Patent Application
20090055131
The present invention relates generally to the tracking and recording of the volumes of fluid dispensed from laboratory or clinical apparatus and the provision of an electronic record of the data, especially including manual and automated pipettes.
Accurate recording of data in a manner that permits retrieval of these data as required is an essential feature of good laboratory and clinical practice. It is generally acknowledged that manual recording of data is both error prone and time consuming, and therefore it would be beneficial to devise methods of data acquisition and storage that do not rely solely on the discretion of the technician or practitioner. In both laboratory and clinical settings many different devices or apparatus are utilized routinely that would benefit from the generation of an independent record of their operations. The data that may be recorded from such devices typically include time of operation and one or more specific physical parameter as exemplified by volume, temperature, speed and duration of rotation, and the like. Prevalent examples of operations that require an accurate record include but are not limited to volumes dispensed by fluid dispensing devices such as pipettes, intravenous or other infusion lines, feeding tubes, column fractionation equipment and the like.
Pipettes are one of the most widely used devices, indispensable in chemical and biochemical laboratories. Precision pipettes have made chemical assays accurate and reproducible. In addition to constantly improving the quality and design of the simple mechanical pipettes, the market sees expansion of electronic pipettes and multi-pipettes. Pipettes have evolved from relatively simple straw-type structures to sophisticated electronic hand-held devices that exhibit a great degree of precision.
Typically, for a technician in a laboratory environment, pipetting may occupy a considerable percentage of his/her time. Pipette users perform extremely large numbers of operations to dispense measured volumes of reagents and solutions. This work requires great accuracy.
Among the pipette users' critical needs are the precise measurement of dispensed volume, and the accurate recording of the dispensed volume data into a laboratory notebook as required by standard scientific documentation procedures. The requirement to record dispensed volume data is cumbersome and time consuming and often interrupts the flow of work where a large number of consecutive dispensing operations with pipettes is required. In addition, the manually recording of this data is an error prone activity.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,567,780; 5,892,161 and 6,428,750 describe mechanical and electronic apparatus for displaying the volume setting of the pipette on a device attached to or placed within the housing of the pipette. Nevertheless, these devices merely display the volume setting or dispensed volume, and have no mechanism for recording volume data. Thus, these devices do not permit automatic recordal of pipette dispensing data, thereby relieving the pipette user from this burden.
At the other end of the spectrum are the robotic pipette workstations, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,270. These expensive and sophisticated devices allow for the dispensing of predetermined volumes of liquid using a motor driven pump which is controlled by and receives instructions from a computing device. These instructions are stored in persistent memory and are transmitted through a cable connecting the computing device to the motor driven pump. Driver software allows the pipette workstations to execute a series of dispensing operations according to a predetermined protocol.
A battery powered, microprocessor controlled portable electronic pipette is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,832. This pipette comprises a hand holdable housing supporting a battery, a linear actuator for driving a plunger lengthwise in a cylinder to aspirate and dispense fluid into and from a pipette tip extending from the housing and a control circuit for the linear actuator. The handheld electronic pipette disclosed does not provide any means of storing the data to persistent memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,161 discloses the use of one or more Hall effect transducers to sense the volume setting of a mechanical pipette and display this value electronically, but does not suggest exporting any data to persistent storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,780 provides for the use of a potentiometer to sense the volume setting of the pipette and to output this value to an electronic display, but does not suggest exporting any data to persistent storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,798 discloses a volume sensing device for approximately determining the volume of liquid present in a standard plastic disposable pipette. In one embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,798, the volume sensor outputs data to a computer data storage device. The disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,798 is directed to sensing the amount volume of liquid present in a standard plastic disposable pipette at a given moment, and there is no suggestion of sensing or recording the volume of fluid actually dispensed from the pipette tip or probe. The volume sensing device is not mounted on the pipette, and it is a requirement that the pipette be physically lowered into the volume sensing device. Furthermore, the invention requires the user to specifically and manually insert the pipette tip or probe into the volume sensing device at a predetermined velocity. In addition, the physical geometry of the disclosed system requires that if the user wants to subsequently dispense fluid from the pipette after using the disclosed apparatus to sense the volume of fluid in the pipette tip, the user must first remove the inserted pipette tip from the disclosed apparatus and then subsequently the user may dispense fluid. There is no suggestion of wireless technology to transmit the electronic output of the volume sensing device to a data storage device. There is no suggestion of mounting the volume sensing device onto the actual pipette tip or pipetting device, and the apparatus geometry disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,798 teaches away from mounting the disclosed volume sensing device onto the pipetting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,249 discloses a wireless communications module for the remote reading of a utilities meter via a wireless modem that communicates using data packet networks. There is no disclosure of pipettes, pipettors or non-electronic devices, nor is there any mention of clinical or laboratory devices.