US2366369A - Method and apparatus for treating pipettes and the like - Google Patents

Description

.Ff-7: E. E.

Jan-2, 1945- J. TANNENB'ERG 2,366,369

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PIPETTES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 2, 1942 V2 sheets-sheet 1 Frs. 2.

I N V EN TOR. 7dag/af 75m/femme Jn. 2, 1945. J. TANNENBERG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING PIPETTES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @im fv/re/vs/ N M4114] I w SW@ Patented Jan. 2, 1945 I' ,UNITED STATES rml-:rms AND 'rms Joseph 'ranne'nbera Batavia. N.' Y.' Application December `2, 1942, Serial No. 487,672

e claims.

This invention relates to method and. apparatus for treating and storing pipettes for use in connection with bacterlological purposes or other capillary or relatively narrow, preferably tubular receptacles.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a very eillcient and simplified method for' 'chemically and/or mechanically treating pipettes t or similar capillary, tubular receptacles after their'usage, so as to render them readily serviceable for renewed use or further purposes.

It is-another object of the present invention to provide means for holding pipettes or like capillary tubes during cleansing and' sterilizing treatments in the course of the aforesaid method, said pipettes being manipulated without being brought in contact with the fingers or-hand of the laborant or operator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a suitable container for holding one or more pipettes or similar tubular articles ready for use, storing purposes and future employment, and to utilize also said container in the aforesaid method accordingtowhich used pipettes placed in such container aresubjected to cleansing, disinfecting, heat treating and other steps of said method.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container orv similar device equipped with closure means for storing pipettes or the like, a part of said device being utilizable in the method for cleansing and sterilizing the pipettes after usage thereof. v

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means tol automatically rinse or wash tubes or pipettes andthe like, preferably contained in several containers. l

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means for rinsing and cleaning pi- 4 petteaor similar tubes, etc., the rinsing or cleaning substance or liquid applied to said pipettes being intermittently and automatically drained oil by means of siphon effect.

'Ihese and other objects and advantages will result from the ensuing description and attached drawings, which illustrate certain steps of the method and means by which said method may be performed, it being understood, however, that the drawings andthe disclosure derived therefrom reveal.` only one of many possible embodiments of the invention, which is not to be considered limited thereby in any way.

In the drawings--4 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a container or device enclosing therein between top and bottom closures a pipette ready for use.

Figs.. 2 and 3 illustrate two diilerent stages in the method according to this invention.

AFig. 4 isa bottom view of the container proper. Figs. 5 to 'I show means and further stages of the said'method for automatically cleaning and washing pipettes.

Pipettes or similar capillary-tubular receptacles mostly madev from glass or other preferably transparent material have van average length of l about 5 to l0 inches or longer with anlinner diameter of a fraction of one millimeter or more. Pipettes are generally used for measuring small amounts of biological mattersor uids, such as blood, plasma, bacterial-substances or suspenl sions, or any other appropriate chemical uids.

In practice, it has been found very difficult and very complicated to thoroughly clean pipettes so that they can be used again for further examinations and experimental purposes.

In order to overcome these and other difliculties and disadvantages, the following method and means according t0 the present invention, are proposed by which a quick and thorough cleaning and sterilization of pipettes or like tubular recep- 425 tacles may be effected.

Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, there is disclosed in Fig. 1 a container I 0 made from metal, glass or lany suitable resinous composition, the material of said container requiring certain properties, as will be explained herein further below. Container Ill may be circular in cross-section or may assume any appropriateshape. as desired, and comprises the tubular body or container part II having perforated bottom I2 and open end I3. v

Bottom4v I2 and lower part IB of tubular body II are provided with a plurality of relatively small (about one to two'millimeters) perforations Il, I5. Instead of perforated bottom I2 as 40 depicted in Fig. 1,- a wire or like mesh (not shown) may be used, which may be attached to one oi the open ends of tubular body II. Container I0 isfiltted with cup-shaped tpcover I'I and cupshaped bottom cover I8 which close said container In substantially airtight, both covers I'I,v

I 8 slidably engaging the wall ofl tubularjbody II. As can be seen in Fig. 1, both covers are made suiliciently long to embrace the ends of tubular container part II, so as to leave middle portion I9 of container Ill uncovered. Bottom cover I8v extends beyond perforations I5 of tubular part I I, as shown in the drawings.

