Pipette tip cutting device

Abstract

This invention provides a pipette tip cutting device that enables the inexpensive manufacture of pipette tips that can prevent clogging by powdery substances during dispensing. [Solution] The pipette tip cutting device 1 is a pipette tip cutting device that cuts a cylindrical pipette tip 5 having a filter in the middle of its axial direction at an angle to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5, and comprises a main body 2 having a placement section 6 on which the pipette tip 5 is placed, and a cutting means 3 provided on the main body 2 for cutting the pipette tip 5 placed in the placement section 6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipette tip cutting device for cutting pipette tips.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a pipette for powder used when dispensing a predetermined amount of powder. This pipette for powder includes a tip having a filter inside. The tip is cylindrical and tapered. In the case of a tapered tip, there is a risk that the powder may clog the suction port of the tip when sucking the powder into the tip, or that the powder may clog the discharge port of the tip when discharging the powder from the tip to the outside. This problem is more prominent as the particle size of the powder is larger.

[0003] In addition to being used for dispensing powder as described above, pipette tips are also used for dispensing liquids. Pipette tips for liquid dispensing are formed in a more tapered cylindrical shape than those for powder dispensing. Therefore, when a pipette tip for liquid dispensing is used for dispensing powder, the above-mentioned problem is more likely to occur compared to the case of powder dispensing.

[0004] When dispensing powder or liquid using a pipette tip, the pipette tip is almost always disposable. Therefore, it is desired to keep the cost of the pipette tip as low as possible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a pipette tip cutting device that can inexpensively manufacture pipette tips that can suppress clogging by powdery substances during dispensing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The pipette tip cutting device according to the present invention is a pipette tip cutting device that cuts a cylindrical pipette tip having a filter in the middle of the axial direction at an angle with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip, comprising a main body having a placement section in which the pipette tip is placed, and cutting means provided on the main body for cutting the pipette tip placed in the placement section.

[0008] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the cutting means has a blade for cutting the pipette tip.

[0009] (3) In the above (2), it is preferable that the main body has an inclined portion having the arrangement portion, the inclined portion has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip arranged in the arrangement portion, and the blade is rotatable along the inclined surface.

[0010] (4) In either (2) or (3) above, the cutting means preferably has a motor for rotating the blade, and the motor is torque-controlled so that the torque remains constant even when the rotational speed changes.

[0011] (5) In the above (4), it is preferable that the blade and the motor are provided in the inclined portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a pipette tip cutting device can be provided that can inexpensively manufacture pipette tips that can suppress clogging by powdery substances during dispensing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]This is a perspective view showing the usage state of a pipette tip cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the usage state of a pipette tip cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with some parts omitted to show the internal structure. [Figure 3] This is a right side view showing the usage state of a pipette tip cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with some parts omitted to show the internal structure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing an example of a pipette tip cut by a pipette tip cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the usage state of a pipette tip cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the usage state of the pipette tip cutting device of Figure 1, with some parts omitted to show the internal structure. Figure 3 is a right side view showing the usage state of the pipette tip cutting device of Figure 1, with some parts omitted to show the internal structure. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 2. These figures show the state after the pipette tip has been cut. The pipette tip cutting device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a main body 2 and a cutting means 3.

[0016] The pipette tip cutting device 1 according to this embodiment can cut a pipette tip 5, which is cylindrical and has a filter 4 in the middle of its axial direction, at an angle to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5. As shown in Figure 4 and other figures, the pipette tip 5 is cylindrical and tapered. A filter 4 is provided at the base end inside the pipette tip 5. The pipette tip 5 of this embodiment is preferably used when dispensing powdered material. In this case, the filter 4 of the pipette tip 5 is configured to allow air to pass through and to capture powdered material. Note that powdered material includes not only powder but also granular and lumpy material. Examples of powdered material include crushed food, pharmaceuticals, and crushed human feces.

[0017] Such pipette tips 5 are placed in the main body 2. The main body 2 has a placement section 6 in which the pipette tips 5 are placed. Specifically, the main body 2 is a roughly rectangular box shape and has a bottom wall 7, a left wall 8, a right wall 9, a rear wall 10, and an inclined section 11.

