JP2019018121A - Pipette holder - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a holder for a pipette having a valve.SOLUTION: A first spacer 106 is spaced away from a first edge part 110 of a front member 102 and is connected to the front member 102 so as to form a first flange 112 of the front member 102. A second spacer 108 is spaced away from a second edge part 114 of the front member 102 and is connected to the front member 102 so as to form a second flange 116 of the front member 102. The first spacer 106 is spaced away from a first edge part 118 of a rear member 104 and is connected to the rear member 104 so as to form a first flange 120 of the rear member 104. The second spacer 108 is spaced away from a second edge part 122 of the rear member 104 and is connected to the rear member 104 so as to form a second flange 124 of the rear member 104.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

  The present invention relates to a pipette holder, and more particularly to a holder for holding a pipette valve.

  Pipettes are used, for example, in the laboratory to measure liquid movement and / or volume. Pipettes, such as volumetric pipettes, Pasteur pipettes, or transfer pipettes, include a stem and a valve. The stem is provided with an opening for receiving a liquid contained in the stem. In some pipettes, a valve is used to draw liquid into the stem. In some pipettes, liquid is drawn into the stem by capillary action. In some pipettes of this type, an air hole is provided in the stem and the amount of liquid drawn into the stem is controlled by the arrangement of the air holes to fill the stem by capillary action until the liquid reaches the air hole. be able to. Generally, the liquid stored in the stem can be released by operating the valve.

  The user of the pipette must take care to accurately control the flow of liquid into and out of the pipette. Handling a pipette that is manipulated by pressure is a difficult task for the human brain and requires the user's fine motor skills. One difficulty lies in gripping the rounded surface (ie, the valve) while controlling the pressure applied so that the valve is not unintentionally compressed during handling. Another difficulty in handling stems from the simultaneous need for spatial accuracy to direct the pipette opening to collect and deliver a liquid sample. For example, when delivering a liquid sample to a sample testing device, this must be done without losing pipette gripping, yet with the proper pressure applied to ensure controlled delivery of the liquid. I must. If the sample is fed into the device with excessive pressure, the risk of spilling and wasting the liquid sample increases. In addition, for small samples, after delivery of the sample, the user must move the pipette without releasing the valve, otherwise a significant amount of sample may be drawn back into the stem.

  In summary, a holder for a pipette, a sheet including a plurality of holders, a kit including a holder and a pipette, and a method of manufacturing a plurality of pipette holders are disclosed.

  In one aspect, a holder for a pipette having a valve is disclosed. The pipette holder includes a front member that defines a first opening, a rear member, a first spacer, and a second spacer. The front member and the rear member may be substantially parallel to each other. Each of the first and second spacers is connected to the front member and the rear member, and separates the front member and the rear member. At least a portion of the first opening is between the first spacer and the second spacer. The front member, the rear member, the first spacer, and the second spacer define a space for receiving the pipette valve. Once the valve is inserted into the space, the valve can be held in the holder by an interference fit. In other words, the diameter of the bulb may slightly exceed the inner dimension of the space.

  The holder allows the user to hold the pipette more reliably because it provides additional rigidity. The front and rear members may be substantially flat, thereby providing a surface around the bulb that is easier to grip as compared to the rounded surface of the bulb. It also allows the user to more accurately control the liquid drawn into and released from the pipette. For example, if the pipette is configured to draw a predetermined amount of liquid into the stem by capillary action, the amount of liquid that is actually taken into the stem when the valve is operated when drawing the liquid into the pipette Can change. The holder provides the user with an area to support the pipette without applying force directly to the valve. Instead, the force applied by the user to grip the holder is transmitted around the valve. To deliver liquid from the pipette, the user can squeeze a valve that can be accessed through the first opening. Further, the first opening limits the amount of pressure that the user can apply to the valve by limiting the user's access to the valve. This improves the accuracy of liquid delivery in the pipette. Because access to the valve is limited, the risk of unintentional application of excessive pressure is reduced. This can help control the aspect of delivery of the liquid sample by the user.