Container I0, as shown in Fig. 1, encloses pi- 56 pette or similar tube 20- of well known congura up to several hundred tion material which has the open and contracted ends 2l, 22. .Y

As above mentioned, container I may be made of any suitable material which sustains dry heat- It is, of'course, understood that container Illl closed by covers I1, i8 may hold a" plurality 4or pipettes, which may be stored therein in sterilized condition and ready for biological use.

When pipettes are needed for laboratory work. the container cover l1 is removed and the pipettes .are removedone after another from container I0.

After the pipettesshave been employed and have fuliilled their purpose, they are cleaned and made ready for renewed use in the followinglmanner: The used pipettes are placed in the empty part II of container I0 '(Fig. 2) whose top and bottom covers are removed, the container part Il thus filled with one or more pipettes being then caused to sink into a vessel .22 containing disinfecting solution 23, such as 5% cresol in water. It is quite evident that the disinfectant 23 will passthrough the bottom and lower side wall perforaticns il, I5 of container part Il and will also penetrate lthe lower open end 22 of pipette 20 and ascend therein. This will prevent any drying and adhering of any residues, ,precipitates or portions of biological fluids employed, to the inner wall of pipette 20.

After a certain lapse of time allowed for the disintegration or dissolution of the remaining residue in the pipette, the container part I l holding pipette 20 is lifted and removed from vessel 22, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The watery disinfectant 23 is thus drained voil and several of said container parts Il are then placed into a crock (not shown) containing a chemical cleaning solution, such as 10% sulphuric acid and potassium bichromate. This cleaning solution penetrates from below through the perforations Il, l5 of container part Il andI passes through pipette opening 22 and remains in said crock for several hours or over night,

' if desired.

The pipette container part Irl is then removed from said crock in a manner similar to that, as shown and described with respect to Figs. 2 and 3;

the cleansing solution being allowed to be discharged through said perforations or passages '14, I5, when said container part I I is being lifted. Several container parts Il holding thethus treated pipette or pipettes are then subjected to an automatic rinsing or washing step, as will be thereafter described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. A'fter the pipettes are washed with tap water for one or more hours, they are then immersed or dipped in distilled water, drained oi and'placed in a drying oven or other heated dryer. The container parts II carrying the pipette or pipettes are then closed at bottom and top, as illustrated in Fig. l, are then stored and the pipette is again ready for use.

Containers with pipettes for bacteriological purposes after the drying step may be further .sterilized by dry heat in any suitable way. VThe closed pipette container may thereafter be stored until needed for further use.

The washing or rinsing step hereinabove repipettes 20 are placed on a tray 2l having the supporting legs 23 and perforations 30, the legs ,resting on oblique wall extension 23 of receptacle 25. Receptacle 25 is supported by tripod 33 having the legs 34. The tripod has inwardly projecting lugs 35 for supporting the extension 23. Tripod -33 together with receptacle 25 is prefer'- ably placed in a sink (not shown) and below the water faucet 36. Removably attached to the open end 21 of receptacle 26 is tube or pipe bend 3l to which the inverted U-shaped tube 32 is attached, as seen in Figs. 5, 6, '1. The perforations V3|) of tray 23 communicate with the opening 21 and tubes3l, 32. -V

As will be well apparent from the above, the water supplied from faucet 36 will first enter the tube 3l and rise both in -receptacle 25 and U-shaped tube 32 up, to level 31 (Fig. 5), will further rise to level 38 (Fig. 6) and iinally'to level 33. As soon as the water level 39 will be reached, the well known Siphon effect will be produced whereby the water column in receptacle 25 and tubes 3l and 32 will be lowered below level 31, while the water escapes through tube 32 according to arrow Al of Fig. '7. It is wellunderstood that any'known throttle or valve means (not shown) may be vbuilt in pipe 32 to accomplish or improve this siphoning effect.

As will be seen in the drawing, the u -shaped tube 32 is elevated with respect to container parts Il, so that before the siphon effect takes place, a water level will be reached according to which the container parts Il are iirst fully immersed within the water contained in receptacle 25.

