Flexible Pipette Tips with Rigid Axial Projections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pipette tips made of single, rigid materials often fail to form adequate seals with liquid dispensing devices, leading to errors in liquid handling due to either excessive or insufficient deformation during engagement.

Innovation Solution

The use of pipette tips with a combination of compliant and rigid materials, featuring axial projections circumferentially disposed around an annular member, allowing controlled deformation for optimal sealing engagement with dispensing devices while restraining overall deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pipette tips are made of single rigid material, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but sealing engagement with dispensing devices is inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing engagementVSAvoidmaterial composition

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pipette tip employs a composite structure combining rigid material (for axial projections and structural support) and compliant material (for annular sealing surfaces). This composite approach enables the tip to form reliable seals with dispensing devices while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through multi-material molding techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the pipette tip are assigned different material properties: the axial projections use rigid material for structural integrity and positioning, while the annular sealing surfaces use compliant material for optimal contact and sealing. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and overall structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If pipette tips use compliant material for sealing, then sealing engagement improves, but deformation control becomes difficult leading to improper seals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing engagementVSAvoiddeformation control

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the physical parameters of the compliant material including durometer hardness (e.g., 30-70 Shore A), thickness of the annular sealing portions, and geometric dimensions of axial projections. These parameter adjustments enable controlled deformation that ensures proper sealing engagement without excessive or insufficient compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing structure is segmented into discrete annular portions positioned between axial projections, allowing each segment to deform independently and optimally during engagement with the dispensing device. This segmentation provides controlled deformation behavior while maintaining reliable sealing across multiple contact points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If pipette tips are designed for optimal sealing with specific dispensing devices, then sealing performance improves, but compatibility with different device geometries decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing performanceVSAvoiddevice compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The pipette tip design incorporates multiple axial projections with annular sealing portions that can adapt to various dispensing device geometries. The compliant material allows the sealing surfaces to conform to different engagement member sizes and shapes, providing universal compatibility across device types while maintaining reliable sealing performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing structure is designed to be dynamically adaptable during engagement, where the compliant annular portions deform to match the specific geometry of the dispensing device engagement member. This dynamic adjustment enables the same tip design to achieve optimal sealing with various device geometries without requiring modification to the dispensing device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The described pipette tips effectively form seals with a range of dispensing devices, reducing liquid handling errors and enabling easy ejection without modifying the dispensing device, and are compatible with various dispensing devices of different geometries.

Implementation Method 1

the portions of the annular member between the projections deform when a pipette device is inserted into the proximal portion of the pipette tip

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS8307721B2Flexible pipette tips

Publication Date: 2012.11.13 BIOTIX INC

AI summary

Described herein are pipette tips that include rigid axial projections circumferentially disposed around the exterior surface of a relatively more compliant annular member. The rigid, axial projections may enable improved, and often optimal, sealing engagement with a dispensing device by (i) allowing deformation of the annular member between the projections, and (ii) restraining overall deformation of the annular member. Pipette tip embodiments described herein readily form a desired seal with a dispensing device, and permit ejection after use without modification to the dispensing device.