.

[0141] The multichannel pipetting container, in particular the multichannel pipetting container according to the invention, is preferably partially or completely made of plastic, in particular polypropylene. It is preferably a consumable, which is typically used only for one treatment of the sample or a small number of treatment steps. However, the multichannel pipetting container can also be partially or completely made of other materials.

[0142] The multichannel pipetting container can be a multichannel dispensing container in particular, with which the fluid volume can first be received in the corresponding container body via each channel, and in which each channel can be progressively discharged. An example of a multichannel dispensing container is the multichannel syringe (Mehrkanalspritze) described in European patent application EP 3 260 822 A1. The container body of this multichannel syringe is called a syringe barrel in this patent application.

[0143] The object held by the holding device of the measuring instrument is preferably a tool element, in particular a transport head for fluid transport, in particular a pipette head, which may have a connecting section for connecting at least one pipette container, in particular at least one pipette tip or at least one dispenser tip. Such a tool element may be a multi-channel pipette head in particular. The tool element may be configured for at least one or more replaceable tools, in particular the at least one replaceable tool may have a second end section, the second end section having an end region, the orientation of the end region being measured by means of a second measuring device and the orientation thereof being stored in a data storage device as relative orientation data according to the position of the measuring auxiliary section ("relative" reference). The tool element constructed as a multi-channel pipette head may be configured in particular to be connected to or capable of being connected to at least two pipette tips, which are used as tools for transporting fluids in parallel or simultaneously.

[0144] When at least two pipette tips are connected to the corresponding connecting sections of the multichannel pipette head, liquid can be sucked into the two pipette tips in parallel or simultaneously via at least one pressure-tight and gas-tight channel connected to the multichannel pipette head. In the laboratory automation device, this multichannel pipetting is carried out in particular under program control, in particular under the influence of at least one program parameter. In the case of a tool element configured as a dispensing head, the dispensing head has at least one movement device, which is used to move at least one piston of at least one dispenser tip. In the laboratory automation device, the movement device is moved in particular under program control. The multichannel pipette head can be used for liquid metering, in particular for metering in different volume ranges; the multichannel pipette head can be configured for metering a plurality of liquid samples each having a volume, which volume can be selected from a volume range specific to the multichannel pipette head: for example 1 to 50 μL or 20 to 300 μL or 50 to 1000 μL ("l" and "L" are each abbreviations for liters). Preferably, a special transport container, in particular a pipette tip, is provided, which can be used depending on the corresponding model of the multichannel pipette head, in particular depending on the corresponding volume range.

[0145] The object according to the present invention, in particular the multi-channel pipetting container, has an object body, which can in particular include a plurality of tubular container bodies. The object body has a first end section and a second end section. The second end section can in particular include a plurality of container bodies. The end region of the second end section can include a plurality of mouth regions of the plurality of container bodies, wherein a mouth region respectively has a fluid replacement port of a corresponding container body. The first end section is provided for connecting the object, in particular the multi-channel pipetting container, to the holding device of the measuring instrument according to the present invention, and has a measurement auxiliary section. At least one section of the object body, in particular the corresponding tubular container body or at least one section of the tubular container body preferably extends along the longitudinal axis A. The measurement auxiliary section is provided so that its position measurement relative to the holding device can realize the determination of the position of the object, in particular the multi-channel pipetting container, relative to the holding device. The end region having a plurality of mouth regions has an orientation relative to the measurement auxiliary section, that is, a relative orientation. The measuring instrument is configured to store the position of the end region in relation to the position of the measuring auxiliary section as relative position data in a data storage device, so that the position of the end region of the multi-channel pipetting container can be determined later by measuring the position of the measuring auxiliary section and determining it from the relative position data.

[0146] The measuring instrument can be configured to detect or measure the orientation of a plurality of mouth regions, in particular all mouth regions, of the end region relative to the measurement auxiliary section by means of a second measuring device. The measuring instrument can have an analysis and evaluation device in order to analyze and evaluate the orientation measurements of the plurality of mouth regions, in particular in order to determine relative orientation data from the detected positions of the plurality of mouth regions. Preferably, the analysis and evaluation device is configured to derive a statistical value from the detected orientations of the plurality of mouth regions, which defines the relative orientation data. This statistical value can be an average value, in particular an average value, a median value or preferably a range average value. The range average value is generally defined as the arithmetic mean of the maximum and minimum observed values.

