GB2310006A - Pneumatic actuator - Google Patents

Pneumatic actuator Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2310006A
GB2310006A GB9524664A GB9524664A GB2310006A GB 2310006 A GB2310006 A GB 2310006A GB 9524664 A GB9524664 A GB 9524664A GB 9524664 A GB9524664 A GB 9524664A GB 2310006 A GB2310006 A GB 2310006A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
piston
array
pneumatic actuator
pin
individual
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9524664A
Other versions
GB2310006B (en
GB9524664D0 (en
Inventor
David Elverd
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molecular Devices New Milton Ltd
Original Assignee
Genetix Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Genetix Ltd filed Critical Genetix Ltd
Priority to GB9524664A priority Critical patent/GB2310006B/en
Publication of GB9524664D0 publication Critical patent/GB9524664D0/en
Publication of GB2310006A publication Critical patent/GB2310006A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2310006B publication Critical patent/GB2310006B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/10Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
    • G01N35/1065Multiple transfer devices
    • G01N35/1072Multiple transfer devices with provision for selective pipetting of individual channels
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01LCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L3/00Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
    • B01L3/02Burettes; Pipettes
    • B01L3/0241Drop counters; Drop formers
    • B01L3/0244Drop counters; Drop formers using pins
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12MAPPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
    • C12M33/00Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus
    • C12M33/02Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus by impregnation, e.g. using swabs or loops
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01JCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
    • B01J2219/00Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
    • B01J2219/00274Sequential or parallel reactions; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making arrays; Chemical library technology
    • B01J2219/00277Apparatus
    • B01J2219/00351Means for dispensing and evacuation of reagents
    • B01J2219/00387Applications using probes
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C40COMBINATORIAL TECHNOLOGY
    • C40BCOMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY; LIBRARIES, e.g. CHEMICAL LIBRARIES
    • C40B60/00Apparatus specially adapted for use in combinatorial chemistry or with libraries
    • C40B60/14Apparatus specially adapted for use in combinatorial chemistry or with libraries for creating libraries
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N1/00Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
    • G01N1/02Devices for withdrawing samples
    • G01N2001/028Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N1/00Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
    • G01N1/28Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q
    • G01N1/2813Producing thin layers of samples on a substrate, e.g. smearing, spinning-on
    • G01N2001/282Producing thin layers of samples on a substrate, e.g. smearing, spinning-on with mapping; Identification of areas; Spatial correlated pattern
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/10Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
    • G01N2035/1027General features of the devices
    • G01N2035/1034Transferring microquantities of liquid
    • G01N2035/1037Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/10Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
    • G01N35/1065Multiple transfer devices
    • G01N35/1074Multiple transfer devices arranged in a two-dimensional array

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • Biotechnology (AREA)
  • Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
  • Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Fluid-Pressure Circuits (AREA)

Abstract

A Pneumatic Actuator Assembly comprising an array of individual double action pistons contained within a cylinder block (1). Each piston fires and retracts an individual pin by way of differential air pressure which can collect and transfer individual biological samples. Such samples can include prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or liquid samples.

