Apparatus and Method for Aspirating and Dispensing Liquid

Abstract

A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal partial cross-sectional view of a simplified representation of a first embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing an abbreviated form of the channel member and a simple view of the display panel.

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the channel-tip interface of the embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 2, showing a plurality of point sources and point detectors.

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the channel-tip interface of a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, showing a plurality of point sources and point detectors and two annular sources.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from below of the second embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 without the tip attached.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view from below of the second embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 with the tip attached.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from below of the second embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 without the tip attached and showing a simplified representation within the liquid handling device of the electrical connections between the light source and detectors and the logic circuitry, wherein the LED light sources and the light detectors are positioned at the channel-tip interface.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from below of the second embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 without the tip attached and showing a simplified representation within the liquid handling device of the electrical connections between the light source and detectors and the logic circuitry, wherein the LED light sources and the light detectors are positioned remote from the channel-tip interface within the channel member.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal view of a tip of the present invention with a light-transmitting fiber within the lumen of the tip.

FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the tip of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a close-up longitudinal cross-sectional view of a tip of the present invention including light transmission within the tip wall and an out-coupling device, showing light scatter from the out-coupling device and a detector positioned at the channel-tip interface.

FIG. 12 is a simplified block representation of the primary steps of a method of aspirating and dispensing a liquid aliquot with the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a first embodiment of the apparatus as it is being positioned to aspirate a liquid from a source.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a second embodiment of the apparatus as it is positioned within a source of a liquid being aspirated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for aspirating liquid from a first target and dispensing the liquid to a second target, the apparatus comprising: a. a liquid handling device including one or more channel members;b. a liquid holding tip removably connectable to each one of the one or more channel members; andc. one or more signal transmitting devices removably connectable or integral to either or both of the one or more channel members and the liquid holding tip, wherein each of the one or more signal transmitting devices is capable of transmitting at least one first signal to the first target as an indication of the position of the tip with respect to the first target, and wherein each of the one or more signal transmitting devices is capable of transmitting at least one second signal to the second target as an indication of the position of the tip with respect to the second target.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more signal transmitting devices is a light transmitting device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one or both of the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal transmitted by the light transmitting device acts as to spotlight at least a portion of one or both of the first target and the second target.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the light transmitting device is capable of transmitting light in a selectable shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or both of the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal are visually detectable by a human operator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further includes one or more signal detecting devices, and one or both of the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal are detectable by the one or more signal detecting devices after either or both of the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal interact with one or both of the first target and the second target.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising logic circuitry coupled to the one or more signal detecting devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus further includes one or more display devices, wherein the logic circuitry is coupled to any of the one or more display devices, and wherein the logic circuitry is programmed to direct any of the one or more display devices to display information about the tip.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the logic circuitry is coupled to the one or more signal transmitting devices and the logic circuitry is capable of controlling the operation of the one or more signal transmitting devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or both of the at least first one signal and the at least one second signal is modulated.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the apparatus further includes one or more signal detecting devices, wherein one or both of the at least one first signal and the at least one second signal are detectable by the one or more signal detecting devices after either or both of the first signal and the at least one second signal are reflected from one or both of the first target and the second target, and wherein at least one of the one or more signal detecting devices is a light detecting device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising logic circuitry coupled to the at least one light detecting device, wherein the at least one light detecting device is capable of providing to the logic circuitry information regarding the tip's position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the information regarding the tip's position that the at least one light detecting device is capable of providing to the logic circuitry includes information to be used to re-position the tip.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the tip includes a tip wall formed at least partially of waveguide-quality material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein one or both of the first signal and the second signal are light, and a portion of either or both of the first signal and the second signal are detectable by the one or more signal detecting devices after being back-reflected into the tip.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the tip wall includes one or more out-coupling devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the one or more out-coupling devices is a diffraction grating capable of diffracting the light carried by the tip wall.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the one or more out-coupling devices is a roughened area on the tip wall or a change in the geometry of the tip wall, and wherein the roughened area or change in geometry is capable of dispersing light carried by the tip wall.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein at least one of the one or more out-coupling devices includes one or more light dispersion elements capable of establishing the direction that the light carried by the tip wall travels upon exiting the tip wall.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the tip wall includes two or more out-coupling devices arranged such that light traveling in the tip wall exits any of the two or more out-coupling devices positioned above the liquid surface, but does not exit any of the two or more out-coupling devices immersed in the liquid.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising one or more optical fibers positioned adjacent to the tip, wherein the one or more optical fibers are capable of carrying light.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the one or more optical fibers include one or more out-coupling devices.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the one or more out-coupling devices is a diffraction grating, and wherein the diffraction grating is capable of diffracting light.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the one or more out-coupling devices is a roughened area on the one or more optical fibers or a change in the geometry of the one or more optical fibers, and wherein the roughened area or change in geometry causes the light being carried by the one or more optical fibers to be dispersed from the one or more optical fibers.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein at least one of the one or more out-coupling devices includes one or more light dispersion elements capable of establishing the direction that light carried by the one or more optical fibers travels upon exiting the one or more optical fibers.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the one or more optical fibers includes two or more out-coupling devices arranged such that light carried by the one or more optical fibers exits any of the one or more out-coupling devices positioned outside a liquid, but does not exit any of the one of the two or more out-coupling devices immersed in the liquid.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein one or both of the first signal and the second signal are light, and a portion of either or both of the first signal and the second signal are detectable by the one or more signal detecting devices after being back-reflected into the one or more optical fibers.

28. A method for aspirating and dispensing liquids through a liquid holding tip from or to a target, the liquid holding tip forming a replaceable part of a liquid handling device, the method comprising the steps of: a. positioning the tip with respect to the target;b. transmitting at least one signal to the target, wherein the at least one signal includes one or more indicia of position of the tip with respect to the target;c. detecting the at least one signal; andd. determining from the at least one detected signal one or more of: (1) whether the tip is properly attached to the liquid handling device; (2) whether the proper type of tip is connected to the liquid handling device; (3) whether the tip has contacted the surface of a liquid sample of the target, both when the tip is empty for aspiration and when the tip contains a liquid aliquot for dispensation; (4) whether the immersion depth of the tip in the liquid sample is acceptable; (5) whether the liquid aliquot is present in the tip; and (6) whether liquid is not present in the tip.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of transmitting at least one signal includes the step of transmitting the signal within air external to the tip.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of transmitting the at least one signal includes the step of transmitting the at least one signal within air within the lumen of the tip.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one signal is a light signal, comprising the steps of: a. reflecting the light from the target to form an image of variable resolution upon the target; andb. moving the tip toward the target such that the resolution of the image becomes increasingly more focused as the tip approaches a desired position with respect to the target, wherein the image is substantially focused when the tip is substantially at the desired position with respect to the target and the image is not focused when the tip is not substantially at the desired position with respect to the target.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of detecting the at least one signal includes the step of using one or more signal detecting devices arranged to detect at least one signal transmitted by the one or more signal transmitting devices.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the method further includes the step of using logic circuitry coupled to the one or more signal detecting devices to interpret at least one detection signal received from the one or more signal detecting devices.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the logic circuitry is programmed to control movement of the liquid handling device to adjust the position of the tip with respect to the target.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the logic circuitry is programmed to indicate to a human operator to adjust the position of the tip with respect to the target.