[0147] For example, the measurement of the orientation of the mouth area determines: determining the orientation of the mouth area in a plane or the orientation of the projection of the mouth area along the axis A on this plane, the plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the container body and extending through the straight line C, on which the longitudinal axes A of the container body of the multi-channel pipette container are arranged in a row. The orientation of the mouth area, which is assumed to be a point, for example the center point of the mouth opening of the mouth area, can then be determined by the spacing of the mouth area observed in this plane and in particular also by the direction of the mouth area. The spacing can in particular be expressed as the spacing of the mouth area starting from the orientation of the longitudinal axis A of the attached container body in this plane or as the spacing starting from a point on the retaining device. The orientation of the mouth area can also be expressed as a point (x, y) of a Cartesian coordinate system, whose origin is in particular the position of the longitudinal axis A in this plane and the X-axis of the coordinate system is the straight line C. The relative orientation data to be stored may then comprise a mean value point (M_x, M_y), which is determined by the mean value M_x of the xi values ​​and the mean value M_y of the yi values ​​of the observed positions (xi, yi) of the mouth region, wherein each of the positions (xi, yi) is defined with reference to the longitudinal axis Ai belonging to the corresponding container body, which defines the origin of the corresponding coordinate system. This mean value point may also define a range mean value (W_x, W_y), wherein W_x is defined as the arithmetic mean of the maximum value xi_max and the minimum value xi_min of all values ​​xi, i.e. W_x=(xi_max-xi_min) / 2, and W_y is defined as the arithmetic mean of the maximum value yi_max and the minimum value yi_min of all values ​​yi, i.e. W_y=(yi_max-yi_min) / 2. However, a point located on the holding device may also be selected as the origin of the coordinate system, the x-axis of which may likewise be specified for the holding device.

[0148] The evaluation device is preferably a component of the electronic control unit of the measuring device.

[0149] The measurement auxiliary section is used in particular to enable clear position determination of the multi-channel pipette container with respect to a fixed coordinate system, which can be fixed in particular on a holding device or in the working area of ​​a measuring instrument or a laboratory container. Describing the relative orientation of the multi-channel pipette container with respect to the measurement auxiliary section as accurately as possible makes sense for detecting a plurality of measurement data with the aid of a second measuring device and storing the plurality of data in the form of a data set as this relative orientation data. The relative orientation data may also include a data set, which includes M1 plurality of measurement data. Each of these measurement data of a data set may include information about the orientation of the container body mouth area of ​​the multi-channel pipette container.

[0150] In a first preferred embodiment, the multichannel pipetting container is shaped such that the longitudinal axis of each container body extends centrally through the mouth region. Such a multichannel pipetting container is particularly suitable for sample discharge according to the free jet principle, in particular in a vertically downward direction, i.e. in the direction of gravity.

[0151] In a second preferred embodiment, the multichannel pipette container is shaped such that the mouth region of each container body is arranged at a vertical spacing d>0 from its longitudinal axis. Due to this offset d>0, such a multichannel pipette container is particularly suitable for wall discharge of the sample, wherein the exact selection of d depends on the desired application of the multichannel pipette container, in particular on the diameter of the sample container on which the wall discharge is to be performed. In this case, the mouth region is particularly arranged such that the longitudinal axis B extends through the fluid displacement port and the mouth region, in particular also through the entire end section, in an inclined vertically downward direction, i.e. at an angle α>0°, preferably 0°<α<80°, preferably 0.5°<α<60°, preferably 1°<α<45° to the longitudinal axis. The selection of this angle also depends on the desired application of the pipette container.

[0152] The second measuring device is arranged to measure the orientation of the end region, in particular the orientation of the mouth region of the pipette container, in particular the multi-channel pipette container. The second measuring device is preferably arranged to detect the orientation of one or more points of the end region relative to the measurement auxiliary section. The second measuring device is preferably arranged to detect the orientation of more than one point of the end region relative to the measurement auxiliary section, in particular to detect many points of the end region relative to the measurement auxiliary section. Therefore, the orientation of the end region can be described more accurately. In this way, the orientation of multiple or all mouth regions of the container body of the multi-channel pipette container can be detected in the multi-channel pipette container, so that accurate or complete information about the multi-segment end region in this case can be stored.

[0153] In the case of an object constructed as a multi-channel pipette container, the second measuring device can be constructed in the same way as in the case of measurements on an object constructed as a (single) pipette container. Preferably, the second measuring device has at least one light source and at least one optical sensor, which are or can be configured to measure the orientation of the mouth area. In particular, such components of the second measuring device and the multi-channel pipette container can be configured to perform a predetermined relative movement. In this way, the spatial area that receives or contains the multi-channel pipette container can be optically scanned so that the orientation of the mouth area of ​​the container body of the multi-channel pipette container can be preferably determined in sequence in the following manner, that is, the mouth area is moved in sequence to a measurement orientation located in the spatial area, and the orientation of the mouth area is measured at this measurement orientation. However, it is also possible to measure all or part of the mouth area at the same time, so that the orientation of multiple or all mouth areas can be measured or detected at the same time.

