EP3956248A1

EP3956248A1 - Pipette tip separating system

Info

Publication number: EP3956248A1
Application number: EP20720402.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniel HEKL
Original assignee: Hektros SRL
Current assignee: Hektros SRL
Priority date: 2019-04-18
Filing date: 2020-04-16
Publication date: 2022-02-23
Also published as: US20220033121A1; WO2020212493A1; AT522525B1; AT522525A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a separating apparatus for pipette tips (5), each having a longitudinal axis (LP), said apparatus comprising a feed device (15) for feeding pipette tips (5), a dispensing device (17) for dispensing pipette tips (5), a separating device (16) arranged between the feed device (15) and the dispensing device (17) and having a transport shaft (1) which is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis (L), and a retaining element (4), arranged spaced apart from the transport shaft (1), for retaining the pipette tips (5), wherein the transport shaft (1) has, at least in regions, a thread (2), by means of which thread the pipette tips (5) are movable in an intermediate space (Z) between the transport shaft (1) and the retaining element (4) along the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1), wherein the longitudinal axes (LP) of the pipette tips (5) are arranged substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) during movement, and wherein the transport shaft (1) has a transfer region (6) for transferring the pipette tips (5) from the feed device (15), wherein the thread (2) has a first thread pitch (s1) in the transfer region (6), wherein the transport shaft (1) has an acceleration region (7) arranged after the transfer region (6), wherein the thread (2) has a second thread pitch (s2) in the acceleration region (7) which is greater than the first thread pitch (s1).

Description

Pipette tip separation system

The invention relates to a separating device for pipette tips each having a longitudinal axis, comprising a feeding device for feeding pipette tips, a dispensing device for dispensing pipette tips, a separating device arranged between the feeding device and the dispensing device with a transport shaft rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis and one at a distance from the transport shaft arranged holding element for holding the pipette tips, the transport shaft being at least partially provided with a thread, by means of which the pipette tips can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft in a space between the transport shaft and the holding element, the longitudinal axes of the pipette tips being essentially perpendicular during the movement are arranged on the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft, and wherein the transport shaft has a transfer area for transferring the pipette tips from the feed device, whereby i the thread in the transfer area has a first thread pitch.

Pipette tips as disposable attachments for pipetting aids are by far the most frequently used tool in biomedical research, in pharmacology and in routine analysis. A larger research laboratory needs an average of up to 5,000 pipette tips per day, with screening laboratories with pipetting robot units even using many times more pipette tips. The pipette tips are usually supplied by the manufacturers as inexpensive bulk goods, especially since pipette tips pre-sorted by the manufacturer in pipette tip boxes are much more expensive. In order to use the pipette tips, for example for liquid transfer or for exact sample dosing, the pipette tips supplied in bulk are filled individually by hand into a pipette tip box (pipette racks). In view of the large number of pipette tips required, manual filling ties up, in some cases, highly qualified laboratory staff for hours, whereby filling is a boring, tiring and ergonomically harmful activity in the long term. Automated provision of the pipette tips in pipette tip boxes is therefore of great importance Importance, whereby the geometry and the position of the center of gravity of pipette tips have proven to be unfavorable for their automatic sorting.

Alternatively, pipette tips are also sold stacked in pre-filled plastic or cardboard grids, usually with 10 grids of 96 pipette tips each. However, manual filling of the pipette tip boxes is still necessary, except that this is easier to do than with bulk goods due to the pre-filled grid. However, the pre-filled grids are still 10 to 30 times more expensive than bulk goods filled in sacks. Another disadvantage is that a large amount of waste is produced, especially since spacers for the pipette tips are always arranged in the grids.

A difficulty that arises for an automated singling out, picking up and alignment of pipette tips with an elongated extension along a longitudinal axis is their unfavorable geometry and distribution of the center of gravity. As a rule, the focus is namely in the area of the often cylindrical collar. The collar serves to receive and hold the pipette tip during pipetting and is arranged at the end that faces away from the tapered tip, where liquids are taken up. The collar often has a wider diameter so that the center of gravity is often far outside the geometric center of the pipette tip. In addition, with bulk goods, the pipette tips often stick together due to their conical hollow shape.

At the manufacturers who also offer pre-sorted and filled pipette tip boxes, the separation, spatial alignment and orderly filling of the pipette tips takes place in a multi-stage process on extremely expensive and large industrial systems, some of which are operated pneumatically and with industrial robots, which is done with a corresponding one high noise pollution. Naturally, such systems cannot be used in research laboratories.

No. 5,426,911 relates to a device for aligning and transporting pipette tips along the longitudinal direction of two rotatable parallel aligned pipette tips stored cylinder. The pipette tips are not separated. Rather, these must already be fed to this device individually.

EP 1 832 880 relates to a separation device for pipette tips, with bulk goods in the form of pipette tips being emptied into a rotatable drum, from where they are subsequently transferred via a chute to a rotatably mounted shaft with a thread, i.e. a transport spindle. The separation takes place in front of the transport spindle by means of a complex mechanism that includes shear displacement plates. The individual pipette tips are stored between the transport spindle and a counter shaft. By rotating the transport spindle, the pipette tips are moved in the longitudinal direction of the transport spindle. Apart from the complex and thus error-prone design of that part of this device in which the pipette tips are separated from one another, no possibility is provided to enable the transport of many pipette tips arriving at the transport spindle immediately one after the other or even at the same time. A “jam” of the pipette tips and thus a faulty function is very likely.

Another separation device for pipette tips is shown in CN 102975890. Here, too, a transport spindle with a counter shaft is used to align the pipette tips and move them along the longitudinal direction of the transport spindle. According to this document, the separation takes place in that the pipette tips fall down onto the transport spindle in a random arrangement. Since the pipette tips always spin and edge up when falling, if they are to be arranged in a grid of holes provided by the transport spindle and the countershaft, the source of error for this device is very large and permanent, error-free separation is not guaranteed.

The object of the invention is to provide a separating device for pipette tips which eliminates the above disadvantages and enables automated separation and filling of pipette tips supplied as bulk goods.

This is achieved by a separating device with the features of claim 1 and by a separating and filling device with the features of claim 20. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

With the separating device according to the invention, pipette tips in the most varied of formats can be separated, i.e. H. are separated and then a pipette tip box is filled with them. In particular, the separating device can be used with the most common formats of pipette tips, which are used for the transfer of liquids from 1 pl to 500 ml.

The separating device according to the invention for pipette tips with a longitudinal axis has a feed device for feeding pipette tips. The pipette tips can be distributed as desired with regard to their arrangement, as in

Bulk is the case. Between a dispensing device with which the separated pipette tips are dispensed, a separating device is arranged which has a transport shaft which is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis and which is provided with a thread at least in some areas. The transport shaft is thus a transport spindle with which - similar to an Archimedean screw - the pipette tips can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft, the pipette tips being arranged in a space between the transport shaft and a holding element for the movement. In this case, the pipette tips are arranged during the movement along the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft by means of the thread in such a way that the longitudinal axes of the pipette tips are aligned essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft.

The longitudinal axis of the pipette tip corresponds to its direction

Longitudinal extension.

The pipette tips are held together in the space between the transport shaft and the holding element by the transport shaft and the holding element. If the pipette tips are correctly detected, the longitudinal axes are

Pipette tips during the movement along the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft and thus to the direction of movement. In this case, the pipette tips can be held in a frictionally and positively locking manner between the holding element and the transport shaft, in particular when the pipette tips are arranged in the thread. For this purpose, the thread can be designed as a groove, in which the pipette tips are arranged during the movement along the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft.