Due tothe Siphon effect the hereinabove described washing step will take place intermittently although the water flow from the faucet may be continuous. As soon as the water level reaches the level of the inverted U-shaped pipe or tube 32, the water is beginning to flow out, and then being siphoned oi very quickly. Provided the diameter of the tube or pipes 3|, 32 is large enough in comparison to the steady supply of the water, the washing apparatus is quickly drained off in the moment the siphon effect starts (which may be regulated by the aforesaid builtin valve means). The high water level is thus moved down to a level corresponding to the height of theperforated tray -28 onv which the pipette containers Il are placed. The pipette container' ing apparatus is being slowly lled again, the l water rises again to approximately level 39 and the rinsing or washing effect willrepeat itself until the ow from the Water faucet is shut off. As mentioned hereinabove, the container parts I I with the pipettes are thereafter removed from the receptacle 25 and are finally treated, as aforesaid, for sterilization. It is to be noted that instead of the container part Il as shown, an open ended tube may be used which telescopically receives at one of its ends a formaminous or sieve-like part which since it may be extended may regulate the height of the container or tubular part according to the length of thepipettes employed.

ferred to is now about to be described. Several container parts H containing one or more It will thus be' seen that there has been pro- A vided by this invention al method and apparatus of the character described, in which the various objects hereinabove-'set forth, together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved.'l I

2,366,369 Asmany possible embodiments may be made n of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above se: forth, it is well understood that all matters herein disclosed or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the inventionwhat is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. The method of preparing pipettes or the like for renewed use comprising substantially the following steps: rst subjecting said pipettes while placed in a foraminous container, to a liquid disinfecting agent, removingand draining off said agent from said container carrying said pipettes, thereafter placing the container with said pipettes in a receptacle containing a chemical cleanser, removing said container with the pipettes from said cleanser and allowing the cleanser' to drain off from said container, then subjecting the container together with the pipettes repeatedly to automatic washing action, thereafter introducing said container with the pipettes into distilled water and allowing draining off of said distilled water, subjecting said container with the pipettes to the iniiuence of a heated drier, then sealing said container at its bottom and top to encase said pipettes, and iinally allowing container and pipettes to be sterilized by application of dry heat.

2. A device for treating used pipettes compris.- ing a receptacle, a perforated tray placed in said receptacle, an inverted substantially U-shaped pipe connection communicating with the lower portion of said receptacle and extending substantially with itsl bend toward the upper 'portion of said receptacle, and a. tubular container hav-.-

'ing an open top and a perforated bottom carried by said tray and holding a pipette, whereby upon supply of liquid to said receptacle in suiiicient quantity to raise the level of saidA liquid substantially up to said U-shaped bend, said container and pipette Will be automatically rinsed due to a thereby produced Siphon effect.

3. A device for treating used pipettes and the like comprising a receptacle having an open up, per end and open g bottom, a perforated tray' placed in said. receptacle. an inverted substantially U-shaped pipe connected to said bottom and communicating with said receptacle,` the bend of said pipe being positioned substantially at the level of said4 open upper end of said rematic washing treatment of said pipette in said tubular container.

4. The method of preparing pipettes or similar tubular articles for renewed use comprising substantially the following steps: iirst placing said pipettes in a foraminous container, subjecting said pipettes to a disinfecting agent, removing said agent from said container holding said pipettes, placing the container with said pipettes in a receptacle containing a chemical cleanser, removing said container with the pipettes from said cleanser and allowing the cleanser to drain on', then repeatedly washing the container together with the pipettes, thereafter introducing said container with the pipettes into distilled water, removing said distilled water from said container and pipettes, subjecting said container with the pipettes to the iniiuence of dry heat, then closing said container at itsbottom and top to encase said pipettes in said container, and

iinally sterilizing the thus closed container and pipettes therein by further application of dry heat.

5. An apparatus for treating pipettes and like tubular elements comprising a receptacle having an open top, a perforated support removably positioned Within said receptacle and adapted to carry at least one tubular container having a perforated bottom and holding a plurality of pipettes tol be treated, and an inverted U-shaped pipe connected with said receptacle and in communication with the interior thereof, the U- shaped bend of said pipe being located at about the level of said open top, whereby upon supply of suficient liquid to the interior of said receptacle and into said pipe a siphoning effect will be produced in said U-shaped bend, thus effectuating rinsing treatment of said pipettes within said,

tubular container.

6. An apparataus for treating pipettes and like tubular elements comprising a receptacle having an upper end, a perforated support positioned within said receptacleand adapted to carry one or more tubular containers each having a perforated bottom and each`being adapted to hold a plurality of pipettes to be treated, and an inverted U-shaped pipe connected with said receptacle "and communicating with the interior thereof, the U-shaped bend of said pipe being located at about the level of said upper end, wherebyupon supply of a suiiicient quantity of liquid to the interior of said receptacle and into said pipe a siphoning eifect will be produced in said U-shaped bend, thus effectuating rinsing treatment of said pipettes containers.

JOSEPH TANNENBERG.

within said tubular'

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