[0154] For the relative movement, the multichannel pipette container is preferably guided linearly, in particular horizontally, through the spatial region relative to the second measuring device. The multichannel pipette container is preferably positioned so that the linear relative movement takes place parallel to the axis C, along which the container bodies of the multichannel pipette containers are preferably arranged in a row. It is also possible that the relative movement takes place vertically by inserting the multichannel pipette container vertically from above into the spatial region in order to carry out the measurement there.

[0155] In a preferred embodiment, the second measuring device has at least one light source, in particular an LED, in particular an infrared LED, which provides light for illuminating a spatial area, which at least partially contains at least one mouth area of ​​the container body of the multi-channel pipette container for the purpose of measurement. Preferably, the light is irradiated uniformly onto the spatial area. Preferably, the light is irradiated onto this spatial area substantially collimated, in particular collimated. In particular, the light is guided by means of beam guiding measures such as (multiple) lenses, (multiple) reflectors, etc., so that the light passes through the spatial segment from two directions and is then projected onto at least one optical sensor. This optical sensor can in particular be a line sensor, in particular a CCD or CMOS line sensor.

[0156] In order to determine the orientation of the exit area with the aid of a line sensor, the control device preferably analyzes and evaluates the halo changes detected in a position-resolved manner, which halo changes are generated when the second end segment or the exit area moves in a predetermined direction, in particular at a constant speed, in the spatial segment, in a horizontal direction and / or in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first end segment or in a vertical direction.

[0157] In general, the control device is preferably configured to control this previously determined movement, in particular in such a way that the object, in particular the pipette container or, as described herein, the multi-channel pipette container, in particular the corresponding second end section or mouth region, is stationary at the time of measurement in order to detect a shadow with as sharp an edge as possible. However, it is also possible and preferred that the sensor sensitivity is suitable and the time period of the sensor measurement, in particular the exposure time, is selected to be appropriately short, so that the movement distance of the shadow of the second end section or mouth region observed in the case of object movement is less than the width of the pixels of the optical sensor along this movement direction - in this observation, it is assumed that the local resolution of the sensor is determined by its pixel density. The control device is preferably configured to correlate the center position of the corresponding end section or mouth region calculated from the shadow with the longitudinal axis A of the corresponding object or the pipette container or the longitudinal axis Ai of the multiple pipette container, in order to calculate the deviation or necessary correction therefrom. This correction takes into account the average value determined from a plurality of measurement data of the second measuring device, if necessary.

[0158] Since the light passes through the spatial segment from two directions, when the pipette container is arranged in the spatial segment, two separate shadows are generated within the orientation tolerance allowed by the realized geometry. If the container body of the multi-channel pipette container moves in the local space (Raumausschnitt), the position of the halo on the line sensor changes. If the corresponding end segment is arranged at an ideal position that can be calculated based on the known coordinates of the measuring device and the ideal geometric data of the end segment, or known after determination with the help of a reference tip, the orientation of the corresponding end segment that deviates from the ideal (measurement) orientation can also be determined. This is the case, for example, in inclined end segments. In combination with the known measurement geometry and with the help of traditional considerations of projection and coordinate transformation, the real-time position of the reference point of the outlet area on the holding device can be inferred and the lateral deviation from the reference orientation can therefore be determined. (If the end section is introduced vertically into the light curtain from above or with its end face and a shadow image is thus generated on the sensor, the z position of the pipette tip can be measured and thus the length of the tip can be measured and the end face can be corrected to the desired position if necessary) Such a solution is particularly efficient if the holding device as a component of the laboratory automation system is designed to be movable.

[0159] The second measuring device is preferably configured to perform at least one optical measurement from two different directions. This optical measurement can in particular be configured to detect an image of one or more mouth regions or all mouth regions of a multichannel pipette container. For this purpose, the second measuring device can have one or two image sensors or other image sensors. The image sensors are preferably arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis A and parallel to the axis C of the multichannel pipette container.