The groove can be semicircular in cross section or also partially elliptical or oval. However, other cross-sectional shapes, such as triangular or trapezoidal shapes, are also possible for the groove. Such groove cross-sections arise in particular when the thread turn has been milled into the transport shaft with a tool for a pointed thread or trapezoidal thread.

In one embodiment, the holding element is designed as a, preferably rotatably mounted, holding shaft with a longitudinal axis arranged essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft. A flat holding element, for example a holding plate, is also conceivable. The holding shaft can have a smooth surface or can also be provided with a thread at least in some areas. The distance between the transport shaft and the holding element is adjustable in one embodiment of the invention. Since the pipette tips are held in the space between the holding element and the transport shaft, a wide variety of types of pipette tips can be held between the holding shaft and the transport shaft by adjusting the spacing and thus ultimately separated, that is to say singulated.

The distance between the holding element and the transport shaft is defined as the minimum distance between the thread turn (at its deepest point) and the holding element, which results in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft. Alternatively, the distance can also be defined by the minimum distance between the thread flank (at its highest point) and the holding element, which results in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft.

The transport shaft is provided with a thread at least in some areas, preferably along its entire longitudinal extension, a transfer area being provided in which the pipette tips are transferred by the feed device will. In the transfer area, the thread of the transport shaft has a first thread pitch. Since the transport shaft has an acceleration area arranged in the direction of movement of the pipette tips in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft, i.e. after the transfer area viewed in the axial direction, in which the thread pitch has a second thread pitch that is greater than the first thread pitch in the transfer area, the pipette tips can effectively and quickly be guided away from the area in which they are taken over by the feeding device.

The pipette tips are moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft by means of the thread. Due to the smaller thread pitch compared to the thread pitch in the acceleration area, a relatively large number of pipette tips can be taken over by the feed device simultaneously or immediately one after the other in the transfer area, since in the transfer area a relatively large number of notches that are formed by the thread are arranged along the longitudinal extension. The smaller thread pitch is associated with a rotation of the transport shaft, however, with a smaller advance in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. Since the thread pitch has a larger value in the acceleration range, the feed for the pipette tips is greater in the acceleration range. As soon as a pipette tip is captured by the thread in the transfer area and moved into the acceleration area by rotating the transport shaft, a faster movement can be made without running the risk of losing the hold of the pipette tips between the transport shaft and the holding element. The transition of the thread pitch from the first value to the second value can take place continuously or abruptly.

In the case of pipette tips supplied in bulk, it can happen again and again that several pipettes are plugged into one another. It is not possible to separate these pipette tips when they are taken over from the feed device in the takeover area. In one embodiment of the invention, a control device is therefore provided with which pipette tips that have not been separated can be detected. Pipette tips plugged into one another are characterized by the fact that they have a greater length overall than individual pipette tips, and because of the conical tip they are in the Are held essentially in the same area between the holding element and the transport shaft. In the area opposite from the tip, however, pipette tips inserted into one another protrude further from the area between the holding element and the transport shaft than individual pipette tips.

In one embodiment, the control device is designed as a stop element. Correctly separated pipette tips only protrude from the area between the holding element and the transport shaft to such an extent that they can pass below the stop element, while pipette tips inserted into one another hit the stop element. Since nested pipette tips, like isolated pipette tips, are moved in the longitudinal direction as a result of the rotation of the transport shaft, the nested pipette tips can be rotated by a stop on the stop element, whereby the nested pipette tips can be removed.

It can also be provided that the rotated, nested pipette tips fall into a collecting area below the transport shaft, from where they are returned to the feed device via a return device. However, it is also conceivable that the pipette tips collected in the collecting area are returned manually.

In one embodiment of the invention it is provided that the control device is arranged in the acceleration area. This is particularly useful in the case of a control device designed as a stop element. Due to the greater pitch of the thread in the acceleration area, there is more space in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft for pipette tips inserted into one another in order to be able to fall into the collecting area when the stop element rotates.

In order to further facilitate this, it is provided in one embodiment of the invention that the areas between the thread turn in the acceleration area of the transport shaft are designed as passage areas for the pipette tips. For example, the areas between the thread turn in the acceleration area can be designed as free areas, so that the passage areas for pipette tips arise between the free areas and the holding element. There These free areas can also be designed in the form of a second thread turn, which is arranged between the thread flanks in the acceleration area. Pipette tips, which are not adequately held by the thread turn and the folding element, can fall through the passage areas into a collecting area, for example after they have been detected by the control device.

In one embodiment of the invention, the transport shaft has a delivery area arranged after the acceleration region, this in turn relating to the direction of movement of the pipette tips in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. In this sense, the acceleration area is arranged in the axial direction after the takeover area and the delivery area after the acceleration area. It can be provided that the thread turn in the delivery area has a third thread pitch which is smaller than the second thread pitch in the acceleration area. The transition from the second to the third thread pitch can be continuous or abrupt. The third thread pitch can correspond to the first thread pitch, but it can also be smaller or larger than the first thread pitch. Due to the thread pitch, which is smaller in comparison to the acceleration range, the pipette tips are moved more slowly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft in the delivery area.

The pipette tips are transferred to the dispensing device in the dispensing area, where they are dispensed and / or transferred to or into a pipette tip box. It can be provided that at the end of the delivery area facing away from the acceleration area, an empty passage is arranged in which the pipette tips are no longer moved in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft, but are held stationary. A particularly simple dispensing of the pipette tips is thereby possible. For example, the dispensing device can be designed here as a plunger which is stationary with respect to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft. Alternatively, the delivery area can have a transfer area into which the pipette tips to be transferred to the pipette tip box are transferred and temporarily collected there. An example of such a takeover area is the output shaft described in this application. In the case of a third thread pitch in the delivery area that is smaller than the second thread pitch in the acceleration area, the pipette tips in the delivery area of the transport shaft are guided more slowly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft, which enables more precise and safer delivery of the pipette tip and thus minimizes the risk of that the pipette tips are moved, for example, over the empty passage or over the transfer area and thus delivery cannot take place.

The speed at which the pipette tips are moved along the longitudinal direction of the thread depends only on the frequency of rotation of the transport shaft for a given thread pitch. As a result, within the scope of a control process, for example after a pipette tip has been detected by a detection device in the dispensing area, a slower movement of the pipette tips can be achieved by temporarily lowering the number of revolutions.

In one embodiment of the invention, the distance between the transport shaft and the holding element in the delivery area is smaller than in the acceleration area. This can be achieved in that the thread flanks have a greater height in this region, that is to say that the thread turn is formed less deeply or the shaft itself on which the thread turn is arranged has a larger diameter. Alternatively, the distance can also be determined by a corresponding configuration of the holding element. The distance reduction can take place continuously or abruptly, for example when the height of the thread flanks or the diameter of the shaft on which the thread is arranged increases continuously. An enveloping surface around the delivery area can in this case assume a conical shape. The reduction in distance increases the frictional engagement with which the pipette tips are held between the transport shaft and the holding element, which enables a stable hold when the individual pipette tips are dispensed by the dispensing device, which has a plunger, for example.

Properly grasped pipette tips are frictionally and positively held by the holding element and the transport shaft in the space between the holding element and the transport shaft. The form fit relates to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft, that is to say to the direction of the Longitudinal axis of the correctly captured pipette tips. As a result of the conical design of the pipette tips and the pipette collar usually arranged in the area, the predetermined distance between the holding element and the transport shaft prevents further movement of the pipette tips in this direction, so that a form-fitting connection is provided. At the same time, the pipette tips are clamped between the holding element and the transport shaft, which also creates a frictional connection. The connection remains upright, at least with a properly placed pipette tip, even during the movement along the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. The holding function of the holding element thus relates to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft.

