Plug-in calibration tip and pipetting device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a plug-in calibration tip and a pipetting device. The plug-in calibration tip is attachable to the fixture. The calibration tip comprises a tip component and a sleeve component, the tip component comprising a tip section and a socket section, the tip section having a cylindrical shape with a diameter of less than 4 mm, and the socket section at least partially surrounding the sleeve component. The sleeve member has an internal opening to receive the fixture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a plug-in calibration tip, in particular to a plug-in calibration tip for a liquid transfer device and a liquid transfer device with the plug-in calibration tip. Background Art

[0002] EP 3 452 833 B1 discloses an automated liquid handling system, such as a pipetting system or device, comprising a substantially horizontally aligned work surface for placing a container or container carrier and at least one robotic arm. The robotic arm has a drive. The pipetting robot has at least one pipette for aspirating and / or dispensing a liquid sample. A control unit is operatively connected to the robotic arm, wherein a measuring probe has a first electrode arranged on the robotic arm. Together with a second electrode formed by at least a portion of the work surface or at least a portion of the container or carrier, a measuring capacitor is formed, which is operatively connected to the measuring unit for measuring the impedance, in particular the capacitance, of the measuring capacitor. The working surface or the container or carrier has at least a first recess or depression and a second recess or depression, which cause a change in the impedance of the measuring capacitor. The first recess or depression and the second recess or depression are triangular or trapezoidal, and the working surface or the container or the carrier has two identical triangular or trapezoidal recesses or depressions, which are particularly arranged to be pivoted through 180° relative to each other, and the measuring unit is connected to an analyzing unit, wherein the control unit, the measuring unit and the analyzing unit are adapted and configured to perform the method.

[0003] US2015 / 0114140 describes a method for adjusting the position of an aspirator in a sample processing device. The sample processing device includes an aspirator configured to aspirate a sample or reagent from a container and a capacitive sensor connected to the aspirator to detect changes in capacitance. The aspirator moves over a position adjustment portion that is conductive and positioned at a predetermined position. The capacitive sensor detects capacitance while the aspirator moves. Reference position information indicates a reference position of the aspirator based on the changes in capacitance detected.

[0004] Known systems for automated liquid handling have devices and methods for positioning a robotic arm or an end effector of a robotic arm. Known positioning systems are integrated into automated liquid handling systems and typically use components of the handling system (such as a pipette or aspirator) as devices for determining volume. Fixtures for disposable tips may have to be removed for calibration and replaced with steel calibration tips. Disassembly and assembly of the fixtures, for example with screws, is cumbersome and may be detrimental to the calibration accuracy of the liquid handling system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a more flexible system for automated liquid handling, in particular to provide an automated liquid handling system that can be more easily calibrated and / or a calibration tip that allows for easier calibration.

[0006] A plug-in calibration tip capable of being attached to a fixture, the calibration tip comprising a tip component and a sleeve component, the tip component comprising a tip section and a socket section, the tip section having a cylindrical shape with a diameter less than 4 mm, and the socket section at least partially surrounding the sleeve component, the sleeve component having an internal opening to accommodate the fixture.

[0007] Therefore, a plug-in calibration tip that can be connected to a fixture is proposed. The calibration tip includes a tip component and a sleeve component. The tip component includes a tip section and a socket section. The tip section has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of less than 4 mm, and the socket section at least partially surrounds the sleeve component. The sleeve component has an internal opening to accommodate the fixture.

[0008] A separate, plug-in calibration tip allows the calibration tip to be designed based on calibration requirements, rather than primarily on, for example, the requirements of a pipetting device. For example, the calibration tip diameter and length in the working area plane can be selected to optimize calibration. The calibration tip can differ from the typical tip diameter and length of tips used for aspirating or dispensing liquids. For example, the tip diameter of a separate, plug-in calibration tip can be 1.5 mm, while typical tip diameters for aspirating and dispensing tips range from 1.2 mm for a 1000 μL tip to 0.8 mm for a 50 μL tip. The tip section of the calibration tip can be made of a solid material and does not need to have a hole for aspirating or dispensing fluids. The material selection for the calibration tip may be useful for calibration but less so for pipetting. By combining at least two structural components for the tip and sleeve components, different materials and material properties can be selected and combined for the calibration tip. By having a tip section and a socket section, the geometry of the calibration tip can be adapted for both calibration and attachment to a fixture.