[0160] The second measuring device and the holding device are preferably arranged to be movable relative to each other. In particular, the multichannel pipetting container connected to the holding device can be positioned on the second measuring device as required in order to perform an orientation measurement. If the measuring instrument is fixedly arranged in the working area of ​​the laboratory automation device, the holding device can be moved toward the orientation of the measuring instrument in order to perform an orientation measurement. If the second measuring device is movably arranged on the holding device in a preferred embodiment, the time required for this can be optimally shortened and the space required on the working surface can be optimally reduced. Even in this case, the second measuring device can be moved toward the pipetting container as required, but the necessary distance of the movement is shortened. If the holding device is moved, the second measuring device is also moved in the same way, so that the distance is not related to the orientation of the holding device in the working area as in the first-mentioned case. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0161] From the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the drawings and their description, further preferred designs of the laboratory automation device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are obtained. If there is no other description or no objection arises from the context, the same components of the various embodiments are basically marked with the same reference numerals. In the drawings:

[0162] Figure 1 An embodiment of a measuring instrument according to the present invention is schematically shown;

[0163] Figure 2 A perspective view showing an embodiment of the components of the measuring instrument according to the invention;

[0164] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 A side view of the component shown in a measuring position of a second measuring device of the measuring instrument;

[0165] Figure 4 A perspective view of an embodiment of a laboratory automation device is shown, which is equipped with a measuring instrument according to the invention, which has Figure 2 and 3 The components shown;

[0166] Figure 5a A perspective view showing another embodiment of a laboratory automation device equipped with a measuring instrument according to another preferred embodiment of the invention in a first position of a second measuring device;

[0167] Figure 5b Show Figure 5a A perspective view of the laboratory automation device shown in a second position of the second measuring device;

[0168] Figure 6a A perspective view showing a first end section of a pipette container and a measurement auxiliary section thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0169] Figure 6b A side view showing a pipetting container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and a portion of a holding device of a measuring instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the pipetting container is not connected to the holding device;

[0170] Figure 6c Shown with Figure 6b The same components, wherein the pipetting container is already connected to the holding device;

[0171] Figure 7a The pipetting container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, and a free jet discharge (Freistrahlabgabe) is performed above the sample container;

[0172] Figure 7b The pipetting container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, and the wall discharge is performed above the sample container;

[0173] Figure 8a An embodiment of a measuring assembly is shown, which has Figure 2 and 3 A second measuring device of the measuring instrument according to the invention according to the illustrated embodiment;

[0174] Figure 8b A graph showing an output signal of an optical line sensor having a Figure 8a The components of the second measuring device shown;

[0175] Fig. 9 The process of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0176] Fig.10 A perspective view showing a multi-channel pipetting container according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the multi-channel pipetting container is disposed on a second measuring device of a measuring instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0177] Fig.11 Show Fig.10 A front side view of a part of a second section of a multi-channel pipette container and a coordinate system assigned to the eight longitudinal axes of the multi-channel pipette container, with the aid of which the calculation of the relative position of the end regions of an exemplary embodiment is explained. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0178] Figure 1The measuring device 1 is shown, which is provided for detecting the relative position of an end section of a movable object, in this case a pipette container 50. This pipette container is used in the broadest sense for pipetting, i.e. on the one hand for receiving fluid, usually liquid laboratory samples by suction into the pipette container, and on the other hand for discharging fluid laboratory samples. Figure 7a and 7b As shown in the figure, it has a tubular container body 55, 55', which has a first end section 51, 51' and a second end section 52, 52', wherein the first end section is configured to connect the pipette container to the holding device and has a measuring auxiliary section 54, 54', and the second end section has a mouth area 56, 56', which has a fluid replacement port 57, 57'.

[0179] The measuring auxiliary sections 54, 54' are designed here as height profiles 54a, 54b arranged around the longitudinal axis A of the pipette container on its fastening flange 58, 58'. Figure 6a ) varies in height around the axis A along the direction A. It is designed such that when the fastening flanges 58, 58' are latched on the retaining clip 2c, the height profile can be locked relative to the retaining device 2 in a predetermined number N, here N=7, preferably N=14 latching positions defined by means of the latching element 54c (see Figure 6a , 6b ). The fastening can be released by the control device by electronically controlling an actuator (not shown). The scanning device 60 with N mechanical pressure switches detects in each pressure switch position whether this pressure switch has moved away from the height profile (switch positions 0 and 1, corresponding to 1 bit of information). Since the height profile is designed to be non-rotationally symmetrical about the axis A, the rotational position can be determined from the height profile. In addition, the height profile can be used to encode further information, for example, which model of the pipette container was previously defined by the manufacturer.

[0180] The measuring instrument has a carrying device 7 mounted on a base plate 6 for supporting a holding device 2, the carrying device supporting a pipette container 50, in particular a moving device 2b for moving a connecting section, the pipette container being connected to the holding device via the connecting section; in addition, it also supports an electronic control device 3, which has a processor device 4 for data processing and a data storage device 5 for storing data.

[0181] The measuring device 1 has a first measuring device 10 which is provided for measuring the position, here the rotational position, of a measuring auxiliary section of a pipette container 50 , 50 ′ on a holding device, and a second measuring device 20 which is provided for measuring the orientation of a mouth region 56 , 56 ′ of the pipette container.