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0114771 discloses a body temperature monitoring device that includes a processor unit connected electrically to a temperature detecting unit, a data storage unit, a display unit, and a control key unit. The control key unit is operable so as to control the processor unit to store periodically both temperature information corresponding to a digital temperature signal from the temperature detecting unit, and storage time information associated with the temperature information in the data storage unit. There is no disclosure of pipettes, pipettors or non-electronic devices, nor is there any suggestion of using a wireless connection to transmit temperature data to the data storage device.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2003/0204371 discloses a temporary wireless network system for controlling, collecting, processing, and responding to data generated by a plurality of sensors configured for measuring data associated with operation of, and the environment related to, commercial, industrial and manufacturing operations, processes and equipment located within a fixed geographic area. In addition, this application suggests communicating collected operational or environmental data associated with an industrial process to a general-purpose computer for storing, querying, reporting, visualizing and analyzing the data for relationships or anomalies among the data. There is no disclosure of pipettors or non-electronic devices, nor is there any mention of clinical or laboratory devices.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0042471 discloses a system and methods for integrating laboratory instrumentation and applications to provide a unified control and coordination architecture under a common interface. The system may be adapted to a variety of different hardware and software components wherein the individual functionalities and input/output data types for each component are recognized and incorporated into a centralized control and monitoring system. One preferred mode of that disclosure employs a computer running a laboratory instrument management system, or “LIMS”, and may include a data storage device in the system for remote storage of results after data collection. Specific laboratory instruments mentioned include robot apparatus, thermal cooler systems, mass spectroscopy systems, and electrophoresis systems. Their application makes no mention of non-electronic devices, mechanical pipettes or electronic pipettes, and the patent application does not suggest the use of wireless communication devices.
It is well known in the art that the robotic pipette devices fulfill an entirely different need than the need served by the hand held pipetting devices. Robotic pipette workstations are significantly more costly than either mechanical or electronic handheld pipettes. In addition, they are mounted on a fixed platform, more bulky and do not offer the same mechanical flexibility or spontaneity of use as the ubiquitous handheld pipette.
There is thus an unmet need for a device that automatically and electronically records volume-dispensing operations as required by standard scientific documentation procedures. There is also a need for this device to be constructed such that it does not hinder the normal operation of a handheld pipetting device, allowing the user to enjoy the benefits without requiring the user to adopt other disparate and expensive technologies such as those found in robotic pipette workstations.
The present invention relates to the automatic generation of a record of operations of common laboratory and clinical devices and apparatus in a manner that permits subsequent retrieval of the stored data from the data storage medium. Thus, according to a first aspect, the present invention provides a system for electronically recording the operations of laboratory or clinical devices.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides for transmitting data wirelessly from the laboratory or clinical device to the storage medium. Laboratory apparatus with which the invention may be used include fluid dispensing devices such as pipetting devices, intravenous or other fluid infusion lines, and column fractionation equipment; temperature sensing instruments such as thermostatic devices or thermometers; pH meters; centrifuges; and the like.
In one embodiment, the invention allows for the electronic recording and storing of pipette dispensing operations. One advantage of the invention in this embodiment is that it can be constructed from small, lightweight components and that necessary parts can be mated to a pipette without hindering the ease of normal operation of the pipette. This aspect makes it easy to adapt the technology without changing pipette usage patterns that have been prevalent in the art.
The present invention for the first time provides means for automating the process of recording pipette dispensed volume data, applicable to hand-held pipettors. According to one embodiment, the present invention further provides for the first time mobile means for automating the process of recording pipette dispensed volume data. According to another embodiment the present invention further provides for the first time wireless means for automating the process of recording pipette volume data. The user of the invention is freed from the error prone task of recording the volume dispensed from the pipette every time liquid is dispensed from the pipette. This streamlines workflow and limits the possibilities for undetected mistakes in a process where accuracy is of paramount importance.
The present invention provides means for detecting and recording the volume of liquid dispensed from a hand held or mounted pipette instrument. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to detecting and recording in real time the volume of liquid dispensed from a hand held or mounted pipette instrument.