  The first spacer can be connected to the front member away from the first edge of the front member to form a first flange and the second spacer forms a second flange As such, it can be connected to the front member away from the second edge of the front member. Spacers and rear members can also be flanged in a similar manner. Each of the first and second edges of the front member can include the remainder of the frangible connection. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first opening is located in the first flange and in the second flange. The first and second spacers can have a notch in the region of the first opening. In use, the lack of structural support from the first and second spacers in the region of the first opening allows the holder to be more easily compressed to apply force to the pipette valve.

  Optionally, the rear member defines a second opening at least partially located between the first spacer and the second spacer. The second opening may be substantially the same shape and substantially the same size as the first opening, and may substantially match the first opening, depending on manufacturing tolerances. In some embodiments, the first and second openings are cut by a single cutting action, allowing for easier manufacturing.

  The first opening can have any shape, for example, the first opening can include four sides, and can have rounded corners between adjacent sides. In some specific embodiments, two opposing corners are located between the spacers and the other two opposing corners extend into their respective flanges. Advantageously, this shape facilitates manufacturing by cutting the two openings and corresponding portions of the spacer in a single cutting operation. In some embodiments, the first opening comprises an oval shape and achieves a similar effect.

  Optionally, the front member and the rear member are integrally formed with the first spacer element and the second spacer element, for example by extrusion, in a particular example by extrusion of a sheet material such as an aveolar material.

  In another aspect, a sheet comprising a plurality of holders as described above is provided. In the sheet, adjacent pairs of holders are connected by a fragile connection. To allow the use of the holder, the fragile connection can be broken and the holder can be separated from the sheet. A frangible connection (and optionally an opening) can result from cutting the sheet material.

  In another aspect, a kit is provided. The kit includes a pipette having a valve and a holder as described above. The pipette valve is an interference fit in a space defined by the front member, the rear member, the first spacer, and the second spacer.

  The pipette may be a transfer pipette, i.e. a plastic pipette known in the art having a valve and a stem integrally formed. The force required to operate the transfer pipette valve may not be significantly greater than the force required to grip the transfer pipette, and thus the holder is a means for gripping the transfer pipette without operating the valve. I will provide a.

  The pipette can be provided with a stem having an internal dimension that allows the liquid to be drawn by capillary action. The stem can include an air hole in the stem. The air holes can function to limit or substantially prevent liquid driven by capillary action from entering the stem beyond the air holes. As a result, a clear volume of liquid can be drawn into the stem by capillary action. Since it is not necessary to operate the valve to draw liquid into the pipette, the holder provides a means for gripping the pipette without operating the valve as described above, making it easy to measure a given amount of liquid To. Pipettes may be suitable for moving less than 10, 20, 25, 35, 50, or 100 microliters of liquid. For example, the pipette may be substantially as described in US Pat. No. 5,460,782 or US Pat. No. 6,531,098, both incorporated herein.

  In yet another aspect, a method for manufacturing a plurality of pipette holders is provided. The method includes receiving a sheet of sheet material. The sheet material may be an aveolar material. The sheet includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of spacers positioned at regular intervals. Each spacer is connected to the front surface and the rear surface, and the front surface and the rear surface are separated from each other. The method includes cutting the front surface to form a plurality of openings, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of openings is located between two adjacent spacers. The method includes cutting the front and back surfaces between each opening to separate the pipette holder. For example, the front and back surfaces can be cut to form a frangible connection between each opening, or the pipette holder may be completely separated by a cut. The method allows for quick and easy manufacture of multiple pipette holders. In embodiments where fragile connections remain, the method provides a convenient way to supply multiple pipettes.

  Cutting the front surface to form a plurality of openings and / or cutting the front and back surfaces between each opening, for example to form a frangible connection between each opening, a laser cutter Can be performed using a water jet, blade, or saw.