[0182] The measuring instrument 1 or its control device 3 is configured to store the position of the mouth area 56, 56' related to the position of the measuring auxiliary section 54, 54' as relative position data in the data storage device 5, so that the position of the mouth area of ​​the pipette container can be measured by measuring the position of the measuring auxiliary section and the relative position data. If the pipette container has an electronically detectable unique identification, the data stored in the data storage device (relative position data) can be supplemented by the identification data. Then the relative position of the mouth area can be queried from the identification in the future. If there is no identification symbol, it is only necessary to electronically track the storage position of the measured pipette container, which is not difficult in the case of laboratory automation equipment.

[0183] Figure 4 The present invention shows a laboratory automatic device 100 (liquid automatic processing machine) for processing a laboratory sample of at least one fluid, which can be equipped with a measuring instrument according to the present invention. A working area 110 is surrounded by a housing device 111 with a front door 112, and a working space is provided above the working area. On the working area, various articles such as a micro titration plate 115 and a sample tube retaining clamp 116 are placed on a determined working station. The opening of the front door 112 is electronically monitored by a control device of the laboratory automatic device with the aid of a sensor. If the relative position data of the mouth area orientation of a determined pipetting container has been obtained in the working space when the front door is closed, the information about its relative position data can be correctly queried at any time with the greatest reliability by storing the motion history of this pipetting container. If the front door is not opened, the orientation of the pipetting container in the working space cannot be changed by the user.

[0184] The laboratory automation device has a holding device 102 for holding the pipette container 50, which is a dispenser tip in this case. The holding device 102 can be automatically positioned in the working space by a robot device 114. Figure 7a , 7b The automated movement (partially visible in the figure) realizes the pipetting function of sucking the fluid laboratory sample into or out of the pipetting container.

[0185] Figure 2 and 3The components of a measuring instrument that can be used in a laboratory automation device 100 are shown, in particular an orientation 120a for receiving a second measuring device 120. The holding device has a connecting section 131 for connecting a pipette container 50, 50'. In addition, a measuring device 60 is integrated in the connecting section, which in the exemplary embodiment is in contact with the pipette container in the connected position, see Figure 6c . The holding device is mounted on a holding plate 136, which in particular serves as a supporting element, with which the entire holding device of the manipulator device can be placed on a support 140 and supported there. In addition, the supporting position can be used as a reference position for calibrating the position of the holding device relative to the second measuring device 120 along the x-direction, the y-direction and / or the z-direction. The holding device 102 is connected to the manipulator device via a bayonet 137. The holding device carries a ejection motor 133, which is used to eject the dispenser spouts 50, 50' by driving the clamping element 2c. The holding device also carries a lifting motor 134, which is used to move the pistons 59, 59' of the dispenser spouts in a targeted manner. The operation of these components is controlled via the control electronics on the circuit board 132, which in turn can be controlled by the control system of the laboratory automation device via terminals 135 and lines (not shown).

[0186] The second measuring device 120 is an optical measuring device. Figure 8a , 8b Possible preferred measurement configurations are shown. The second measuring device measures the position of the mouth area 56, 56' in the coordinate system of the laboratory automation device and relates it (referenzieren). The position is clearly determined in the coordinate system by reference points x, y, z, which can correspond to the center of the tip of the reference rod, for example. This reference rod simulates an ideal pipette container and is perfectly symmetrical about its longitudinal axis A (α=0°) over its entire length. Inside the housing 121 of the second measuring device, there are: at least one light source that emits approximately collimated light; and a line sensor (linear PDA, such as CCD or CMOS). One light source or multiple light sources are ideally point light sources (IR-LEDs). If only one light source is implemented, its light is divided into equal parts by means of suitable optical components, thereby producing two light sources of equal intensity. The light of the light source is guided via a reflector and / or a beam splitter so that the mouth area 56, 56' to be measured is irradiated from both sides at an angle of about 60°. The penetrating light beams that impinge on the sensor line form a light curtain, the plane of which is perpendicular to the z-axis.