[0009] In one embodiment, the plug-in calibration tip is configured to calibrate the positioning of a fixture for a disposable tip that is arranged on a robotic arm of a pipetting device. For calibration purposes, the calibration tip can be attached to the fixture instead of the disposable tip.

[0010] Liquid handling device usually has a fixture for disposable tips. Disposable tips are selected to have the correct hole and size for aspirating or dispensing liquid with a liquid handling device. Disposable tips may not be suitable for calibration. For example, they may be too short to reach the working area of ​​the liquid handling device for calibration, they may be too fragile and damaged if they contact the working area, and / or they may have a form and / or material that is not suitable for capacitance measurement. If the disposable tip of the liquid handling device can be replaced with a calibration tip for calibrating the positioning in the liquid handling device, and after calibration, the calibration tip can be replaced with a disposable tip again, then it may be useful. Preferably, the disposable tip can be replaced with the calibration tip, and vice versa, without using a tool and / or without further mechanical changes to the liquid handling device.

[0011] In one embodiment, the tip member is fully or partially electrically conductive and / or the sleeve member is fully or partially electrically conductive.

[0012] Having a conductive tip part and a conductive sleeve part is a convenient way to construct a capacitor consisting of a working area and a calibration tip for capacitance measurement. Of course, only parts of the tip part and / or sleeve part can be conductive. If the conductivity of the material at 25°C is, for example, below 10 -8 S / m, the material is called electrically insulating. As the conductive material, a material having a conductivity of more than 10 at 25°C can be used. 6 S / m and / or a plastic material having a volume conductivity of, for example, 0.1 to 0.001 S / m.

[0013] In one embodiment, the tip member is wholly or partially harder and / or partially less elastic than the sleeve member.

[0014] For example, a hard tip component may be useful for the robustness of the calibration tip in situations where the working area is in contact and / or during handling of the calibration tip, such as when attaching the calibration tip to a fixture. A more resilient sleeve component may accommodate the fixture and reduce wear on the fixture during attachment of the calibration tip to the fixture. A material is harder than another material if it can scratch the other material without significant, e.g., visible, degradation itself. Preferably, the plug-on calibration tip is straight and coaxial with the fixture when attached to the fixture. The freedom to select optimized geometric parameters and materials for the calibration tip may allow for a higher precision of straightness and coaxiality compared to disposable tips, e.g., the plug-on calibration tip may be more rigid than a disposable tip.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tip component is made in whole or in part of metal and / or the sleeve component is made in whole or in part of a synthetic polymer material.

[0016] It has been found that a combination of a metal for the tip component (e.g., stainless steel) and a polymer for the sleeve component (e.g., polyetheretherketone (PEEK), (preferably containing carbon black)) is a useful combination, resulting in a material for the tip component that is conductive, hard, and less elastic and a material for the sleeve component that is conductive, less hard, and more elastic.

[0017] In one embodiment, the sleeve member has a ridge that enters the interior opening to enable a snap-fit ​​engagement with the securing device.

[0018] It is convenient if the calibration tip can be attached to the fixture similarly to the disposable tip. A snap-fit ​​connection can be achieved by a ridge on the inner opening of the sleeve component, particularly a ridge made of an elastic material such as a synthetic polymer, and a groove or notch on the fixture. The ridge and groove together can form a snap-fit ​​connection that can also determine the position of the calibration tip relative to the fixture.

[0019] In one embodiment, the calibration tip has one or more holes for removing air from the inner opening of the sleeve component when the calibration tip is attached to the fixture. The tip component may have one or more holes for removing air from the inner opening of the socket section when the sleeve component is inserted during assembly of the calibration tip, for example, for connecting the sleeve component to the socket section, for example, for gluing the sleeve component to the socket section.

[0020] When assembling or disassembling components, particularly when the components fit together very precisely, trapped air or the resulting vacuum can be a problem. To avoid higher forces, for example, when attaching and / or removing the calibration tip from a fixture, the aperture can allow for the removal of air from the clearance region between the calibration tip and the fixture, particularly within the interior opening of the sleeve component. Similarly, when the sleeve component of the calibration tip is secured, for example, glued, into the socket portion of the tip segment, air can be removed via the aperture.

[0021] In one embodiment, one or more contact surfaces of the sleeve member and the fixture determine the alignment of the calibration tip and the fixture, and / or one or more contact surfaces of the tip member and the fixture form an electrically conductive connection.