[0018] The bottom wall 7 is a roughly rectangular plate with its surface facing up and down. The left wall 8 is a roughly trapezoidal plate in side view, and has a front edge 12 and a rear edge 13 arranged parallel to each other in the front-to-back direction, a lower edge 14 connecting the lower end of the front edge 12 and the lower end of the rear edge 13, an inclined edge 15 extending diagonally backward upward from the upper end of the front edge 12, and an upper edge 16 connecting the upper end of the inclined edge 15 and the upper end of the rear edge 13. The right wall 9 has the same configuration as the left wall 8. That is, the right wall 9 is a roughly trapezoidal plate in side view, and has a front edge 17, a rear edge 18, a lower edge 19, an inclined edge 20, and an upper edge 21. The left wall 8 and the right wall 9 are erected on the bottom wall 7. The left wall 8 and the right wall 9 are fixed to the bottom wall 7, for example, by screws. The left wall section 8 and the right wall section 9 are separated in the left-right direction when their plate surfaces are oriented left to right. When the left wall section 8 and the right wall section 9 are attached to the bottom wall section 7, the inclined edge section 15 of the left wall section 8 and the inclined edge section 20 of the right wall section 9 extend diagonally backward upward from the upper ends of the front edges 12 and 17. The rear wall section 10 is a roughly rectangular plate. The rear wall section 10 is provided so as to bridge the upper end of the rear edge section 13 of the left wall section 8 and the upper end of the rear edge section 18 of the right wall section 9 when their plate surfaces are oriented front to back. The rear wall section 10 is fixed to the left wall section 8 and the right wall section 9, for example, by screws. The inclined section 11 is a roughly rectangular plate. The inclined section 11 is provided so as to bridge the lower part of the inclined edge section 15 of the left wall section 8 and the lower part of the inclined edge section 20 of the right wall section 9. The inclined portion 11 is fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, for example, by screws. When fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, the inclined portion 11 is inclined diagonally backward toward upward. In the illustrated example, the inclined portion 11 has a plate-shaped base portion 22 and a block-shaped arrangement portion 6 that is detachably attached to the base portion 22. The base portion 22 has a plate-shaped first member 23 and a plate-shaped second member 24.

[0019] The right part of the first member 23 extends above the left part of the first member 23. Therefore, the first member 23 has a substantially L-shaped configuration when viewed from the front. A notch-shaped first passage portion 25 that opens upward is formed in the left part of the first member 23. In the left part of the first member 23, stepped portions 26, 26 are formed by being recessed in the thickness direction of the first member 23 on one of the plate surfaces of the first member 23. The stepped portions 26, 26 are arranged so as to sandwich the first passage portion 25 of the first member 23 and are continuous with the first passage portion 25. In the right part of the first member 23, a stepped portion 27 is formed by being recessed in the thickness direction of the first member 23 on one of the plate surfaces of the first member 23. A circular through-hole 28 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the first member 23 is formed in the right part of the first member 23. This through-hole 28 opens to the other plate surface of the first member 23 and also opens to the stepped portion 27 of the first member 23.

[0020] The right part of the second member 24 extends above the left part of the second member 24. Therefore, the second member 24 has a substantially L-shaped configuration when viewed from the front. A notch-shaped second passage portion 29 that opens upward is formed in the left part of the second member 24. In the right part of the second member 24, a stepped portion 30 is formed by being recessed in the thickness direction of the second member 24 on one of the plate surfaces of the second member 24.

