Automated Pipette Tip Dispensing Device for Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual handling of large numbers of pipette tips for liquid handling applications is time-consuming and prone to contamination, and the disposal of loading blocks and plates generates significant polymer waste, which is environmentally unsound.
Innovation Solution
A pipette tip dispensing device with a sleeve, activator plate, and distal barrier plate that uses connectors to translate the plates and apply axial force to eject pipette tips into a loading block, minimizing waste and contamination by allowing simultaneous dispensing of multiple tips without transferring loading plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling of pipette tips is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity is reduced and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pipette tips are nested within a single loading block in a hierarchical arrangement, allowing one block to contain many tips. This nesting structure enables automated dispensers to load multiple tips simultaneously, dramatically improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation through standardized block interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Pipette tips are pre-assembled into loading blocks with standardized configurations before use. This preliminary organization allows the automated dispenser to load multiple pre-positioned tips at once, eliminating the need for manual handling of individual tips during operation and significantly increasing efficiency.
2Strength
If loading blocks with high structural strength are used to withstand cumulative axial force, then reliability is improved, but weight of stationary object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The loading block is segmented into a reusable rigid frame structure and disposable soft tips. The frame provides the necessary structural strength to withstand cumulative axial forces from multiple dispensing operations, while the soft tips are replaced individually or in small batches. This segmentation allows the stationary structure to be optimized for strength without excessive weight, as only the lightweight frame needs to be durable.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft tips are designed as disposable components that are discarded after use, while the rigid loading block frame is recovered and reused for subsequent loading cycles. This approach allows the frame to be optimized for structural strength and weight efficiency, knowing it will be reused many times, while the consumable tips bear the wear and replacement costs.
3Reliability
If frequent replacement of loading blocks is performed, then reliability is maintained, but loss of substance increases due to polymer waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a permanent reusable loading block frame and disposable soft tips. This allows the expensive polymer frame to be used repeatedly for many loading cycles, while only the cheaper tips are discarded. This dramatically reduces polymer waste compared to replacing entire loading blocks, while maintaining reliability through consistent frame performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The reusable frame is recovered and reused across multiple loading cycles, while only the consumable soft tips are discarded after use. This selective discarding strategy maintains system reliability through the durable frame while minimizing polymer waste by avoiding disposal of the expensive reusable components.
4Productivity
If simultaneous dispensing of multiple pipette tips is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pipette tips are nested within a single loading block in a standardized array configuration. The dispenser head is designed with a corresponding array of nozzles that simultaneously engage with multiple tips in the block. This nested structure allows one dispensing action to load or dispense multiple tips at once, improving productivity while keeping the mechanism relatively simple through standardized geometric arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple pipette tips are pre-positioned in a standardized array within the loading block before insertion into the dispenser. This preliminary arrangement allows the dispenser to simultaneously engage and dispense multiple tips in a single coordinated motion, achieving high productivity without requiring complex individual control mechanisms for each tip.
Data Source
AI summary
Discussed herein are methods and devices for storing, handling, loading or dispensing of pipette tips. Some embodiments allow repetitive loading of an array of multiple pipette tips that are stored in a nested configuration.