Description

PNEUMATIC ACTUATOR This invention relates to the fields of Molecular Biology and Genetics, in particular to the picking of selected bacterial colonies, from agar culture plates for further study.
In Molecular Biological studies pieces of mammalian DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, the raw material of genes) are routinely inserted into certain strains of bacteria by a process known as transformation. The mammalian DNA is then integrated into the bacterial DNA and replicated with it.
In order to locate and isolate the inserted DNA of interest the bacteria are cultured on agar plates and each colony is picked and retained for further study.
This procedure has been historically performed by hand using sterile toothpicks which was both time consuming and laborious, (approx. 400 colonies are picked per hour in this manner). More recently, automated robotic colony pickers have been developed which use CCD cameras to visualise and locate the colonies, and either single or multiple steel pins to pick the selected colonies.
However, the single pin design is still relatively slow (approx. 1000 colonies picked per hour), as the pin has to be sterilised after picking each individual colony to avoid cross contamination.
Multiple (96) pin picking heads were then developed to increase the picking speed. These consisted of a block containing an array of sprung pins, in which individual pins are accessed by a single pneumatic cylinder, which is moved across the picking head by means of a miniature XY drive. This method greatly increased the speed of the procedure to approximately 3000 colonies picked per hour.
This method suffers from the problem that by utilising a single cylinder, it has to be indexed over each pin position, with the inherent time delay. This delay becomes even more pronounced if the desired firing order of the pins is random rather than sequential, due to the greater distances that the single cylinder has to be moved. Furthermore, this method can suffer from problems of mechanical reliability.
The present invention relates to a pneumatic actuator assembly, which utilises an array of individual double action pistons contained within a cylinder block. Through the use of differential air pressure any piston within the array can be individually fired, and then positively returned.
Using this invention with a 96 pin picking head, as shown diagramatically in figure lit is not only possible to increase the speed of picking colonies to over 5,000 colonies per hour, but also the order of firing the pins can be carried out in a random manner. Also, due to the fact, that the array of individual double action pistons is dimensionally similar to the array of the sprung pins in the picking head, there are no moving parts other than the pistons themselves, therefore improving the mechanical reliability of the device.
The invention will now be described by way of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically an assembly of a 96 pin pneumatic actuator and 96 pin picking head.
Figure 2 shows by way of example a cylinder block with a three by three array (each cylinder bore contains a piston - not shown). Each airway has a dedicated valve controlling the air pressure (the valves are not shown on the drawing). The supply of air to upper and lower airways differs in that the pressure of air feeding the upper airways is always less than that feeding the lower airways.
Referring to the drawings, figure 1 shows a typical example of the construction of a 96 pin actuator and picking head.
The pneumatic actuator consists of a cylinder block 6 which has an array of 96 cylinder bores, laid out in a eight by twelve array. The cylinder bores are joined by a matrix of airways running across the top, similar to a,b and c in figure 2, and the bottom, similar to x,y and z in figure 2, of the cylinder block.
These airways are served with pressurised air by two manifolds 4 and 5, which are controlled by two banks of valves 1 and 2. The air supply to the valves is provided by two airlines 7 and 8, and then via airways within the manifold 4 and 5 to the various valves.
Within each cylinder bore is located a piston 13 whose movement is guided by and array of holes in the location plate 10. Air seals are also located in the location plate 10, which are retained in place by the air seal retention plate 9.
The 96 pin head picking head 11 is aligned under the various pistons, by sliding it into the location plate 10 as shown.
Thus, whenever a piston in the pneumatic actuator is fired it hits a sprung pin in the 96 pin picking head, which is the fired forwards, enabling it to pick a colony.
The mode of action of the actuator will now be described with reference to figure 2, which shows a simplified cylinder block 6 with a three by three array of cylinder bores 12.
The movement of each piston is controlled by air flowing along a matrix of airways, one set on the upper side of the cylinder block 12 (a,b,c), and the other set on the lower side (x,y,z). It is also essential that the pressurised air supply feeding the airways on the lower side (x,y, and z) is always greater than that feeding the top (a,b, and c).
Each piston can identified by a unique set of co-ordinates referring to the corresponding upper and lower airways. For example the central piston has the co-ordinates (b,y).
In the resting state the lower airways (x,y, and z), are maintained at a positive pressure. The upper airways (a,b, and c) are maintained at atmospheric pressure. Therefore the pistons remain retracted (See figure 3a).
To actuate a particular piston (e.g. piston b,y), the valve controlling lower airway (y) is switched, closing off the high pressure air supply and venting it to the atmosphere.
To complete the movement, the valve controlling the corresponding upper airway (b) is switched, opening it to a reduced high pressure air supply. This results in a pressure differential, (high pressure above, low pressure below), and the piston (b,y) is fired downwards (See figure 3b) No other piston along this upper airway (b) is fired, as the air pressure in the lower airways (x and z) is still greater than that in the upper airway.
To retract piston (b,y) the valve controlling the upper airway (b) is switched, closing off the pressurised air supply and venting it to the atmosphere.
The lower airway valve is then also switched allowing pressurised air to reenter lower airway (y) This results in a reversed pressure differential in the piston cylinder (high pressure below, low pressure above), returning the piston to the top of the cylinder block 6.
This cycle is then repeated to actuate the next piston.
In this manner it is possible to actuate each piston sequentially or actuate an individual piston at will.
In the examples above we have referred to a three by three array and a eight by twelve array. However, these arrays have been mentioned only by way of example as it is possible, using this invention, to control the movement of pistons within a multitude of differing arrays.