[0021] As described above, the inclined portion 11 is fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9. In the illustrated example, the first member 23 is fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, and the second member 24 is fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9. In a state where the first member 23 and the second member 24 are respectively fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, the plate-shaped first member 23 and the plate-shaped second member 24 are inclined obliquely rearward upward. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in a state where the first member 23 and the second member 24 are respectively fixed to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, one plate surface of the first member 23 and one plate surface of the second member 24 are overlapped. In a state where the first member 23 and the second member 24 are overlapped, the step portion 27 of the first member 23 and the step portion 30 of the second member 24 are opposed to each other. Therefore, a groove portion 31 formed by both step portions 27 and 30 is provided between the first member 23 and the second member 24. The groove portion 31 is open to the left and upward. In a state where the first member 23 and the second member 24 are overlapped, the first passage portion 25 of the first member 23 and the second passage portion 29 of the second member 24 are opposed to each other. Therefore, the first passage portion 25 and the second passage portion 29 communicate with each other. In a state where the first member 23 and the second member 24 are overlapped, gaps 32, 32 are formed between the first member 23 and the second member 24 by the step portions 26, 26 of the first member 23 described above.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, a groove-shaped chip insertion portion 33 that opens outward is provided in the arrangement portion 6. The chip insertion portion 33 is arc-shaped when viewed from above and extends along the vertical direction. The chip insertion portion 33 opens upward and also opens downward. The arrangement portion 6 is provided on the first member 23 so as to cover the first passage portion 25 of the first member 23. In the illustrated example, in a state where a part of the arrangement portion 6 is inserted into the first passage portion 25 of the first member 23, the arrangement portion 6 is fixed to the other plate surface of the first member 23 with screws. In this case, the arrangement portion 6 is detachably attached to the first member 23. In a state where the arrangement portion 6 is attached to the first member 23, the chip insertion portion 33 of the arrangement portion 6 is located within the first passage portion 25 of the first member 23. In a state where the arrangement portion 6 is attached to the first member 23, the groove-shaped chip insertion portion 33 extends along the vertical direction.

[0023] A pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6 of the inclined section 11. The pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6 of the inclined section 11 with the tip inserted into the tip insertion section 33 of the placement section 6. When the pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6, its axial direction is aligned in the vertical direction. When the pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6, it is supported, for example, by a dispensing device used for dispensing powdered materials. When the pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6, it may be supported by a robotic arm or by an operator holding it by hand.

[0024] The pipette tip 5 placed in the placement section 6 is cut by a cutting means 3 provided on the main body 2. In this embodiment, the cutting means 3 includes a blade 34 for cutting the pipette tip 5 placed in the placement section 6, a blade holding section 35 for holding the blade 34, and a motor 36 for rotating the blade 34.

[0025] The blade 34 is a roughly rectangular plate with a cutting edge 37 on its edge. The blade holder 35 has a main body piece 38 and an insertion piece 39. The main body piece 38 is a roughly rectangular plate. On one end of the main body piece 38, a cylindrical insertion piece 39 is provided on one plate surface. Specifically, the insertion piece 39 protrudes from the main body piece 38 such that its axial direction is aligned with the thickness direction of the main body piece 38. The blade 34 is provided on the other end of the main body piece 38. Specifically, the blade 34 is attached to the main body piece 38 such that its cutting edge 37 is located on the outside of the main body piece 38. In the illustrated example, the blade 34 is attached to the main body piece 38 with screws. Therefore, the blade 34 is detachably attached to the blade holder 35. The blade holder 35 is non-rotatably mounted on the output shaft of the motor 36. That is, the blade holder 35 is rotatable integrally with the output shaft of the motor 36. With the blade holding portion 35 mounted on the output shaft of the motor 36, the axis of the insertion piece 39 is located on the same straight line as the axis of the output shaft of the motor 36.

[0026] In this way, the blade holder 35 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 36, and the blade holder 35 can be rotated by driving the motor 36. When the blade holder 35 rotates, one end of the main body piece 38 rotates around the axis of the output shaft of the motor 36. As mentioned above, a blade 34 is provided on one end of the main body piece 38, so when the blade holder 35 rotates, the blade 34 provided on the blade holder 35 also rotates.

[0027] The motor 36 of the cutting means 3 is provided on the inclined portion 11. The motor 36 is attached to the other plate surface of the second member 24 via a mounting piece 40. When the motor 36 is attached to the second member 24, the output shaft of the motor 36 penetrates the second member 24. That is, the output shaft of the motor 36 protrudes from one plate surface of the second member 24. As described above, the blade holding portion 35 is provided on this protruding portion. When the main body piece 38 of the blade holding portion 35 is attached to the motor 36, it is positioned in the groove 31 between the first member 23 and the second member 24. At this time, the insertion piece 39 of the blade holding portion 35 is inserted into the through hole 28 of the first member 23. When the insertion piece 39 is inserted into the through hole 28, the insertion piece 39 is rotatable around the axis of the through hole 28.