In one embodiment of the invention it can now be provided that the thread of the transport shaft is at least partially, preferably entirely, designed as a groove in which the pipette tips can be arranged for movement in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. Depending on the dimensions of the groove, a better hold of the pipette tips is possible because a form fit can also be realized in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. The thread flanks of the transport shaft can have an area that is flattened in a lateral view, at least in some areas. In particular, the thread of the transport shaft can be created by milling in a cylindrical shaft with a smooth surface. The thread flanks then correspond to the wall of the thread turn, the areas between the thread turn being untreated and thus flat in a side view. At least in some areas, however, a different configuration of the areas between the thread turn is also possible, for example as described above.

Particularly in the case of the formation as a groove, provision can be made for the depth of the thread to remain constant. As already described, however, it can also be provided that the thread turn is formed with different depths. For example, the thread turn, in particular in the form of a groove, can be formed deeper in the delivery area in order to achieve a better hold and thus also a safe and error-free delivery of the pipette tip. In the acceleration range, on the other hand, the thread turn can be formed less deep in order to more easily sort out pipette tips that are not correctly isolated. In one embodiment it is provided that the dispensing device has at least one plunger which has a receiving element which is movably mounted in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. The plunger can thus accommodate pipette tips arranged in the dispensing area and then position them in a pipette tip box. For this purpose, the plunger or the entire dispensing device can be moved with the pipette tip received. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the pipette tip box is moved relative to the plunger.

It can also be provided that the dispensing device has a plurality of plungers that remove a plurality of pipette tips from the dispensing area simultaneously or in a short time sequence and place them in a pipette tip box. To accommodate the pipette tips, the plunger can, for example, have a cylindrical or conical part that can be moved perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft during movement, can be inserted into the upper opening (opposite the tip) and forms a frictional connection with the pipette tip. As a result, the pipette tip remains hanging on the plunger when it is moved in the direction of the pipette tip box.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the dispensing device has a dispensing shaft which is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis and which is provided with a thread at least in some areas, preferably entirely. As in the case of the transport shaft, the thread turn can be designed as a groove. A holding means arranged at a distance from the delivery shaft is provided for holding the pipette tips. By means of the thread, the pipette tips can be moved in a space between the dispensing shaft and the holding means along the longitudinal axis of the dispensing shaft. Like the holding element in the area of the transport shaft, the holding means serves to hold the pipette tip in a frictional and form-fitting manner.

In one embodiment, the output shaft and the transport shaft can be rotatably mounted independently of one another.

It is preferably provided that the longitudinal axis of the output shaft and the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft are parallel or coincide. In particular, can also it can be provided that the delivery shaft merges into the transport shaft at a very small distance.

In one embodiment, a detection device is provided for detecting a pipette tip moved into the delivery area of the transport shaft. If a pipette tip is detected, a control device can transmit a control command for rotating the dispensing shaft.

In a further embodiment, the output shaft and the transport shaft are designed in one piece. An independent rotation of the output shaft is not possible in this case.

In one embodiment, the folding element and the holder are formed in one piece, in particular when the longitudinal axis of the output shaft and the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft coincide. In this case, the holding element is elongated in the direction of the output shaft. This is particularly possible in the case of a holding shaft.

To fill the pipette tips into the pipette tip boxes, provision can be made for pipette tips to be continuously arranged on the dispensing shaft, which are transferred together into a pipette tip box. This can in particular be realized with a rotation of the output shaft independent of the transport shaft.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pitch of the thread of the delivery shaft is chosen so that it corresponds to the distance in the pipette tip box

arranged pipette tips, so the grid of the receiving holes in the

Pipette tip box, corresponds. Since the pipette tip box in one embodiment of the invention is positioned below the dispensing shaft when the pipette tips are dispensed from the dispensing area, the positioning of the pipette tips in the pipette tip box can be done simply by breaking the connection between the pipette tips and the holding means and moving the pipette tips vertically fall or be guided into the pipette tip box at the bottom. The center-to-center distance of these grid holes for the most frequently used types of pipette tips is about 9 mm. In one embodiment of the invention, the pitch of the thread turn of the output shaft is therefore chosen so that the distance between the notches formed by the thread on the output shaft is between 6 and 12 mm, preferably between 8 and 10 mm and most preferably about 9 mm.

It can be provided that the first turn of the thread on the dispensing shaft after the transport shaft, i.e. the first notch facing the holding means, does not necessarily represent the first position at which pipette tips can be dispensed vertically down into the pipette tip box, for example. It can be provided, for example, that only the third or fourth turn of the thread on the dispensing shaft, i.e. the third or fourth notch facing the holding means, represents the first position at which pipette tips are dispensed vertically downwards into the pipette tip box, for example. In these cases, the number of turns of the thread on the dispensing shaft, i.e. the number of notches facing the holding means, is at least one, but mostly at least three or four greater than the maximum number of pipette tips to be dispensed at the same time.

Since pipette tip boxes often have 6x8, 8x12 or 16x24 grid holes for receiving pipette tips, it makes sense that the thread along the dispensing shaft forms at least three or four more than 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 notches to allow for a simultaneous one To enable filling of a whole row or a whole column of a pipette tip box. However, it is also possible to achieve any desired pattern of filling the grid holes in the pipette tip box by leaving individual notches free according to a predetermined pattern and not arranging pipette tips for the dispensing there. In this way, in particular, individual pipette tips can be positioned at any desired, predetermined position within a row or column in the pipette tip box. This is particularly useful when pipette tip boxes that are already partially filled are to be completely filled with the separating and filling device according to the invention, that is to say the missing pipette tips are to be supplemented. In addition, the position of the notches on the dispensing shaft in the longitudinal direction relative to the holding means for positioning above the pipette tip box can be adjusted as desired by partial rotations of the dispensing shaft about its longitudinal axis. For example, this makes it possible to fill a row with 24 grid holes and a hole spacing of 4.5 mm with a delivery shaft that is adapted to fill a row with 12 grid holes and a hole spacing of 9 mm, in which 12 Pipette tips are positioned in every other grid hole in the pipette tip box. During the second pass, the pipette tips are then positioned in the 12 grid holes in between. For this purpose, the delivery shaft is rotated by half a revolution (180 °) around its longitudinal axis, whereby the position of the notches is offset by 4.5 mm in the longitudinal direction relative to the holding means.

For filling the pipette tip box, plungers as described above can be provided, it being advantageous if the plunger or plungers have a total of 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 receiving elements. It can also be provided that the distance between the holding means and the dispensing shaft is increased as soon as the pipette tip box is arranged below the dispensing shaft. This automatically positions the pipette tips in the holes in the pipette tip box. For this purpose, however, a transfer device, which is arranged, for example, on the holding means, can also be provided.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the holding element has at least one ejection device with which pipette tips can be removed from the separating device that are not properly grasped and are arranged outside the thread during the movement along the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft. These are incorrectly singled or captured pipette tips that cannot be properly sorted into a pipette tip box. Again, with such a dropping device, these pipette tips can be brought into a collecting area, from where they are returned to the feeding device.

The invention further relates to a separating and filling device for pipette tips with a filling device for filling in pipette tips to be separated, such as Separating device described above and a removal device, from which pipette tips separated and sorted into a pipette tip box can be removed.