[0022] The contact surfaces of the sleeve component and the fixture can be used to determine alignment. For example, when the calibration tip is attached to the fixture, the tapered surface of the fixture can be used to guide the tapered surface of the sleeve component of the calibration tip to a defined position, thereby determining the axial position of the calibration tip relative to the fixture. The cylindrical interior opening of the sleeve component can be used to determine the position of a circular shape on the fixture, thereby determining the radial alignment of the calibration tip and the fixture. The contact surface of the tip component can also contact the contact surface of the fixture to establish a conductive connection for capacitance measurement between the working area and the calibration tip.

[0023] In addition, a pipetting device is proposed, comprising: a robotic arm; a fixing device configured to attach a disposable tip arranged on the robotic arm for aspirating or dispensing fluid; and a plug-in calibration tip, which is attached to the fixing device instead of the disposable tip.

[0024] A pipetting device in which a disposable tip can be replaced by a calibration tip for calibration purposes allows for the use of a specially designed calibration tip for calibrating its position within the pipetting device. This allows for precise positioning of the fixture, which also determines the position of the disposable tip attached to the fixture after calibration and removal of the calibration tip. At least one robotic arm can be controlled in conjunction with the fixture in such a way as to move the disposable tip to a specific position for dispensing or aspirating liquid, for example, into or from a container.

[0025] In an embodiment, a pipetting device can be combined with the described embodiments of a plug-on calibration tip. The combination of the described embodiments of the calibration tip enables the discussed advantages of the calibration tip to be transferred to the pipetting device.

[0026] The embodiments and features described with reference to the calibration tip of the present invention apply mutatis mutandis to the pipetting device of the present invention.

[0027] Other possible implementations or alternative solutions of the present invention also include combinations of features described above or below with respect to the embodiments (not explicitly mentioned herein). Those skilled in the art may also add separate or isolated aspects and features to the most basic form of the present invention.

[0028] Other embodiments, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and dependent claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A pipetting device with an attached plug-in calibration tip is shown;

[0030] Figure 2a and Figure 2bA perspective view showing a plug-in calibration tip, Figure 2a The plug-in calibration tip does not have a fixture to which the calibration tip is attached. Figure 2b The central plug-in calibration tip has a fixture to which the calibration tip is attached; and

[0031] Figure 3a and Figure 3b shows two cross sections through a plug-in calibration tip; and

[0032] Figure 4 Shown is a cross section of a calibration tip attached to a fixture.

[0033] In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally equivalent elements unless otherwise indicated.

[0034] Reference numerals

[0035] 100 pipetting devices

[0036] 110 Fixtures

[0037] 111 groove (on the fixture)

[0038] 112 Fixture tapered surface

[0039] 113 Cylindrical contact surface (of a fixture)

[0040] 120 First Robotic Arm

[0041] 130 Second Robotic Arm

[0042] 140 flexible tube

[0043] 150 working areas

[0044] 160 position markers

[0045] 200 calibration tips

[0046] 210 cutting-edge components

[0047] 211 (tip component) socket section

[0048] 212 Tip section (of tip component)

[0049] 213 Middle section (of tip component)

[0050] 214 Axial section (of tip component)

[0051] 215 Hole for removing air when assembling the tip and sleeve components

[0052] 216 Hole for removing air when attaching the calibration tip to the fixture

[0053] 220 sleeve parts

[0054] 221 Internal opening (of sleeve component)

[0055] 222 (sleeve component) ridge

[0056] 223 Clearance (in sleeve assembly)

[0057] 224 tapered contact surface (in sleeve member)