[0187] In order to correctly determine the object ("object") located in the light curtain, Figure 8a), the spacing and orientation of the light sources and the spacing to the sensor line must be known in advance as accurately as possible. The system is designed in this case so that the ratio between the diameter of the object to be measured and the distance to the LED sensor line is large and the shadow diameter is not significantly larger than the diameter of the object to be measured. The end region 52 of the pipette container (or similarly shaped object) that passes approximately perpendicularly through this light curtain then produces two shadows on a sensor line of suitably selected length, such as Figure 8a The figure shows and Figure 8b As shown in the measurement diagram in enlargement in FIG. 1 . When the measured object moves in the plane of the light curtain, the position of these shadows changes. By simple triangulation, the intersection point of the light beam through the center of the measured object, that is, for example, the mouth area of ​​the pipette container, can be calculated from the known position of the LED and the measured shadow center point on the sensor row, and its position in the coordinate system can be calculated from this, because the exact position of the measurement auxiliary section is also known from the measuring device 60. The relative position of the mouth section 56 can now be detected by the control device of the laboratory automation device 100 based on the position of the measurement auxiliary section 54 and stored as relative position data in the data memory of the laboratory automation device.

[0188] If the pipetting container 50 is then clamped from a storage position known to the laboratory automation device in the working space, the orientation of the outlet area can be obtained by simply measuring the position of the pipetting container, in particular the rotational position. Through the information about the precise orientation of the mouth area, all subsequent program-controlled pipetting processes or distribution processes can be performed very reliably by the precise positioning of the mouth area 56, 56' relative to the sample container 99. Thus, both free jet discharge and wall discharge can be carried out very accurately. In addition, when the z position of the manipulator device is determined when the orientation of the holding device or its supporting surface-the pipetting container is attached to the supporting surface-is known, when the measuring object touches the light curtain from the top in this z position, the accurate z position of the end of the measuring object, such as the mouth area 57, 57', can also be determined.

[0189] Figure 7a The free jet discharge of a jet or a droplet 88 in a pipette container 50 is shown, the second end section 52 of which and its mouth region 56 are arranged coaxially with the first end section 51 . Figure 7bThe wall discharge of a liquid volume 88 in a pipette container 50' is shown, the second end section 52 of which and its mouth region 56 are arranged non-coaxially with respect to the first end section 51. More precisely, here the mouth section 56' extends axially toward the axis B, which is oriented at an angle α to the axis A of the first end section. This results in a spacing d of the fluid displacement opening 57' from the axis A, which is measured in the xx plane perpendicular to the axis A. Due to the different orientations of the first end section and the mouth region 56', the pipette container is particularly suitable for discharging liquid directly onto the inner wall of the sample container 99, to which the liquid adheres due to adhesion forces or slides to the bottom of the vessel.

[0190] Figure 5a and 5b A preferred embodiment of a measuring instrument in a laboratory automation device 100' is shown. Here, the second measuring device 120' is movably mounted directly on the holding device 102', and the movement along the z-axis can be controlled by the control device of the laboratory automation device. If necessary, the position of the oral region can be measured at any time (and the position measurement) without having to move the position 120a in the working area. Figure 5a shows the initial value of the second measuring device 120', and Figure 5b A measuring position is shown in which the second measuring device 120 ′ surrounds the pipetting container 50 .

[0191] Fig.10 A multi-channel pipetting container 150 is shown, which is arranged on the second measuring device 120. Figure 2 The second measuring device has been described and can be arranged in Figure 4 In the laboratory automation device 100 shown.

[0192] The multi-channel pipetting container 150 is a multi-channel dispensing container or a multi-channel syringe, as described in particular in the patent application EP3260822A1. The multi-channel pipetting container 150 has a body 155, which has a first end section 151 and a second end section 152, wherein the first end section is provided for connecting the multi-channel pipetting container to the connecting section 131 of the holding device 102 and has a measuring auxiliary section 154, and the second end section has an end region 156. The first end section 151 extends along a longitudinal axis A, which also forms an axis of rotation, about which the first end section can be rotated on the connecting section 131. The rotational position of the first end section 151, in particular the connecting section arranged there or the multi-channel pipetting container 150, about the axis of rotation can be determined by measurement by a first measuring device via the measuring auxiliary section 154.

[0193] The multichannel dispensing container has a plurality of M=8 container bodies 152.1 ... 152.8 or syringes 152.1 ... 152.8, in which cylindrical pistons are respectively arranged so as to suck the liquid sample into the container body or discharge it again from the container body step by step or completely by direct squeezing. The eight cylindrical pistons are firmly connected so that they can be moved simultaneously by a laboratory automatic device under program control. The second end section 152 is multi-segmented and contains eight container bodies. The end area 156 of the multichannel pipetting container 150 has eight mouth areas 156.1 ... 156.8, whose orientation can be detected as the orientation of the center point of the mouth opening of a mouth area.

[0194] The relative position data detected in the case of the multi-channel pipetting container 150 contains an average value, which is detected as follows:

[0195] The control device 3 of the measuring device is here configured to move the end region 156 of the multi-channel pipette container in a horizontal movement direction R, which coincides with the axis of the relative movement R between the multi-channel pipette container and the second measuring device. In this case, each mouth region 156.i (i=1 ... 8) of the end region 156 is moved successively in a measuring region of the spatial region between the light source and the light sensor, which is illuminated by a light curtain, by means of which a halo of light is generated on the light sensor, which halo is finally measured.