Due to the construction of the separating device, the separating and filling device according to the invention can be designed as a compact table-top device for daily laboratory use, which enables pipette tips of different formats and different manufacturers to be filled into pipette tip boxes provided for this purpose in a fully automated manner and depending on daily requirements.

With the separating and filling device, it is possible to transfer the pipette tips filled into the filling device as bulk goods, which are successfully and correctly separated by the separating device, into pipette tip boxes with a standardized filling grid. The separating and filling device also has a removal device from which the pipette tip boxes can be removed. In the simplest case, the removal device is an opening in the separating and filling device. The separating and filling device, in particular the removal device, can also have a movable part, for example a turntable, with which the filled pipette tip boxes are moved to an opening and empty pipette tip boxes are moved to the dispensing device.

In one embodiment, the removal device can have a mechanism by means of which the pipette tip boxes can be moved sequentially in one or more directions so that the pipette tips can be correctly picked up by the dispensing device and inserted into the holes of the pipette tip box. Additionally or alternatively, the dispensing device or the entire separating device can also be moved to the pipette tip box.

In one embodiment, the filling device of the separating and filling device has a drum, preferably rotatably mounted. By rotating the drum, the pipette tips are distributed, with the rotation also making it possible for pipette tips inserted into one another to be detached from one another. If the separating and filling device has a return device, by means of which pipette tips that are not dispensed by the dispensing device can be transferred to the feed device, it can be provided to insert these pipette tips into the filling device, in particular in to transfer the rotatably mounted drum. The collecting area for incorrectly separated pipette tips can also be arranged in the drum.

In a further embodiment, the separating and filling device has a storage area for storing empty and / or filled pipette tip boxes. The stored pipette tip boxes can be moved to the dispensing device, filled there with pipette tips and then moved to a removal area where the filled pipette tip boxes can be removed.

In a preferred embodiment of the separating and filling device, the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft is mounted horizontally in the operating state of the device. As a result, pipette tips that have not been correctly isolated can automatically fall into a collecting area under the action of gravity, from where they are returned to the feed device manually or with a return device.

The separating and filling device can have a corresponding feedback sensor system for automatic detection of the formats of the pipette tips. Provision can also be made for the format of the pipette tips to be separated to be entered via a control panel. The separation device can be controlled via a motor, for example a stepper motor, the distance between the transport shaft and the holding element being automatically set via a control device according to the different collar geometries and lengths of the different pipette tips. An automatic calibration can take place for each separation process.

In particular, the separating and filling device according to the invention can work without pneumatic or compressed air-controlled assemblies, which enables low-noise operation. In the case of a compact table-top device, several pipette tip boxes can be filled per operation and filled with bulk goods.

The invention further relates to a method for operating a separating device for pipette tips, in particular as described above, the pipette tips being fed via a feeding device to a separating device which is one by one Has longitudinal axis rotatably mounted transport shaft and a holding element arranged at a distance from the transport shaft for holding the pipette tips. The transport shaft also has, at least in some areas, a thread by means of which the pipette tips are moved in the space between the transport shaft and the holding element along the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft. The distance between the transport shaft and the holding element is chosen so that the pipette tips are rotatably mounted around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft in a takeover area of the transport shaft in which the pipette tips are taken over by the feed device. This allows the pipette tips to be lowered with the tip pointing downwards.

In one embodiment of the method according to the invention it can be provided that the longitudinal axis of the transport shaft is mounted horizontally and is rotated to move the pipette tips in such a way that the areas of the transport shaft facing the holding element are moved upwards. This can prevent the pipette tips from becoming wedged.

Further advantages and details of the invention are discussed for various exemplary embodiments with reference to the following figures. It shows:

1 shows a schematic representation of the functional units of a separating and filling device according to the invention,

2a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a

schematic representation of a separating device,

3a, 3b show a cross-sectional view and a front view of a

schematic representation of a separating device,

Figures 4a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a

schematic representation of a separating device,

5a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic representation of a separating device,

6a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic representation of a separating device, 7 a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic representation of a separating device,

8a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic representation of a further embodiment of FIG

Separator,

9a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic illustration of the further embodiment of FIG

Separator,

FIGS. 10a to c show a plan view, a cross section and a front view of a schematic illustration of the further embodiment of FIG

Separator,

11 a, 11 b show a side view and a cross-sectional view of a

Embodiment of the transport shaft,

12a, 12b a top view and a cross section of a schematic representation of a separating device,

13a, 13b a plan view and a cross section of a schematic representation of a separating device,

14a to d show a top view, two cross sections of a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a separating device and a side view of the folding element,

15a to d show a plan view, two cross-sections of a schematic representation of this embodiment of a separating device and one

Side view of the folding element,

16a to d show a plan view, two cross-sections of a schematic representation of this embodiment of a separating device and one

Side view of the folding element,

17a to d show a plan view, two cross-sections of a schematic illustration of this embodiment of a separating device and one

Side view of the folding element,

18 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a separating and filling device according to the invention, and

19 is a partially cut-away side view of an inventive

Separating and filling device, FIG. 20 shows a partially cut-open perspective view of a further embodiment of a separating and filling device according to the invention, FIG. 21 shows a further, partially cut-open perspective view of this

Embodiment of a separating and filling device according to the invention, FIG. 22 a perspective view of parts of this embodiment of a separating and filling device according to the invention,

23 is a further partially cut-away perspective view of the same

Embodiment of a separating and filling device according to the invention, FIG. 24 shows a further partially cut-open perspective view of this

Embodiment of a separating and filling device according to the invention, and

25 shows a perspective detailed view of a further embodiment of the

Separating and filling device.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the functional units of a separating and filling device 21 according to the invention. The pipette tips 5 to be separated are brought, for example in the form of bulk goods, into a filling device 22, from where they are transferred to a feed device 15 from which the pipette tips 5 to be separated a separating device 16, which separates the pipette tips 5, that is to say separates them. The pipette tips 5 are discharged from the separating device 23 in an isolated state by a dispensing device 17 and positioned in pipette tip boxes 25. The filled pipette tip boxes 25 can then be removed from a removal device 24. In one embodiment of the invention, pipette tips 5a, 5b that have not been separated are caught in a collecting area 28 and returned to the filling device 22 with a return device 27.

FIG. 2a shows a top view of a schematic representation of a separating device 16. For reasons of clarity, the thread turn 2 and the thread flank 3 of the transport shaft 1 are not shown in FIGS. 2a to 2c. In this embodiment of the invention, the folding element 4 is a folding shaft, the longitudinal direction of which is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1. The distance d between the transport shaft 1 and the holding element 4 is chosen so that that pipette tips 5, which are fed from the feed device 15 in an orientation essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1 of the separating device 16, in the area of their center of gravity S, which is located in the area of the collar 36 of the pipette tip 5, rotatable about one to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1 vertically arranged axis are stored.

In the front view of FIG. 2c, pipette tip 5 fed in between the transport shaft 1 and the holding shaft 4 can be seen in the space Z. In the operating state of the separating and filling device 21, the longitudinal axis L can be mounted horizontally. The longitudinal direction of the supplied pipette tip 5 is then also oriented essentially horizontally in FIG. 2c. The pipette tips 5 to be separated can generally be fed in the most varied of orientations to the separating device 16 by the feeding device 15, so that the pipette tips 5 can in principle land on the separating device 16 in any conceivable position. Depending on the embodiment of the feed device 15, the pipette tips 5 are often fed to the separating device 16 in a rolling manner, so that the pipette tips 5 often come to lie horizontally.