[0058] 225 circumferential contact surface (in sleeve component) DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] exist Figure 1 , the pipetting device 100 is depicted with a plug-in calibration tip 200 attached. The calibration tip 200 is attached to a fixture 110. A first robotic arm 120 can move in the y direction, a second robotic arm 130 arranged on the first robotic arm 120 can move in the x direction, and the fixture 110 can move in the z direction on the second robotic arm 130. In normal operation of the pipetting device 100, a disposable tip is attached to the fixture 110, and liquid can be transferred or removed (also called dispensed or aspirated) to the disposable tip. The fixture 110 is connected to a device for pressure change (which is located in the middle of the fixture 110) via a flexible tube 140. Figure 1(not shown in the figure). In some cases, the positioning of the pipetting device 100 may need to be calibrated, for example, during the initial installation of the pipetting device 100 or after mechanical changes to the pipetting device 100. That is, the pipetting device 100, in particular the robotic arms 120, 130, must be calibrated so that the disposable tip can be moved to a specified position to aspirate or dispense liquid at the specified location. For this calibration, a calibration tip 200 can be attached to the fixture 110 via a snap-fit ​​connection and can be moved by the robotic arms 120, 130 and a z-direction movement mechanism for the fixture 110. The pipetting device 100 includes a working area 150 having at least one position marking 160 having a different height and / or dielectric constant than at least a portion of the working area 150. Impedance can be measured between the calibration tip 200, serving as a first electrode, and the working area 150 of the pipetting device 100, serving as a second electrode, which may also include other components such as wires or circuitry. As described in EP 3 452 833 B1, for example, when the calibration tip 200 moves parallel to the working area 150 above the position mark 160, the position mark 160 changes the impedance. The position mark can be realized by a recess, a hole, a protrusion or a material change or a combination thereof. Typically, the working area 150 is made of metal, particularly steel, and forms the second electrode in whole or in part. Utilizing at least one position mark 160, the absolute position of the calibration tip 200 on the working area 150 and therefore in the pipetting device 100 can be determined. Utilizing this information, when the relative movement in the x, y and z directions is known, the fixture 110 and a disposable tip with known geometric dimensions can be positioned in the pipetting device 100 at the desired position. Additional position marks 160 can be used to increase measurement accuracy or to determine the relative movement in the pipetting device by the mechanical arms 120, 130 and the fixture.

[0060] Figure 2a and Figure 2b A perspective view of a plug-in calibration tip 200 is shown. Figure 2a The plug-in calibration tip 200 does not have a fixture 110 to which the calibration tip 200 is attached. Figure 2bThe plug-in calibration tip 200 has a fixture 110 to which the calibration tip 200 is attached. The calibration tip includes a tip component 210 and a sleeve component 220. The tip component 210 has a socket section 211 that partially surrounds the sleeve component 220; the sleeve component 220 can be fixed in the tip component 210, surrounded by the socket section 211, so that the sleeve component 220 cannot be removed non-destructively. The tip component 210 includes a tip section 212, which has a cylindrical shape. The tip section 212 has a diameter between 1 mm and 4 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm, and a length between 2 mm and 6 mm, preferably between 3 mm and 5 mm. The tip part 210 has a frustoconical middle section 213 and has a tip section 212 whose diameter is adjusted to the diameter of the axial section 214 , which has a diameter between 4 and 8 mm, preferably between 5 and 7 mm. The axial section 214 is followed by the socket section 211 .

[0061] The sleeve part 220 can be made of a plastic material, in particular of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), in particular containing carbon black. The material of the sleeve part can be selected in such a way that it does not cause wear on the fixing device 110, for example does not cause scratches.

[0062] The calibration tip 200 has holes 215 for removing air when the sleeve component 220 is assembled in the socket section 211 of the tip component 210. The holes 215 can also be used to secure the sleeve component 220 to the tip component 210, for example, when the sleeve component 220 is directly injection molded to the tip component 210.

[0063] Calibration tip 200 has a hole 216 for removing air when attaching the calibration tip to fixture 110 and for allowing air to enter when detaching calibration tip 200 from fixture 110. This reduces excess force and facilitates handling. This hole 216 can be particularly useful when the fit between fixture 110 and the interior opening of sleeve member 220 is very tight.

[0064] Figure 3a and Figure 3b The insertion of a plug-in calibration tip 200 (e.g., through Figure 2a In the cross section, several features can be compared Figure 2a and Figure 2b The inner opening 221 and ridge 222 of the sleeve member 220 are better seen in the presentation of FIG. Figure 3a and Figure 3bAs can be seen in the figure, ridges 222 can be used to attach the calibration tip 200 to the fixture 110 via a snap-fit ​​connection. The internal opening 221 is designed to accommodate the fixture 110. The sleeve component 220 can have one or more circumferential gaps 223, particularly in the section that points toward the fixture 110 when the calibration tip 200 is attached. The gaps 223 can increase the overall flexibility of the sleeve component 220 and allow for easier attachment when the calibration tip is plugged into the fixture 110. The ridges 222 can fit into the grooves 111 on the fixture 110.

[0065] The tapered surface 224 in the inner opening 221 of the sleeve member 220 may be configured as a contact surface to define the axial position of the calibration tip 200 relative to the fixture 110. Of course, a combination of the ridge 222 and the groove 110 as a contact surface may also be used to define the axial position.