[0028] With the blade holder 35 positioned on the inclined section 11, one end of the main body piece 38 extends outward from the groove 31. As described above, a blade 34 is provided on one end of the main body piece 38. The blade 34 provided on the main body piece 38 can rotate while positioned on the inclined section 11 because the groove 31 opens upward and to the left. In this embodiment, the blade 34 and the motor 36 are provided on the inclined section 11. In the illustrated example, the blade holder 35 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 36, but this is not the only option. For example, the blade holder 35 and the output shaft of the motor 36 may be connected via a gear mechanism consisting of multiple gears.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inclined portion 11 has a planar inclined surface 41 that is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5 placed in the placement portion 6. In the illustrated example, the inclined portion 11 has a plate-shaped first member 23. When the plate-shaped first member 23 is attached to the left wall portion 8 and the right wall portion 9, it is inclined diagonally backward toward upward. Therefore, the first member 23 of the inclined portion 11 is positioned diagonally with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5 when it is placed in the placement portion 6. In this case, the inclined surface 41 is the other plate surface of the first member 23. In the illustrated example, the inclined surface 41 is inclined at 45° with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5.

[0030] As described above, the inclined portion 11 having an inclined surface 41 is inclined diagonally backward toward upward. Therefore, the groove 31 between the first member 23 and the second member 24 is inclined to open diagonally backward toward upward. In this case, the plate-shaped main body piece 38 positioned in the groove 31 and the plate-shaped blade 34 attached to the main body piece 38 are inclined along the groove 31. The blade 34 held by the blade holding portion 35 is positioned parallel to the first member 23 of the inclined portion 11. Therefore, the blade 34 positioned in the inclined portion 11 is rotatable along the inclined surface 41 of the inclined portion 11.

[0031] The blade 34 and motor 36, which are positioned within the main body 2 on the inclined section 11, are covered by a cover 42. The cover 42 is formed by bending a roughly rectangular plate, with a second piece 44 connected to the front end of a first piece 43. The second piece 44 is bent diagonally downward toward the front relative to the first piece 43. The cover 42, with this configuration, is provided on the main body 2 so as to cover the upper parts of the blade 34 and motor 36 positioned within the main body 2. The first piece 43 of the cover 42 is provided so as to span between the upper edge 16 of the left wall 8 and the upper edge 21 of the right wall 9. The second piece 44 of the cover 42 is provided so as to span between the upper part of the inclined edge 15 of the left wall 8 and the upper part of the inclined edge 20 of the right wall 9. The cover 42 is fixed to the left wall 8 and the right wall 9, for example, by screws. In this way, the covers 42 on the left wall 8 and the right wall 9 prevent the worker's hand or other body parts from accidentally entering the main body 2, and prevent the worker from being injured by the blade 34 of the cutting means 3.

[0032] In the illustrated example, the pipette tip cutting device 1 is mounted on a base 46 via a plurality of support legs 45. The plurality of support legs 45 are provided at the four corners of the bottom wall 7 of the main body 2. The upper end of each support leg 45 is fixed to the bottom wall 7 of the main body 2. The lower end of each support leg 45 is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-shaped base 46. For example, each support leg 45 is fixed to the bottom wall 7 and the base 46 by screws.

[0033] Next, the operation of cutting a pipette tip 5 using the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment will be described. When cutting a pipette tip 5, the pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement section 6 of the pipette tip cutting device 1 while being supported, for example, by a dispensing device, as described above. Specifically, the pipette tip 5 is inserted into the tip insertion section 33 of the placement section 6. When the pipette tip 5 is inserted into the tip insertion section 33, the pipette tip 5 extends through the first passage section 25 of the first member 23 into the second passage section 29 of the second member 24. When the pipette tip 5 is inserted into the tip insertion section 33, the axial direction of the pipette tip 5 is aligned in the vertical direction.