In the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 2b along the section line A-A according to FIG. 2a it is shown how the pipette tip 5 that is fed in can rotate about its center of gravity. This rotation enables the pipette tips 5 to be easily grasped by the thread turn 2 of the transport shaft 1.

FIG. 3 a corresponds to the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 2 b, the pipette tip 5 now being rotated by approximately 90 ° and being in a favorable position for detection by the thread turn 2. It can also be seen that the longitudinal axis LP of the pipette tip 5, shown in broken lines, is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1. FIG. 3b shows the separating device 16 in a front view and corresponds to FIG. 2c, but with the pipette tip 5 rotated by approximately 90 °.

FIG. 4a shows a schematic top view of a separating device 16, the transfer area 6 of the transport shaft 1 being shown in this illustration. The holding element 4 is designed as a holding shaft with a smooth surface, whereby the Movement of the pipette tip 5 through the thread 2 in the sense of an Archimedean screw in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 is facilitated. The areas between the thread turn 2 in a side view and in the top view are of flat design, so that grasping the pipette tips 5 in the thread turn 2 in the form of a groove 14 is facilitated. The thread flanks 3 are thus flattened. In the groove 14, the pipette tip 5 is not only held in a frictionally locking manner but also in a form locking manner, with the form locking downward due to the conical configuration of the pipette tip 5 and the pipette collar 36. The pipette tip 5 is now properly grasped and is held during its movement along the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1 by means of the thread 2 in such a way that the longitudinal axis LP is aligned essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L, as can be seen particularly well in FIG. 4b. The pipette tips 5 are held in the thread turn 2 by the thread flank 3. A movement of the pipette tips 5 is possible when the transport shaft 1 rotates despite the connection to the holding shaft and the transport shaft 1 in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft, namely together with the thread 2 moved around the longitudinal axis L when the transport shaft 1 rotates.

In the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 4b, the direction of movement of the pipette tip 5 is symbolized by the straight arrow. The longitudinal axis LP of the pipette tip 5 shown in dashed lines is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1 during this movement. The distance d between the transport shaft 1 and the holding element 4 is given by the minimum distance between the deepest point of the thread 2 and the surface of the holding element 4 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1. Alternatively, the distance d ‘can also be defined by the minimum distance between the highest point of the thread flank 3 and the surface of the holding element 4 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1. The distance d (or the distance d ‘) is chosen so that a secure hold of the pipette tip 5 is made possible during the movement.

A front view of the separating device 16 is shown in FIG. 4c. The transport shaft 1 is rotated in such a way that the one facing the holding element 4 Areas of the transport shaft 1 are moved upwards, in this case counterclockwise. Wedging of the pipette tip 5 is thereby avoided.

FIG. 5a shows a plan view of a schematic representation of a separating device 16, the transport shaft 1 with the transfer area 6 and the acceleration area 7 being shown. It can be seen that two pipette tips 5 are properly arranged in the thread 2 designed as a groove 14. A third pipette tip 5 b has not been properly taken over by the feed device 15, but rests on the collar 36 of the pipette tips 5. In particular, this is not uncommon when larger quantities of pipette tips 5 have to be separated. However, the separating device 23 according to the invention can remedy this error by correctly grasping the pipette tip 5b, i.e. correctly singling it and hanging it into the thread 2, or by (passive) throwing it back from the separating device 16 via the collecting area 28 and / or the return device 27 is fed.

It can also be seen that the first thread pitch s1 in the transfer area 6 is significantly smaller than the second thread pitch s2, the increase taking place continuously. As a result of the increased thread pitch s2, the pipette tips 5 are accelerated after they have been safely taken over and are moved much more quickly in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 when the transport shaft 1 is rotated about its longitudinal axis L.

FIG. 5b shows a cross-sectional illustration along the section line A-A. FIG. 5c shows a front view of the separating device 16 according to FIGS. 5a and 5b, whereby the pipette tip 5b lying on the collar 36 of the pipette tip 5 can again be seen.

FIGS. 6a to 6c show the separating device 16 of FIGS. 5a to 5c after the transport shaft 1 has rotated. While in FIGS. 5a to 5c both pipette tips 5 correctly grasped in thread 2 are still arranged in transfer area 6, FIGS to 6c the first pipette tip 5 in the direction of movement is already in the middle of the acceleration area 7. The second pipette tip 5, on the other hand, is still arranged in the transfer area 6 and moves more slowly when the transport shaft 1 rotates Longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 than the pipette tip 5 further to the left. The incorrectly grasped pipette tip 5b, which in the situation of FIGS. 5a to 5c is still on the collar 36 of both pipette tips 5, loses its hold at its left end due to the one further to the left Pipette tip 5 that moves under it and thus only rests on a collar 36. As a result, the pipette tip 5b can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1 and be gripped by the groove 14 in the transfer area 6. This is only possible in that the pipette tip 5 is moved more quickly in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 in the acceleration area 7 and the distance between the two pipette tips 5 in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 is thereby increased. The rotation of the pipette tip 5b is shown by the arrow in the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 6b. FIG. 6c shows the separation device 16 of FIGS. 6a and 6b in a front view.

The situation resulting after a further rotation of the transport shaft 1 about its longitudinal axis L is shown in FIGS. 7a to 7c. The pipette tip 5b that was previously not properly recorded is now properly recorded and can subsequently be sorted into a pipette tip box 25. The acceleration of the movement in the acceleration area 7 creates a larger gap between the pipette tips 5 within which the incorrectly grasped pipette tip 5b could be rotated.

FIG. 8 a shows a further embodiment of the separating device 16, a control device 9 designed as a stop element being arranged above the acceleration region 7. The control device 9 serves as a height control. Pipette tips 5a inserted into one another protrude further from the space Z between the holding element 4 and the transport shaft 1 and cannot pass under the stop element 9. This is shown particularly well in the cross-sectional position of FIG. 8b along the section line A-A according to FIG. 8a and also in the front view of FIG. 8c.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the acceleration area 7, areas between the thread 2 are formed as free areas 29, which are characterized in that the transport shaft 1 is cut out deeper in these free areas 29 is. The free areas form a second thread turn between the thread flanks 3, which, however, is so deep that pipette tips 5 cannot be held between the holding element 4 and the transport shaft 1. Thus, in the free areas 29, there is a passage area for the pipette tips 5a inserted into one another twice or several times, which can fall down in this area in the intermediate space Z, where they are caught in a collecting area 28.

FIGS. 9a to 9c show the separating device 16 shown in FIGS. 8a to 8c a short time later, while the transport shaft was rotated further about its longitudinal axis L through a certain angle. The control device 9, which is designed as a stop element, rotates the pipette tips 5a inserted into one another along the arrow shown in the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 9b. In contrast, isolated pipette tips 5 can pass below the control device 9a. The nested pipette tips 5a are lifted out of the thread 2 and fall through the passage area at the free areas 29 into the collecting area 28. FIG. 9c again shows a front view.

In FIGS. 10a to 10c it is shown how the control device 9 designed as a stop element, which in this case serves as a height control, can also detect incorrectly detected pipette tips 5b and remove them from the separation process. As can be seen from the top view of FIG. 10a, in this case the pipette tip 5b lying on two properly detected pipette tips 5 has not been grasped by the thread 2 designed as a groove 14. However, the pipette tip 5b strikes the control device 9. Since the properly grasped pipette tips 5 are moved further in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1, the pipette tip 5b can fall into the collecting area 28 in the area of passage at the free areas 29 in the acceleration area 7. FIG. 10c again shows a front view.