Claims (4)

1. A Pneumatic Actuator Assembly Unit which uses differential air pressure to fire and retract individual or multiple pins.
2. An actuator Assembly Unit as claimed in Claim 1 which fires and retracts 96 pins.
3. An Actuator Assembly Unit as claimed in Claim 1 which fires and retracts 384 pins.
4. An Actuator Assembly Unit as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB9524664A 1995-12-01 1995-12-01 Pneumatic actuator Expired - Fee Related GB2310006B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9524664A GB2310006B (en) 1995-12-01 1995-12-01 Pneumatic actuator

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9524664A GB2310006B (en) 1995-12-01 1995-12-01 Pneumatic actuator

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9524664D0 GB9524664D0 (en) 1996-01-31
GB2310006A true GB2310006A (en) 1997-08-13
GB2310006B GB2310006B (en) 2000-01-12

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ID=10784808

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9524664A Expired - Fee Related GB2310006B (en) 1995-12-01 1995-12-01 Pneumatic actuator

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2310006B (en)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001032834A1 (en) * 1999-11-05 2001-05-10 Novozymes A/S A method of screening cell populations
EP1129008A2 (en) * 1998-07-07 2001-09-05 Cartesian Technology Inc. Tip design and random access array for microfluidic transfer
WO2001070388A2 (en) * 2000-03-20 2001-09-27 Packard Bioscience Corporation Method and apparatus for producing compact microarrays
GB2370319A (en) * 2000-11-18 2002-06-26 Passenger Lift Services Ltd Single-feed tandem cylinder
US6447723B1 (en) 2000-03-13 2002-09-10 Packard Instrument Company, Inc. Microarray spotting instruments incorporating sensors and methods of using sensors for improving performance of microarray spotting instruments
US6551557B1 (en) 1998-07-07 2003-04-22 Cartesian Technologies, Inc. Tip design and random access array for microfluidic transfer
EP1363737A1 (en) * 2001-02-01 2003-11-26 V & P Scientific, Inc. Microarrayer
US6756225B2 (en) 2000-12-08 2004-06-29 3M Innovative Properties Company Automated imaging and harvesting of colonies on thin film culture devices
US6878554B1 (en) 2000-03-20 2005-04-12 Perkinelmer Las, Inc. Method and apparatus for automatic pin detection in microarray spotting instruments
US7521245B1 (en) 2000-06-05 2009-04-21 Perkinelmer Las, Inc. Method for washing and drying pins in microarray spotting instruments
EP2144067A1 (en) * 2005-10-17 2010-01-13 Manz Automation AG Laboratory robot assembly
US7776584B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2010-08-17 Genetix Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
CN106596996A (en) * 2017-01-25 2017-04-26 浙江中医药大学附属第三医院 Pneumatic ELISA sample loading device
CN106596995A (en) * 2017-01-25 2017-04-26 浙江中医药大学附属第三医院 Reusable pneumatic ELISA sample loading apparatus