  The method can include cutting the rear surface to form a corresponding opening for each of the plurality of openings, wherein at least a portion of each of the corresponding openings is between two adjacent spacers. To position. The method can include cutting through the sheet to form multiple pairs of (first and second) openings in the front and back surfaces in a single cutting operation. Of course, the sheet can also be cut in the same way to form a pipette holder separation / fragile connection.

  The openings may be arranged on the same sheet in various ways, for example one or more rows.

  Specific embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings.

The front view of a holder is shown. 1B shows a side view of the holder of FIG. 1A. 1B shows a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B shows the holder of FIG. 1A engaged with a pipette. 4 shows another embodiment of a holder. 4 shows another embodiment of a holder. Fig. 7 shows a front view of yet another embodiment of the holder. 5B shows a side view of the holder of FIG. 5A. FIG. A plurality of holders connected to each other are shown. The manufacturing method of a holder is shown.

  The present disclosure provides a holder for a pipette having a valve. In use, the pipette valve is inserted into the holder and the user can use the pipette by holding the holder rather than the valve. In this way, the holder makes it possible to hold the pipette without applying a force directly to the valve. This allows the user to accurately draw the desired amount of liquid into the pipette, especially when the liquid is drawn into the pipette by capillary forces. The holder includes an opening that allows access to the valve. The user can deliver liquid from the pipette by operating the valve through the opening.

  With reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a holder 100 for a pipette having a valve will be described. The holder 100 includes a front member 102, a rear member 104, a first spacer 106, and a second spacer 108.

  The first spacer 106 and the second spacer 108 are connected between the front member 102 and the rear member 104, respectively, and separate the front member 102 and the rear member 104. Specifically, the first spacer 106 is connected to the front member 102 away from the first edge 110 of the front member 102 so as to form a first flange 112 of the front member 102. . The second spacer 108 is connected to the front member 102 away from the second edge 114 of the front member 102 so as to form a second flange 116 of the front member 102. Similarly, the first spacer 106 is connected to the rear member 104 away from the first edge 118 of the rear member 104 to form the first flange 120 of the rear member 104. The second spacer 108 is connected to the rear member 104 away from the second edge 122 of the rear member 104 so as to form a second flange 124 of the rear member 104.

  The front member 102 includes an opening 126. The opening 126 extends from the first flange 112 of the front member 102 to the second flange 116 of the front member 102 such that a portion of the opening 126 is between the first spacer 106 and the second spacer 108. It extends to. Opening 126 is a diamond with rounded corners between sides (ie, having pairs of sides parallel to each other). Two opposing corners of the rhombus are located between the spacers, and the remaining two opposing corners extend to the respective flanges.

  Front member 102, rear member 104, first spacer 106, and second spacer 108 cooperate to define a space for receiving a pipette valve. This space has an opening 128 into which a pipette valve can be inserted. In use, the valve is inserted into the opening 128 and the valve is held in the holder by an interference fit. However, in some embodiments, the valve is clearance fit into the space, held loose by friction, held against a stopper or detent, or glued to the holder.

  In some embodiments, the first and second spacers 106, 108 are cut in the region of the opening 126. In use, the lack of structural support from the first and second spacers 106, 108 in the area of the opening 126 allows the holder 100 to be more easily compressed to apply force to the pipette valve.

  Referring to FIG. 1C, the rear member 104 of the holder 100 includes a second opening 130. The second opening 130 corresponds to (matches) the opening 126 of the front member 102 and is substantially the same size and substantially the same shape as the opening 126. The first and second spacers 106 and 108 are cut off in the region of the openings 126 and 130. In use, the lack of structural support from the first and second spacers 106, 108 in the region of the openings 126, 130 allows the holder 100 to be more easily compressed to apply force to the pipette valve. .