FIG. 11a shows a side view of a further embodiment of the transport shaft 1, in which the thread 2, designed as a groove 14, serves to move the pipette tips 5 in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1, as in the earlier embodiments. In the transfer area 6, the thread turn has a first thread pitch s1. The second thread pitch s2 in acceleration range 7 is significantly larger in order to move the pipette tips 5 more quickly in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1. In the areas between the thread 2, in the acceleration area 7, free areas 29 are arranged, which serve as passage areas for incorrectly detected pipette tips 5a, 5b. The delivery area 8 is arranged in the axial direction after the acceleration area 7. Here, the thread turn has a third thread pitch s3, which is smaller than the second thread pitch s2. It can be seen that the distance d to the holding element 4 in the delivery area 8 becomes smaller, since the transport shaft 1 here has a conically increasing diameter. As a result, the pipette tips 5 are held more securely in the dispensing area 8 and can therefore be dispensed to the dispensing device 17 with greater precision. This can be seen well on the basis of the cross-sectional view in FIG. 11 b along the section line AA according to FIG. 11 a.

A further embodiment of the separating device 23 is shown in the top view of FIG. 12 a, the delivery area 8 of the transport shaft 1 being shown as an empty passage 10. The acceleration area 7 and the takeover area 6 correspond to the embodiment according to FIGS. 5a to 5c. A situation is shown in which a pipette tip 5 has been moved as far as the dispensing area 8. The delivery area 8 has a thread 2 designed as an empty thread 10 which no longer has a pitch. A further movement in the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft 1 can therefore no longer take place for the pipette tip 5 despite the rotation of the transport shaft 1.

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 b it can be seen that the dispensing device 17 has a plunger 18 which can be moved up and down in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L and has a receiving element 35 which can be arranged in the collar 36 of the pipette tip 5 and is designed in this way is that the pipette tip 5 can be held frictionally. The plunger 18 thus serves to receive the pipette tip 5.

The representations of FIGS. 13a and 13b correspond to FIGS. 12a and 12b, only that the plunger 18 has performed a downward lowering movement and therefore the receiving element 35 is arranged in the collar 36 of the pipette tip 5. In the cross-sectional view of Figure 13b it can be seen that with a lifting movement of the The plunger 18, represented by the arrow z, the plunger 18 together with the pipette tip 5 is moved upwards. The pipette tip 5 has then been discharged from the separating device 21. Subsequently, the plunger 18 together with the pipette tip 5 can be moved in the longitudinal direction, represented by the arrow x, and in a direction arranged perpendicular to the plane of the paper, in order to position the pipette tip 5 in a pipette tip box 25.

FIG. 14a shows a top view of a further embodiment of the separating device 21 according to the invention. The transport shaft 1 is designed as in FIGS. 8a to 8c, but no empty passage 10 is arranged at the end of the delivery area 8. The delivery device 17 has a delivery shaft 11 which is rotatably mounted independently of the rotation of the transport shaft 1, the longitudinal axis of the delivery shaft 11 corresponding to the longitudinal axis L of the transport shaft 1. The delivery shaft 11 has a thread turn 12 between the thread flanks 13, which is designed as a groove 14 and by means of which pipette tips 5 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the delivery shaft. For this purpose, a holding means is provided which, together with the dispensing shaft 11, holds pipette tips in a frictionally and also positively locking manner, a movement in the longitudinal direction of the dispensing shaft 11 being possible when the dispensing shaft 11 rotates.

In this embodiment, the holding means corresponds to the holding element 4. The holding shaft thus extends over the area of the transport shaft 1 and the delivery shaft 11. A detection device 19, which in this exemplary embodiment is designed as a light barrier, detects the presence of pipette tips 5 in the delivery area 8 of the transport shaft 1 and reports this to a control device. The control device sends a signal to a stepping motor, whereby the output shaft 11 is rotated. As a result, the pipette tip 5 is dispensed from the dispensing area 8 and moved further in the longitudinal direction of the dispensing shaft 11. This can also be seen from the cross-sectional illustration in FIG. 14b along the section line A-A according to FIG. 14a.

As can also be seen in the top view of FIG. 14a, ejection devices 20 are provided on the holding element 4 in that area which is opposite the delivery area 8 and the subsequent start of the delivery shaft 11. It can are notches which are distributed over the circumference of the holding element 4 designed as a holding shaft. These notches can serve as passage areas through which pipette tips 5 that are not properly gripped in the grooves 14 can be thrown off, for example in order to fall into the collecting area 28. A rotation of the holding shaft can be provided for this purpose. Another ejection device 20 is arranged along the entire length of the transport shaft 1 in the holding shaft 4. The ejection devices 20 are millings. By rotating the holding shaft 4, these millings 20 can be arranged in such a way that there is no longer any connection between the pipette tips 5 and the holding element 4. As a result, the pipette tips 5 can fall into the collecting area 28. The ejection device 20 arranged along the entire length of the transport shaft 1 can be used in the event of a major fault, so that the entire separation process begins anew. This can also be seen particularly well in FIG. 14d, which shows a side view of the holding element 4 designed as a holding shaft. The holding element 4 is formed along the transport shaft 1 and the output shaft 11, so that the holding means corresponds to the holding element 4.

A transfer device 30 is also arranged on the holding shaft. In this exemplary embodiment, this involves one or more millings 30 distributed over the circumference of the holding shaft, which is or are arranged opposite the thread turn 12. The holding shaft is rotated through an angle around its longitudinal axis until the millings form a passage area for pipette tips 5 properly held in the dispensing shaft 11, which can then be positioned in the holes in the pipette tip box 25. If, for example, 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 notches are in the delivery shaft 11 in the thread 12 opposite the holding shaft, in each of which a pipette tip 5 is held, then 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 pipette tips can be positioned in the Pipette tip box 25 take place. FIG. 14c shows a cross-sectional illustration of the separating device 23 along the section line B-B shown in FIG. 14d.

FIGS. 15a to 15d also show the separating device 23 according to FIGS. 14a to 14d. The transfer device 30 can again be seen in the form of a milling in the side view of the holding element 4 according to FIG. 15d. In the top view of the 15a, the ejection devices 20 designed as millings can be seen. One of these millings is arranged on the folding element along the entire extent of the transport shaft 1. By rotating the folding element 4 designed as a folding shaft, this milling can be brought into position, whereby the entire area of the transport shaft 1 and all pipette tips 5 arranged in this area are emptied simultaneously into the collecting area 28, for example into the drum 34. 14a to 14d and 15a to 15d show that the transfer device 30 and the ejection devices 20, which are each designed as millings, are arranged on different angular areas along the circumference of the fold element 4 designed as a fold corrugation. This makes it possible to ensure that only one of the ejection devices 20 is arranged opposite the transport shaft 1 or that only the transfer device 30 is arranged opposite the output shaft 11.

FIGS. 16a to 16d also show the separating device 23 of FIGS. 14a to 14d and FIGS. 15a to 15d. 16a to 16d show how the ejection device 20 is brought into position in the form of a milling arranged on the folding shaft in order to remove pipette tips 5 arranged in the delivery area 8 or the adjoining area of the delivery shaft 11 from the separation process and in to be able to spend the collecting area 28. By rotating the folding shaft, the ejection device 20, which is arranged as a milling in the middle of the folding shaft in relation to the longitudinal extent, is brought into position. Since the milling offers more space, the connection between pipette tips 5 and folding element 4 as well as transport shaft 1 or delivery shaft 11 is broken, since neither a form fit nor a frictional fit can exist. The pipette tips 5 which are arranged in this area fall into the collecting area 28, as is shown with the aid of the arrow in FIG. 16c. This is useful, for example, when the notches on the dispensing shaft 11 are already fully occupied and the pipette tips 5 arranged here could not yet be dispensed into a pipette tip box 25.