In one embodiment, the fluid volume sensor comprises a volume setting sensor for sensing the volume setting of the pipette, a fluid dispensing sensor for detecting when the fluid is dispensed from the pipette and one or more electronic assemblies for converting both the sensed volume and the information about when fluid is released from the pipette into one or more electronic signals.
According to another embodiment, the present invention includes a fluid volume sensor which produces one or more electronic signals determined by the volume of fluid dispensed from the pipette, and a data transmission device for transmitting said electronic signals from the fluid volume sensor to a data storage device.
According to another embodiment, the data storage device receives one or more electronic signals from the transmission device and records these signals to persistent memory.
In one embodiment, the volume setting sensor monitors the pipette volume setting by tracking the rotational motion of the volume adjustment mechanism. In one embodiment, an assembly comprising an LED, an optical sensor, and a digital signal processor (DSP) tracks the rotational motion of a solid element that rotates in tandem with the volume adjustment mechanism. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the optical sensor may be a CCD device, which detects the linear motion of the plunger directly. In yet another embodiment, a Hall effect transducer assembly tracks the rotational motion of a solid element that rotates in tandem with the volume adjustment mechanism.
In yet another embodiment, the fluid volume sensor is an electronic flow meter for directly measuring the outflow of fluid dispensed from the pipette.
In yet another embodiment, the invention is designed to work with a pipette that dispenses fluid by forcing the fluid out of a capillary tube located at the distal end of the pipette, where the fluid is forced out by the stroking motion of a push rod tip or another solid element not permeable to fluid. The fluid volume sensor monitors the volumes of fluid released from the pipette by tracking the axial motion of a solid element that moves in tandem with the push rod tip or similar element that forces the fluid to leave the capillary tube.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description and drawings.
The apparatus and method of the present invention offer a versatile solution to the drawbacks associated with manual pipettes. Using the apparatus and method of the present invention is significantly advantageous as it is cost effective, rapid, accurate, simple and efficient.
In one preferred embodiment, the invention is designed to work with a specific type of pipette, namely a pipette having a rotatable element positioned along the longitudinal axis of the pipette, where the rotatable element rotates in tandem with the volume delivery adjustment mechanism. One example of such a pipette is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,006 which is incorporated by reference, where the rotatable element is the push rod of the pipette. The rotatable element is usually cylindrically shaped but this should not be considered a limitation. There are other examples known in the art where the rotatable element is an element other than the push rod of the pipette such as, for example, a hollow sheath. In the event that the rotatable element is the push rod of the pipette, the volume is adjusted by turning of a rotary micrometer knob positioned at one end of the push rod.
In this embodiment of the invention, the fluid volume sensor is comprised of a volume setting sensor for sensing the volume setting of the pipette, a fluid release sensor for detecting when the fluid is dispensed from the pipette and one or more electronic assemblies for converting both the sensed volume and the information about when fluid is released from the pipette into one or more electronic signals. One possible function of the optional electronic assemblies is to convert inputted analogue electrical signals into outputted digital electrical signals. In this embodiment, the volume setting sensor and the fluid release sensor together function to detect the volume of fluid released from the pipette where the monitoring of fluid release from the pipette is optionally performed in real time. In this embodiment, the volume setting sensor operates by tracking the rotational motion of the rotatable element. Tracking is achieved by employing means for tracking translation motion, such as those incorporated within optical mice.
Thus, in this embodiment, the volume setting sensor may comprise a light source such as an LED and an optical sensor such as a complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. The electronic assembly may include a digital signal processor (DSP). The light source bounces light off the surface of the rotatable element and the reflected light is subsequently collected by the optical sensor. The optical sensor sends each image to the DSP for analysis. The DSP may then convert the analyzed information into a distance which reflects the extent of rotational motion that the element has undergone (
In yet another preferred embodiment, the volume setting sensor also operates by tracking the rotational motion of the rotatable element. In this embodiment, a Hall effect transducer assembly tracks the rotational motion of the rotatable element. An example such a volume setting sensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,006 which is incorporated by reference.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the fluid volume sensor works with a pipette that dispenses fluid by forcing the fluid out of a capillary tube located at the distal end of the pipette, where the fluid is forced out by the stroking motion of a push rod tip or another solid element not permeable to fluid. Such a pipette is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,780 which is incorporated by reference. In that patent document a device for detecting how much fluid is in the pipette at any given moment is also disclosed, where this device operates by tracking the axial position of the push rod relative to a point fixed on the pipette body by means of a potentiometer, and then converting this value into a volume by taking into consideration the dimensions of the capillary tube and effecting the appropriate computation. In one embodiment of the invention, the fluid volume sensor operates by employing such a device to track in real time the instantaneous volumetric contents of the pipette. An electronic signal reflecting these values are subsequently transmitted by the transmission device to the storage device. If the pipette volumes in such a device are stored at rapid time intervals, say 5 times a second, then from the changes in instantaneous volumes it is possible to deduce the volumes of fluid aspirated into and dispensed from the pipette, and thus to produce a complete electronic record of the volumes of fluid aspirated into and dispensed from the pipette.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the volume sensor may be a miniature CCD camera mounted with an optical element such as a prism, which enables simultaneous viewing of the numerator of the pipette for the volume setting, and readout of the pipette volume setting itself by the CCD camera. The image generated by the camera is preferably acquired by an electronic unit mounted on the pipette body.