  In some embodiments, one of the openings 126, 130 is omitted, resulting in only one opening in one of the front / rear members. In these embodiments, the spacers may be cut as described above or left as is, depending on the particular embodiment.

  FIG. 2 shows the pipette 200 inserted into the holder 100. Pipette 200 includes a valve 202 and a stem 204. A central portion of valve 202 is accessible through opening 126. The pipette 200 is held in the holder 100 so that the pipette 200 can be supported using the holder 100, for example by holding the front member 102 and the rear member 104 above or below the opening 126. . Thereby, the pipette 200 can be held without applying a force directly to the valve 202. Valve 202 can be operated through opening 126 for the intake of liquid into the pipette and the delivery of liquid from the pipette.

  Various embodiments are described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5A, and 5B showing various aperture configurations and / or front and rear member configurations. As with the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1C, these embodiments can have openings on only one side, or can have openings on each side, It may or may not be cut off in the region of the opening.

  Referring to FIG. 3, the holder 300 is substantially the same as the holder 100. However, the holder 300 includes an elliptical opening 302 instead of the diamond-shaped opening 126 of the holder 100. Similar to the holder 100, the openings extend into the flanges 116, 112 (in some cases 124, 120).

  Referring to FIG. 4, the holder 400 is substantially the same as the holder 300. However, the holder 400 includes an opening 402 that is located entirely between the first spacer 106 and the second spacer 108.

  With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the holder 500 is substantially the same as the holder 100. However, the holder 500 includes a first spacer 502 and a second spacer 504 that connect to the edges of the front member 102 and the rear member 104. Specifically, the first spacer 502 is connected to the first edge 110 of the front member 102 and the first edge 118 of the rear member 104. A second spacer 504 is connected to the second edge 114 of the front member 102 and the second edge 122 of the rear member 104. In other words, the holder 500 does not include a flange.

  Referring to FIG. 6, a sheet 600 includes a plurality of holders 100 arranged in a line. It will be appreciated that the holders 300, 400, and 500 can be placed on the sheet in a similar manner. In the sheet 600, pairs of adjacent holders 100 are connected to each other by a fragile connection 602 on the front member 102 and / or the rear member 104 of each holder 100. The plurality of holders need not be the same. For example, the plurality of holders can include a mixture of the holders 100, 200, 300, 400 described with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C-4, 5A, and 5B.

  In some embodiments, the sheet 600 comprises a plurality of holders arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. In any given row, pairs of adjacent holders 100 are connected to each other by a frangible connection 602 on the front member 102 and / or the rear member 104 of each holder 100. Between rows, adjacent pairs of holders 100 are connected to each other by frangible connections 602 on the front member 102 and / or the rear member 104 of each holder 100.

  The sheet 600 can be manufactured from a single sheet material, for example, a plastic sheet material such as an aveolar sheet material. In some embodiments, laser cutting can be used to cut the plastic of the aveolar sheet.

  Next, a method 700 for manufacturing a plurality of holders 100 (or 300, 400, or 500) will be described with reference to FIG. In step 702, an aveolar sheet is received. The alveolar sheet includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of spacers positioned at regular intervals. Each of the plurality of spacers is connected between the front surface and the rear surface, and separates the front surface and the rear surface. The front, rear, and adjacent spacer pairs each define a space for receiving a pipette valve.

  In step 704, the front member is cut to form a plurality of openings. At least a part of each of the plurality of openings is located between two adjacent spacers. In optional step 706, the rear member is cut to form a corresponding opening for each of the plurality of openings. In some embodiments, the cutting step 704 and the cutting step 706 are performed in the same cutting operation. For example, a laser cutting beam or saw blade can pass through the front member and the rear member in a single cutting operation to cut each of the plurality of openings. In other words, using the same one-time cutting action, the openings can be cut into the front and back surfaces by forming each pair of openings by cutting through the thickness of the alveolar sheet.