[0066] Figure 4 The calibration tip 200 is shown when it is attached to the fixture 110, ie, when the calibration tip 200 is plugged onto the fixture 110 (eg, Figure 2a The calibration tip 200 and / or Figure 3a and Figure 3b 10). The cross-section of the calibration tip 200 is shown. The groove 111 of the fixture 110 interacts with the ridge 222 of the sleeve component 220 of the calibration tip 200 to form a snap-fit ​​joint. The tapered surface 224 interacts with the fixture tapered surface 112 to define the axial position of the calibration tip 200 when plugged into the fixture 110. The circumferential contact surface 225 interacts with the cylindrical contact surface 113 of the fixture 110 to define the radial position of the calibration tip 200 when plugged into the fixture 110. Through the precise manufacturing of the calibration tip 200, it is possible to achieve axial and radial positioning deviations of less than 0.1 mm, preferably less than 0.05 mm, between several different attachment strokes of the calibration tip 200.

[0067] The sleeve component 220, in combination with one or more contact surfaces of the fixture 110, for example, the cylindrical contact surface 113 of the fixture 110 and the circumferential contact surface 225 in the sleeve component 220, can be used to electrically connect the calibration tip 200 to the fixture 110. Both the sleeve component 220 and the tip component 210 of the calibration tip 200 can be electrically conductive and can be electrically connected to each other, for example, glued to each other. The evaluation unit can be electrically connected to the fixture 110 and can determine the impedance between the calibration tip 200 and the working area 150. The fixture 110 and the attached calibration tip 200 can be attached to the pipetting device 100 in a manner electrically isolated from the working area 150.

[0068] Figure 4 Also shown is a nozzle 114 for fluidly connecting the flexible tube 140 to the disposable tip for aspirating liquid from the disposable tip or dispensing liquid to the disposable tip. The internal shape of the calibration tip can be designed in such a way that the nozzle 114 does not generally contact the inner surface of the calibration tip 200 when the calibration tip is plugged into the fixture to avoid damage to the nozzle.

[0069] While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in all embodiments.

Claims

1. A plug-in calibration tip, The plug-in calibration tip (200) is attachable to a fixture (110), The calibration tip (200) comprises a tip component (210) and a sleeve component (220), The tip component (210) includes a tip section (212) and a socket section (211), the tip section (212) having a cylindrical shape with a diameter less than 4 mm, and the socket section (211) at least partially surrounding the sleeve component (220), The sleeve member (220) has an inner opening (221) to accommodate the fixing device (110).

2. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, characterized in that: configured for calibrating the positioning of said fixture (110) for a disposable tip arranged on a robotic arm of a pipetting device, The plug-in calibration tip (200) can be attached to the fixture (110) instead of the disposable tip for calibration purposes.

3. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein The tip component (210) is fully or partially electrically conductive, and / or the sleeve component (220) is fully or partially electrically conductive.

4. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein The tip member (210) is, in whole or in part, harder and / or less elastic than the sleeve member (220).

5. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein The tip member (210) is made entirely or partially of metal, and / or the sleeve member (220) is made entirely or partially of a synthetic polymer material.

6. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein The sleeve member (220) has a ridge (222) that enters the interior opening (221) to enable a snap-fit ​​engagement with the securing device (110).

7. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein The calibration tip (200) has one or more holes (216) for removing air from the interior opening (221) of the sleeve component (220) when the calibration tip (200) is attached to the fixture (110), and / or the tip component (210) has one or more holes (215) for removing air from the interior opening of the socket section (211) when the sleeve component (220) is inserted into the socket section (211) during assembly of the calibration tip (200).

8. The plug-in calibration tip according to claim 1, wherein One or more contact surfaces of the sleeve part (220) and one or more contact surfaces of the fixture (110) determine the alignment of the calibration tip (200) and the fixture (110), and / or wherein the one or more contact surfaces (224, 225) of the sleeve part (220) and / or the tip part (210) form an electrically conductive connection with the fixture (110).

9. A pipetting device comprising: - a robotic arm (130), - a fixture (110) configured to attach a disposable tip for aspirating or dispensing liquids arranged on the robotic arm, - A plug-in calibration tip (200) which is attached to the fixture (110) instead of the disposable tip.

10. The liquid transfer device according to claim 9, characterized in that The pipetting device comprises a plug-in calibration tip (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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