[0196] In the present example of the measurement on the multi-channel pipetting container 150, it is assumed that the relative position of the longitudinal axis A1 ... A8 of the container body with respect to the measuring auxiliary section is completely known to the control device 3. The longitudinal axis A1 ... A8 can in particular extend substantially parallel, in particular parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the multi-channel pipetting container 150, in particular the longitudinal axis is an axis of rotation, and the first end section 151 occupies a rotational position relative to the holding device with respect to the axis of rotation. However, it is also possible to measure the relative position of the longitudinal axis A1 ... A8 (Ai) of the container body with respect to the measuring auxiliary section using a second measuring device.

[0197] The measuring instrument is configured to detect or measure the orientation of a plurality of mouth regions 156.i, in particular all mouth regions 156.i, of the end region 156 relative to the measuring auxiliary section 154 by means of the second measuring device 120. The measuring instrument has an evaluation device for evaluating the orientation measurements of the plurality of mouth shank regions 156.i, in particular for determining relative orientation data from the detected orientations of the plurality of mouth regions. The evaluation device is configured to derive a statistical value from the detected orientations (xi, yi) of the plurality of mouth regions 156.i, which defines the relative orientation data. This statistical value can in particular be an average value or preferably a range average value. The measurement of the position of the mouth region comprises determining the position (xi, yi) of the mouth region 156.i in a plane or the projection of the mouth region along the axis A onto this plane, the plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Ai of the container body and extending through the straight line C, on which the longitudinal axes Ai of the container bodies 152.i of the multichannel pipetting container 150 are aligned. The position of the mouth region is plotted as a point (xi, yi) of a Cartesian coordinate system Ki, the origin of which is in particular the position of the longitudinal axis Ai in the plane and whose x-axis is the straight line C. The relative position data to be stored may then comprise a mean value point (M_x, M_y), which is determined by the mean value M_x of the xi values ​​and the mean value M_y of the yi values ​​of the observed positions (xi, yi) of the mouth region, wherein each of the positions (xi, yi) is defined with reference to the longitudinal axis Ai belonging to the corresponding container body, which determines the origin of the corresponding coordinate system. The average value can also be limited to a range average (W_x, W_y), where W_x is limited to the arithmetic mean of the maximum value xi_max and the minimum value xi_min from all values ​​xi, that is, W_x = (xi_max-xi_min) / 2, and W_y is limited to the arithmetic mean of the maximum value yi_max and the minimum value yi_min from all values ​​yi, that is, W_y = (yi_max-yi_min) / 2.

[0198] With the help of Fig.11The orientation measurement can be understood. In the first coordinate system K1 (lower left), the orientation value (x1, y1) of the first mouth region 156.1 is recorded, which deviates from the ideal situation, which occurs when the orientation value coincides with the origin, that is, it is located on the longitudinal axis A1 of the attached container body 152.1. In the other coordinate system K5 (middle) shown, the orientation value (x5, y5) of the fifth mouth region 156.5 is recorded, which also deviates from the ideal situation, which occurs when the orientation value coincides with the origin, that is, it is located on the longitudinal axis A5 of the attached container body. In the other coordinate system K8 (lower right), the orientation value (x8, y8) of the eighth mouth region 156.8 is recorded, which also deviates from the ideal situation, which occurs when the orientation value coincides with the origin, that is, it is located on the longitudinal axis A8 of the attached container body. In the example, all eight position values ​​(xi, yi) are measured (here: sequentially, alternatively: simultaneously) and evaluated. If only the three position values ​​(x1, y1), (x5, y5) and (x8, y8) shown here are observed, the mean value (M_x, M_y) deviates from the range mean value (W_x, W_y), because W_y is approximately zero (W_y=0), while M_y deviates from zero. Assuming that the two outer values ​​or extreme positions of the mouth region 156.i with respect to the y-axis of the coordinate system are the values ​​y1 and y8, the detection of the range mean value W_y (and similarly W_x) provides the greatest reliability: when the multichannel pipetting container 150 is positioned on a row of sample receptacles of a plurality of sample containers (this positioning uses the relative position data for the position correction of the holding device or the multichannel pipetting container 150), each mouth region 156.i is placed inside the assigned sample container. If, however, the deviation of the orientation 156.i from the longitudinal axis is sufficiently small, it can be concluded that no correction is absolutely necessary for the "alignment" of the sample receptacles and that each mouth region is located within a sample receptacle even without a position correction. The determination of the mean value M_y (and similarly M_x) then provides the maximum mean accuracy for positioning the mouth region 156.i as close as possible to the center point of the sample receptacles when the multichannel pipetting container 150 is positioned on a row of sample receptacles of a multi-sample container, in order, for example, to prevent wall extrusion as much as possible.