The normal direction of movement of the pipette tips 5 is indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16a. However, it may prove necessary to return pipette tips 5 already arranged in the dispensing shaft 11. For this purpose, the direction of rotation of the output shaft 11 can be changed. This will make the Pipette tips 5 moved counter to the direction of the arrow shown. As soon as the pipette tips 5 have reached the area opposite the ejection device 20, they can be returned to the collecting area 28 and thus subsequently to the separating device 23 by suitable rotation of the holding shaft. This is useful, for example, when restarting a system or when changing the type of pipette tip to be sorted.

The separating device 23 shown in FIGS. 17a to 17d also corresponds to the separating device 23 shown in FIGS. 16a to 16d. These figures now show how the pipette tips 5 can be dispensed from the dispensing shaft 11 into a pipette tip box 25. In FIG. 17 a it can be seen how a pipette tip 5 is arranged in a region of the delivery shaft 11 in each notch formed by the thread turn 12 opposite the holding means. As soon as a pipette tip box 25 is arranged below the dispensing shaft 11, the holding means designed as a holding shaft can be rotated until the transfer device 30 is arranged in the form of a milling so that the connection between holding means and dispensing shaft 11 is broken. If the transfer device 30 is brought into position, there is no longer any frictional or form fit. The pipette tips 5 can therefore be dispensed downwards in accordance with the arrow direction shown in FIG. 17b.

In the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 17c along the section line B-B according to FIG. 17d, the ejection devices 20, which are designed as millings, and the transfer device 30, which are also designed as milling, are shown. It can be clearly seen here that with a corresponding rotation of the holding shaft, the pipette tip 5 can fall down.

FIG. 18 shows a partially cut-open perspective view of a separating and filling device according to the invention 21. On the one hand, the dispensing device 17 can be seen, in this embodiment the separating device 23 via a guide device 31 in the x direction and via a guide device 32 in the y direction within the separator - And filling device 21 is movably mounted. The removal device 24 has a guide device 33 with which the pipette tip boxes 25 to be filled can be moved in the z-direction, and thus vertically in the operating state. To position the pipette tips 5 in the pipette tip boxes 25, an empty pipette tip box 25 is moved vertically upwards. The separating device 1 is moved in the x direction until the delivery shaft 11 is placed above a row of recesses in the pipette tip box 25. As soon as a number of pipette tips 5 corresponding to the number of recesses in a row of pipette tip box 25 has accumulated in the delivery shaft 11, the holding shaft serving as a holding means is rotated around its longitudinal axis until the milled transfer device 30 represents a passage area for the pipette tips 5 and the pipette tips 5 could thereby be positioned in the recesses of the pipette tip box 25. If the pipette tips 5 arranged in the dispensing shaft 11 are not sufficient to fill all of the recesses in a row of the pipette tip box 25, the separating device 23 can be advanced further in the x direction. The separating device is then moved in the y direction in order to fill the recesses of the next row of the pipette tip box 25.

When the pipette tip box 25 is completely filled, it is moved downward via the guide device 33 and positioned in a storage area 26 which has a rotary plate. The turntable is rotated until the filled pipette tip box 25 can be removed through an opening. A plurality of pipette tip boxes 25 can be stored in the storage area 26. The filling device 22 has a drum 34 which is arranged around the separating device 21. In this exemplary embodiment, the drum 34 cannot be rotatably mounted. The inner jacket of the drum 34 serves as a collecting area 28 for pipette tips 5a, 5b that have fallen out of the separating device 21. A region of the drum 34 is provided with an inclined surface which forms the return device 27, as a result of which the removed pipette tips 5a, 5b can slide downwards gravitationally. There these pipette tips 5a, 5b are transmitted to the feed device 15.

FIG. 19 shows a partially cut-open side view of the separating and filling device 21 designed as a compact table-top device. For reasons of clarity, not all components are shown. It can be seen that the storage area represents a magazine for pipette tip boxes 25. About one here Openings not shown can be filled into the drum 34, for example as bulk goods, to be separated pipette tips 5. There they are transferred via a device, not shown here, to the feed device 15, from where they are fed to the separating device 16. In the situation shown here, the dispensing shaft 11 is not yet completely occupied with pipette tips 5. It can be seen that two pipette tips 5 are thrown into the collecting area 28 via the emergency ejection devices 20.

In the embodiment of the separating and filling device 21 shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the drum 34 is not rotatably mounted. However, an inclined surface is arranged in the drum, which serves as a collecting area 28 and as a return device 27. Pipette tips 5, which are already outside the drum 24 in the longitudinal direction, can slide back into the drum via this inclined surface. The pipette tip 5 shown furthest to the right in this figure is the last pipette tip that can be picked up by the dispensing device 17. Alternatively, this pipette tip 5 can be transferred to the return device 27 via the inclined surface.

In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the dispensing device 17 has a plunger 18 with a large number of receiving elements 35, via which the pipette tips 5 are transferred into a pipette tip box 25. If there are excess pipette tips 5, the plunger 18 can be placed above the drum 34 by means of the guide devices 31 and 32. The pipette tips 5 can be dispensed here and returned via the return device 27.

20 shows a perspective view of parts of a further embodiment of the separating and filling device 21, in which case the drum 34 is pushed in and out of the frame 37 of the separating and filling device 21 via a drive 38 via guide rails. In order to fill the pipette tips 5 to be sorted in the device 21, the drum 34 is removed and the pipette tips 5 present as bulk goods are poured into the drum 34 via an opening. The drum 34 is then placed on the drive 38 and pushed into the frame 37. The separating device 16, which has a transport shaft 1, and the one designed as a slide can also be seen in this figure Return device 27. For the sake of clarity, further components of the separating and filling device 21 have not been shown here. The storage area 26 can also be seen, in which a large number of pipette tip boxes 25 to be filled are stored.

The perspective view of FIG. 21 shows how the drum 34, in which the pipette tips 5 to be sorted are arranged, is introduced into the separating and filling device 21. For this purpose, the drive 38 arranged on a movably mounted drawer is moved into the frame 37. This can be seen from the arrow shown. The drive 38 has rotatably mounted drive shafts which rotate the drum 34 via frictional contact. In this embodiment, triangular guide elements, which serve as a feed device 15, are arranged in the interior of the drum 34. As a result of the rotation of the drum 34, the pipette tips 5 are fed to the separating device 16 via these guide elements, in that the pipette tips 5 roll over the guide elements as a result of the rotation of the drum 34 and fall onto the transfer area 6 of the transport shaft 1.

This feeding process can be clearly seen from FIG. This figure shows a perspective view of part of the separating and filling device 21, namely the separating device 16 and the rotatably mounted drum 34 with the feeding device

15 in the form of guide elements. As soon as pipette tips 5 come to rest on one of the guide elements, they are moved upwards with the rotation of the drum 34. Due to the force of gravity, the pipette tips 5 then fall onto the transfer area 6 of the transport shaft 1 from a certain angular range. The guide elements thus form blades or wings which the pipette tips 5 from above onto the separating device

16 throw.