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB590175A (en) * 1944-06-26 1947-07-10 Albert Henry Somer Improvements in or relating to devices for the precision control of remote mechanism
GB955382A (en) * 1961-12-22 1964-04-15 Sperry Rand Corp Apparatus for converting fluid pressure into mechanical motion
US4506999A (en) * 1983-07-12 1985-03-26 Telesis Controls Corporation Program controlled pin matrix embossing apparatus

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB590175A (en) * 1944-06-26 1947-07-10 Albert Henry Somer Improvements in or relating to devices for the precision control of remote mechanism
GB955382A (en) * 1961-12-22 1964-04-15 Sperry Rand Corp Apparatus for converting fluid pressure into mechanical motion
US4506999A (en) * 1983-07-12 1985-03-26 Telesis Controls Corporation Program controlled pin matrix embossing apparatus

Cited By (26)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1129008A2 (en) * 1998-07-07 2001-09-05 Cartesian Technology Inc. Tip design and random access array for microfluidic transfer
US7736591B2 (en) 1998-07-07 2010-06-15 Biodot, Inc. Method and apparatus for liquid dispensing
EP1129008A4 (en) * 1998-07-07 2001-12-05 Cartesian Technology Inc Tip design and random access array for microfluidic transfer
US6551557B1 (en) 1998-07-07 2003-04-22 Cartesian Technologies, Inc. Tip design and random access array for microfluidic transfer
WO2001032834A1 (en) * 1999-11-05 2001-05-10 Novozymes A/S A method of screening cell populations
US6447723B1 (en) 2000-03-13 2002-09-10 Packard Instrument Company, Inc. Microarray spotting instruments incorporating sensors and methods of using sensors for improving performance of microarray spotting instruments
US7335338B2 (en) 2000-03-20 2008-02-26 Perkinelmer Las, Inc. Method and apparatus for automatic pin detection in microarray spotting instruments
WO2001070388A2 (en) * 2000-03-20 2001-09-27 Packard Bioscience Corporation Method and apparatus for producing compact microarrays
US6878554B1 (en) 2000-03-20 2005-04-12 Perkinelmer Las, Inc. Method and apparatus for automatic pin detection in microarray spotting instruments
WO2001070388A3 (en) * 2000-03-20 2002-03-21 Packard Bioscience Corp Method and apparatus for producing compact microarrays
US7521245B1 (en) 2000-06-05 2009-04-21 Perkinelmer Las, Inc. Method for washing and drying pins in microarray spotting instruments
GB2370319A (en) * 2000-11-18 2002-06-26 Passenger Lift Services Ltd Single-feed tandem cylinder
US6756225B2 (en) 2000-12-08 2004-06-29 3M Innovative Properties Company Automated imaging and harvesting of colonies on thin film culture devices
EP1363737A4 (en) * 2001-02-01 2007-01-17 V & P Scient Inc Microarrayer
EP1363737A1 (en) * 2001-02-01 2003-11-26 V & P Scientific, Inc. Microarrayer
US7776584B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2010-08-17 Genetix Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8034625B2 (en) 2003-08-01 2011-10-11 Genetix Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8034612B2 (en) 2003-08-01 2011-10-11 Genetix Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US20120028237A1 (en) * 2003-08-01 2012-02-02 Genetix Ltd. Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8293520B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2012-10-23 Molecular Devices (New Milton) Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8293526B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2012-10-23 Molecular Devices (New Milton) Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8293527B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2012-10-23 Molecular Devices (New Milton) Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
US8293525B2 (en) * 2003-08-01 2012-10-23 Molecular Devices (New Milton) Limited Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method
EP2144067A1 (en) * 2005-10-17 2010-01-13 Manz Automation AG Laboratory robot assembly
CN106596996A (en) * 2017-01-25 2017-04-26 浙江中医药大学附属第三医院 Pneumatic ELISA sample loading device
CN106596995A (en) * 2017-01-25 2017-04-26 浙江中医药大学附属第三医院 Reusable pneumatic ELISA sample loading apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2310006B (en) 2000-01-12
GB9524664D0 (en) 1996-01-31

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20141201