  In step 708, the front and back surfaces are cut between each opening to form a frangible connection between each opening. Corresponding cuts can be made as described above by forming a pair of front and rear cuts by a single respective cutting action. In some embodiments, the sheet is cut to completely separate the pipette holder rather than leaving a fragile connection. Accordingly, a series of cuts in the aveolar sheet are performed to form a plurality of pipette holders in the sheet. The fragile connection can be broken and the holder can be separated from the alveolar sheet. In optional step 710, a plurality of pipettes are inserted into the space defined between the front surface, the rear surface, and the adjacent pair of spacers in each holder, either before or after breaking any frangible connection. The In this way, in some embodiments, a plurality of pipettes can be provided held on a sheet of pipette holders separated by frangible connections.

  It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing and understanding the above description. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, but rather is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will be understood that the present invention can be implemented with changes and adjustments. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

  For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple pipette holders can be manufactured using methods that do not require starting from sheet material. A sheet that includes individual holders or a plurality of holders, and in which adjacent pairs of holders are connected by a fragile connecting portion, can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding. Another possibility is gas-assisted injection molding of the entire part, ie a plastic pipette with a reinforced valve (or a sheet containing a plurality of holders and pipettes). In this case, in some configurations, the front and rear members can accommodate a thicker extension of the wall of the plastic valve. The spacers and openings can correspond to the thinner walls of the plastic valve in these configurations. Similarly, the cross-section of the valve can have various shapes, such as rectangular or oval, for example, and the notch, receiving space, and outer shape of the pipette holder can vary depending on the particular embodiment and application. Can have a shape.

Claims (20)

A holder for holding a pipette having a valve,
A front member defining a first opening;
A rear member;
A first spacer and a second spacer, each connected to the front member and the rear member, and separating the front member and the rear member;
At least a part of the first opening is located between the first spacer and the second spacer, and the front member, the rear member, the first spacer, and the second spacer A holder that defines a space for receiving the valve of the pipette.   The first spacer is connected to the front member away from the first edge of the front member so as to form a first flange, and the second spacer includes a second flange. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holder is connected to the front member away from the second edge of the front member to form.   The holder of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the first opening is located within the first flange and the second flange.   The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rear member defines a second opening at least a part of which is located between the first spacer and the second spacer.   The holder of claim 4, wherein the second opening substantially coincides with the first opening.   The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the front member and the rear member are substantially parallel to each other.   The holder according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each of the first and second edges of the front member includes the remainder of a fragile connection.   The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first opening includes four sides and a rounded corner between adjacent sides.   Claim 8 when dependent on claim 2, wherein two opposite corners are located between said first and second spacers, said two opposite corners extending to respective flanges. The holder described. A sheet comprising a plurality of holders according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Adjacent holder pairs are separated by fragile connections. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or a sheet according to claim 10;
A kit comprising a pipette having a valve.   The valve of the pipette is an interference fit in the space defined by the front member, the rear member, the first spacer, and the second spacer. Kit.   The kit according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the pipette is a transfer pipette.   14. The pipette comprises a stem, the stem having an internal dimension sized to allow liquid to be drawn into the stem by capillary action. kit. A method of manufacturing a plurality of pipette holders, comprising:
A sheet including a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of spacers positioned at regular intervals, each of the spacers being connected to the front surface and the rear surface to separate the front surface and the rear surface; Receiving,
Cutting the front surface to form a plurality of openings such that at least a portion of each of the plurality of openings is located between two adjacent spacers;
Cutting the front and back surfaces between each opening so as to separate the openings.   16. The method of claim 15, wherein cutting the front and back surfaces between each opening to separate the openings includes forming a frangible connection between each opening. Cutting the back surface to form a corresponding opening for each of the plurality of openings,
The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein at least a part of each of the corresponding openings is located between two adjacent spacers. 18. The method of claim 17, comprising cutting through the sheet to form corresponding pairs of openings.   The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in a row. The method of claim 16, comprising cutting through the sheet to form the frangible connection.

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