The removal device 24 can be seen in FIG. 23. In this embodiment of the separating and filling device 21, the removal device 24 has a drawer that can be moved in and out via guide rails. A turntable is arranged on this drawer, on which pipette tip boxes 25 to be filled and already filled are stored. In the rear area, the guide device 33 can be seen with which the pipette tip box 25 to be filled can be moved vertically upwards and then the filled pipette tip box 25 vertically downwards. 24 shows a perspective view of this embodiment of the separating and filling device 21, all essential components being shown in this illustration. The delivery area 8 with the delivery device 17 cannot be seen because it is located inside the drum 34.

25 shows a perspective detailed view of a further embodiment of the separating and filling device 21, in which the feed device 15 is again arranged within a rotatably mounted drum 34. In this case, the feed device 15 is designed in the form of blades which are arranged along the inner circumference of the drum 34. Again, the pipette tips 5 have been brought into the drum 34 during filling. The drum 34 is rotated by the drive 38. As a result, the pipette tips 5 are carried along by the feed device 15, which is designed in the form of blades, and are thrown from above onto the transfer area 6 of the transport shaft 1.

List of reference symbols:

1 transport shaft

2 thread turn of the transport shaft

3 thread flanks of the transport shaft

4 retaining element

5 pipette tip

5a non-separated pipette tips

5b pipette tip located outside the thread flank

6 Takeover area

7 acceleration range

8 Delivery area

9 control device

10 idle

11 output shaft

12 Thread of the output shaft

13 Thread flanks of the transport shaft

14 Groove formed by the thread

15 feeding device

16 Separator

17 dispenser

18 tappets

19 detection device

20 drop devices

21 Separating and filling device

22 Filling device

23 Separation device

24 removal device

25 pipette tip box

26 Storage Area

27 Return device

28 Collection area

29 open spaces

30 transfer device 31 Guide device for movement in the x direction

32 Guide device for movement in y-direction

33 Guide device for movement in the z-direction

34 drum

35 receiving element of the plunger

36 Collar of the pipette tip

37 Frame of the separating and filling device

38 Drum drive L Longitudinal axis of the transport shaft

S The center of gravity of the pipette tip

A Axis of rotation for pipette tips

Z Space between the transport shaft and the holding element s1 first thread pitch

s2 second thread pitch

s3 third thread pitch

d, d ‘distance between transport shaft and retaining element

Claims

1. Separating device for pipette tips (5) each having a longitudinal axis (LP), comprising:

- a feed device (15) for feeding pipette tips (5),

- a dispensing device (17) for dispensing pipette tips (5),

- A separating device (16) arranged between the feed device (15) and the dispensing device (17) with a transport shaft (1) rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis (L) and a holding element (4) arranged at a distance from the transport shaft (1) for holding the Pipette tips (5), the transport shaft (1) being at least partially provided with a thread (2), by means of which the pipette tips (5) in a space (Z) between the transport shaft (1) and the holding element (4) along the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) are movable, the longitudinal axes (LP) of the pipette tips (5) being arranged essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) during the movement, and the transport shaft (1) having a Receiving area (6) for receiving the pipette tips (5) from the feed device (15), wherein the thread (2) in the receiving area (6) has a first thread pitch (s1), characterized in that the transport shaft (1) has an acceleration area (7) arranged after the transfer area (6), the thread turn (2) in the acceleration area (7) having a second thread pitch (s2) which is greater than the first thread pitch (s1).

2. Separating device according to claim 1, wherein the holding element (4) is designed as a, preferably rotatably mounted, holding shaft with a longitudinal axis arranged essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1).

3. Separating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance (d) between the transport shaft (1) and the holding element (4) is adjustable.

4. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a

Control device (9) for detecting non-separated pipette tips (5a) is provided.

5. Separating device according to claim 4, wherein the control device (9) as

Stop element is formed.

6. Separating device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control device (9) is arranged in the acceleration area (7).

7. Separating device according to claim 6, wherein the areas between the

Thread (2) in the acceleration area (7) of the transport shaft (1) are designed as passage areas for the pipette tips (5).

8. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transport shaft (1) has a delivery area (8) arranged downstream of the acceleration area (7), the thread (2) having a third thread pitch (s3) in the delivery area (8), which is smaller than the second thread pitch (s2).

9. Separating device according to claim 8, wherein at the end of the delivery area (8) facing away from the acceleration area (7), an empty passage (10) is provided.

10. Separating device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the distance (d) of the transport shaft (1) to the holding element (4) in the delivery area (8) is smaller than in the acceleration area (7).

11. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the thread (2) is designed as a groove (14) and / or the thread flanks (3) of the transport shaft (1) are at least partially flattened.

12. Separating device according to claim 11, wherein the depth of the thread (2), in particular the depth of the groove (14), in the delivery area (8) and / or in the transfer area (6) has different values than in the acceleration area (7).

13. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the

The dispensing device (17) has at least one plunger (18) which has a receiving element (35) mounted so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transport shaft (1).

14. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the

The dispensing device (17) has a dispensing shaft (11) rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis, wherein a holding means is provided for holding the pipette tips (5), which is arranged at a distance from the dispensing shaft (11), and wherein the dispensing shaft (11) is at least partially provided with a thread ( 12) is provided, by means of which the pipette tips (5) can be moved in a space between the dispensing shaft (11) and the holding means along the longitudinal axis of the dispensing shaft (11).

15. Separating device according to claim 14, wherein the thread (12) on the output shaft (11) forms at least 6, 8, 12, 16 or 24 notches on each side of the output shaft (11).

16. Separating device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the longitudinal axis of the output shaft (11) and the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) are parallel or coincide and / or wherein the output shaft (11) and the transport shaft (1) are independently rotatable are stored.

17. Separating device according to one of claims 14 to 16, wherein a transfer device (30) for dispensing the pipette tips (5) is arranged in or on the holding means.

18. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 17, wherein a detection device (19) is provided for detecting a pipette tip (5) moved into the delivery area (8) of the transport shaft (1).

19. Separating device according to one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the holding element (4) has at least one ejection device (20) for moving pipette tips located outside the thread (2).

20. Separating and filling device for pipette tips (5) each having a longitudinal axis (LP) with a filling device (22) for filling in pipette tips (5) to be separated, a separating device (23) according to one of claims 1 to 19 and a removal device ( 24), from which the separated pipette tips (5) inserted into a pipette tip box (25) can be removed.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the filling device (22) has a rotatably mounted drum (34).

22. Apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the apparatus (21) has a storage area (27) for storing a plurality of pipette tip boxes (25).

23. Device according to one of claims 20 to 22, wherein a return device (27) is provided by means of which pipette tips (5a, 5b) not dispensed by the dispensing device (17) can be transferred to the feed device (15).

24. Device according to one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) is mounted horizontally in the operating state of the device (21).

25. A method for operating a separating device (23) for pipette tips (5) each having a longitudinal axis (LP), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the pipette tips (5) have a separating device (16) via a feed device (15) a transport shaft (1) rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis (L) and a holding element (4) arranged at a distance from the transport shaft (1), and the pipette tips (5) by means of a thread (2) which is at least partially on the transport shaft (1) is arranged, are moved in the space (Z) between the transport shaft (1) and the holding element (4) along the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1), characterized in that the distance (d) between the transport shaft ( 1) and the holding element (4) is chosen so that the pipette tips (5) in one Transfer area (6) of the transport shaft (1), in which the pipette tips (5) are taken over by the feed device (15), in the area of their center of gravity (S) rotatable around an axis (L) arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1). A) be stored.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the longitudinal axis (L) of the transport shaft (1) is mounted horizontally and is rotated to move the pipette tips (5) so that the areas of the transport shaft (1) facing the holding element (4) are moved upwards will.