Pipetting Device Eccentric Drive Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipetting devices with multi-channel configurations face challenges in achieving a hermetic seal due to increased technical complexity and manufacturing tolerances, requiring high contact pressure and rigid materials, which complicates the design and operation, especially for devices with a large number of channels like 96- and 384-channel setups.
Innovation Solution
The pipetting device employs a magazine grip with an eccentric drive system that translates rotary motion into vertical movement, using a worm gear and gravitational pendulum to apply contact pressure directly to the sealing plate, reducing the mechanical load on the housing and allowing for a lightweight design while maintaining effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of pipetting channels is increased to 96 or 384 channels, then the productivity and versatility of the device is improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of achieving hermetic sealing increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple independent pipetting channels (96 or 384 channels) that can be sealed simultaneously against a common sealing plate. Each channel operates independently but shares the sealing mechanism, allowing high-throughput processing while maintaining manageable sealing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple pipetting channels are merged into a single integrated head assembly that seals against a common sealing plate. This consolidation allows simultaneous sealing of numerous channels while reducing the overall number of separate sealing mechanisms required, thereby managing complexity despite high channel count.
2Reliability
If high contact pressure is applied to ensure hermetic sealing of all pipette tips, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the mechanical load on the housing and structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A magnetic coupling mechanism acts as an intermediary to transmit contact pressure from the exterior of the housing to the sealing plate without requiring the entire housing structure to bear the full mechanical load. The magnetic field serves as the mediator that transfers force efficiently while preserving housing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional direct mechanical pressure transmission through rigid housing structures with a magnetic coupling system. This substitution allows contact pressure to be applied to the sealing plate while the housing itself experiences minimal mechanical stress, as the magnetic field transmits the force without requiring robust structural support.
3Strength
If rigid materials and structures are used to withstand high contact pressure forces, then the strength and stability are improved, but the device weight and flexibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic coupling mechanism replaces traditional rigid mechanical pressure transmission systems with a field-based approach. This allows the device to achieve the necessary contact pressure for sealing without requiring heavy, rigid structural components throughout the housing, thereby reducing overall device weight while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state or form of force transmission from direct mechanical contact through rigid structures to magnetic field interaction. This parameter change allows pressure application while using lighter materials, as the magnetic coupling can transmit forces without requiring the housing itself to be structurally reinforced against high mechanical loads.
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
This design results in a more flexible, lightweight pipetting device that can be easily managed and adapted for laboratory use, with precise control over contact pressure and reduced material requirements, enabling efficient aspiration and dispensing of liquids across multiple channels.
Implementation Method 1
a first drive unit (7; 15, 26) arranged on the housing (502) and having a drive shaft (26) with a worm gear (15)
Implementation Method 2
a second drive unit (9; 8, 10, 11) arranged on the base plate (1) and having an eccentric shaft (8) with an eccentric pin (10)
Implementation Method 3
two identical gravitational pendulums (11), each having a T-shaped cross member (14) and two legs, wherein each free end of the eccentric pins (10) is suspended from an upper end of a respective gravitational pendulum (11)
Data Source
AI summary
A pipetting device, having a base plate, an elastic sealing plate that covers the outside of the base plate, and a plurality of pipetting channels arranged in a predetermined grid extending through the base plate and the sealing plate. A magazine is loaded in the same grid with the pipette tips, each pipette tip having a shoulder. The magazine is arranged in a magazine holder indirectly frictionally connected via the shoulders and the sealing plate with the base plate, and a drive motor, indirectly connected to the eccentric shafts of two identical eccentric drives that are permanently mounted on the support on the base plate. Each drive has an eccentric pin that is offset by a distance with respect to the axis of the eccentric shaft, and one T-shaped gravitational pendulum is suspended from each of the eccentric pins. The magazine holder is formed by a U-shaped magazine frame with a bearing surface on the inside. The magazine frame, on its lateral legs, is connected to the cross member of each gravitational pendulum so as to be able to lift and lower the magazine frame relative to the base plate.