[0034] With the pipette tip 5 inserted into the tip insertion section 33, the motor 36 is driven. When the motor 36 is driven, the blade holder 35 connected to the motor 36 rotates around the axis of the motor 36's output shaft. As the blade holder 35 rotates, the blade 34 provided on the blade holder 35 rotates around the axis of the motor 36's output shaft. As the blade 34 rotates, the tip of the pipette tip 5 placed in the placement section 6 is cut by the blade 34. At this time, the cutting edge 37 of the blade 34 enters the gaps 32, 32 formed by the stepped sections 26, 26. The tip of the pipette tip 5 cut by the blade 34 falls into a box (not shown) placed on the bottom wall section 7.

[0035] When cutting the pipette tip 5, the motor 36 is controlled by a control unit (not shown). When the control unit receives a signal indicating that the pipette tip 5 is placed in the placement unit 6, it drives the motor 36 to rotate the blade 34 in the direction of cutting the pipette tip 5. At this time, the motor 36 is torque-controlled so that the torque remains constant even if the rotational speed changes. After cutting the pipette tip 5, when the control unit receives a signal indicating that the pipette tip 5 has been removed from the placement unit 6, it drives the motor 36 to rotate the blade 34 in the opposite direction to the direction of cutting the pipette tip 5. This returns the blade 34 to its position before cutting the pipette tip 5.

[0036] Figure 5 is a side view showing an example of a pipette tip cut by the pipette tip cutting device of Figure 1. As shown in this figure, the tip of the pipette tip 5 is cut obliquely with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5 because the blade 34 rotates along the inclined surface 41. This makes it possible to remove the thin part at the tip of the pipette tip 5 and to enlarge the inner diameter of the opening at the tip of the pipette tip 5 compared to conventional pipette tips. Therefore, with the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, pipette tips 5 that can suppress clogging by powdery material during dispensing can be manufactured at low cost. Furthermore, with the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, since the pipette tip 5 can be cut, it is possible to easily manufacture pipette tips 5 with a smaller length and volume than conventional pipette tips 5.

[0037] In the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the cutting means 3 has a blade 34 for cutting the pipette tip 5. Therefore, according to the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the cutting means 3 can be made into a simple configuration.

[0038] In the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the blade 34 is rotatable along an inclined surface 41 that is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5 when it is placed in the placement section 6. Therefore, according to the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the blade 34 that cuts the pipette tip 5 can be positioned at an angle with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip 5.

[0039] In the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the motor 36 that rotates the blade 34 is torque-controlled so that the torque remains constant even when the rotational speed changes. Therefore, with the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, when cutting a pipette tip 5, the blade 34 moves slowly until the cutting edge 37 contacts the pipette tip 5, and then moves quickly after the cutting edge 37 contacts the pipette tip 5.

[0040] In the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the blade 34 and the motor 36 are provided on the inclined section 11. Therefore, the pipette tip cutting device 1 of this embodiment allows for a simplified configuration for automatically cutting pipette tips 5.

[0041] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications or improvements that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] For example, in the above embodiment, the cutting means 3 was configured to have a blade 34, but it is not limited to this. Examples of cutting means 3 include ultrasonic cutters, heat cutters, laser cutters, and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1. Pipette tip cutting device 2 Main unit 3 Cutting means 4 filters 5 pipette tips 6 Placement section 11 Slope 34 blades 36 Motors 41 Slope

Claims

1. A pipette tip cutting device for cutting a pipette tip that is cylindrical and has a filter in the middle of its axial direction at an angle to the axial direction of the pipette tip, A main body having a section where the pipette tip is placed, A pipette tip cutting device comprising: a cutting means provided on the main body for cutting the pipette tip placed in the arrangement section.

2. The pipette tip cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means has a blade for cutting the pipette tip.

3. The main body has an inclined portion having the arrangement portion, The inclined portion has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipette tip placed in the arrangement portion. The pipette tip cutting device according to claim 2, wherein the blade is rotatable along the inclined surface.

4. The cutting means includes a motor that rotates the blade, The pipette tip cutting device according to claim 3, wherein the motor is torque-controlled so that the torque remains constant even when the rotational speed changes.

5. The pipette tip cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the blade and the motor are provided in the inclined portion.

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