[0199] If one or more of the mouth areas 156.i deviate too greatly from their axis Ai individually, so that an orientation cannot be found for the entire multi-channel pipette container, and thus all target containers cannot be aligned while liquid is being transported, then the laboratory automation device can be set to automatically re-accept the container or stop using the multi-channel container.

Claims

1. A measuring device (1) for a liquid handling laboratory automation device, the measuring device being used to detect the relative position of an end section of a pipette container (50; 50') which can be automatically moved by the laboratory automation device, the pipette container receiving a laboratory sample of a fluid by means of suction into the pipette container and / or discharging a laboratory sample of a fluid, the measuring device comprising: A holding device (2) for holding a movable pipette container (50; 50') having a tubular container body (55; 55') with a first end section (51; 51') and a second end section (52; 52'), wherein: The first end section is provided for connecting the pipetting container to a holding device and has a measuring auxiliary section (54; 54'), and the second end section has an end region (56; 56’)， an electronic control device (3) having a data storage device (5) for storing data, Features: The measuring instrument comprises a first measuring device (10; 60) which is provided for measuring the rotational position of a measuring auxiliary section of the pipetting container on a holding device. The measuring instrument also has a second measuring device (20; 120; 120') which is configured to measure the position of the mouth region of the pipette container. The measuring instrument is further configured to store the orientation of the mouth area in relation to the rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section as relative orientation data in a data storage device, so that the orientation of the mouth area of ​​the pipetting container can be subsequently determined by measuring the rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section and from the relative orientation data.

2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein: The measuring instrument has a base (6; 110) on which the second measuring device (20; 120) is arranged, wherein the first measuring device is a component of the holding device (2) which is movably mounted on the base.

3. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein: The first measuring device and the second measuring device are mounted on a holding device (2) which is movably supported on a base (6; 110) of the measuring instrument.

4. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein: The second measuring device (20; 120; 120') has a measuring space, at least one light source and at least one light sensor in order to measure the position of an end region (56; 56') of an object arranged in the measuring space.

5. The measuring instrument according to claim 4, wherein: The light sensor is a line sensor.

6. The measuring instrument according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The light sensor for spatially resolved measurement is provided for spatially resolved detection of a light halo of the light sensor which is generated when an object is introduced into the beam path between the light source and the light sensor in the measurement space.

7. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein: The first measuring device (10) is provided for measuring the rotational position of a measuring auxiliary section of the pipetting container on a holding device, wherein the measuring auxiliary section comprises a mechanically scannable height profile which is provided on a first end section of the pipetting container.

8. Liquid handling laboratory robot for program-controlled processing of at least one laboratory sample of a fluid, the laboratory robot having a measuring device according to any of the preceding claims.

9. A method (200) for detecting the relative position of an end region (56; 56') of a pipette container (50; 50') designed as a mouth region, the pipette container being used for receiving a laboratory sample of a fluid by means of suction into the pipette container and / or for discharging a laboratory sample of a fluid and having a tubular container body (55; 55') comprising a first end section (51; 51') and a second end section (52; 52'), wherein: The first end section is configured to connect the pipetting container to a holding device (2; 102; 102') and having a measuring auxiliary section (54; 54'), wherein the second end section has a mouth area, the method comprising the following steps: 201 measuring a rotational position of a measuring auxiliary section of a pipetting container arranged on a holding device by means of a first measuring device; 202 Measure the position of the mouth region of the pipette container arranged on the holding device by means of a second measuring device; ·203 The orientation of the mouth area related to the rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section is stored in the data storage device as relative orientation data, so that the orientation of the mouth area of ​​the measured pipetting container can be determined later by measuring the rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section of the measured pipetting container and calculating the orientation from the relative orientation data.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising the following steps: 204 placing the measured pipetting container (50; 50') into a storage position; 205 Re-grabbing the measured pipette container (50; 50') from the storage position and connecting it to the holding device in a current position which deviates from the position of the pipette container during its measurement, so that the orientation of the end region also deviates from the orientation during its measurement; 206 Measure the real-time rotational position of the measured pipetting container (50; 50') by measuring the rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section (54; 54') of the measured pipetting container relative to the holding device; 207 The measured orientation of the mouth region of the pipetting container is determined from the measured real-time rotational position of the measuring auxiliary section of the pipetting container and from the stored relative orientation data.

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