In one preferred embodiment, the data storage device is a personal computer controlling a peripheral persistent memory device, such as a hard disk, a floppy drive, a R/W CD ROM drive or a flash memory drive. The personal computer is configured to receive data from the data transmission device through one or more data input ports. In this embodiment, the data input ports may be implemented as USB I/O ports. Furthermore, in the embodiment where the data storage device is a personal computer and where the fluid volume sensor is comprised of a pipette volume setting sensor and a separate fluid release sensor, the personal computer can preferably receive data from the data transmission device through two data input ports. In this embodiment, a first electronic signal describing the current state of the pipette volume setting is received by the data storage device through a first input port, while a second electronic signal describing the current state of the pipette fluid release sensor is received by the data storage device through a second input port.
In this embodiment, the personal computer is programmed by control software to allow for the storage of the appropriate data in the peripheral persistent storage device in such a manner that a complete electronic record of all of the fluid dispensed from the pipette is recorded. In one embodiment of the control software, the personal computer is programmed to record the volume setting of the pipette only at a time when the electronic signal from the fluid release sensor indicates that fluid has been released from the pipette. In another embodiment, the time of fluid release is additionally recorded in the persistent memory peripheral as well. In yet another preferred embodiment of the control software, the volume setting is recorded at rapid intervals of typically 5 times a second even in the absence of a signal indicating that fluid has been dispensed from the pipette. This data is augmented with the times that the fluid release sensor indicates that fluid has been dispensed from the pipette, allowing for the recording of an even more complete picture of actual pipette operation.
Additional embodiments of the data storage device include a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a tablet device, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Further additional embodiments of the data storage device include a flash memory device, comprising of a flash memory chip assembly, and a flash memory controller. Data recorded to the flash memory device may be uploaded to a personal computer at the convenience of the user.
In the event that the data storage device is a flash memory device, the preferable embodiment of the data transmission device is a data bus.
In the event that the data storage device is a personal computer, PDA, or handheld computer, there are several alternatives for the data transmission device. For example, in one embodiment the data transmission device is a cable connecting the electronic assembly to the data storage device. Alternatively, the data transmission device may comprise a wireless transmitter and a suitable wireless receiver. The transmitter and the transmitting protocol may be, for example, based upon current wireless data transmission technologies like WI-FI® or BLUETOOTH® among others. In some embodiments, for example, the wireless transmitter is physically connected to the pipette, while the wireless receiver is physically connected to the data storage device. The wireless transmitter needs to be operated at a distance from the data transmission device of no more than the maximal distance that is required for receiving the transmitted signals.
The following examples are presented to provide a more complete understanding of the invention. The specific techniques, conditions, materials, proportions and reported data set forth to illustrate the principles of the invention are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Reference is now made to
In some embodiments, the fluid volume sensor 102 is preferably installed in a housing to allow for mounting onto a pipette. In some embodiments at least part of the data transmission device 103 is preferably housed to allow for mounting to a pipette.
The data storage device 106 receives either the processed or unprocessed electrical signals from the data transmission device 103 either directly or through an optional data input port 106. In different preferred embodiments of the invention, the data input port could be a USB port, an RS232 port, a serial data port, a parallel data port, or a PS/2 port. The data storage device stores to persistent memory data reflecting the volumes of fluid dispensed from the pipette. The data storage device has an optional clock, and thus the data storage device can optionally store the various times at which the volumes of fluid have been dispensed from the pipette.
The preferred embodiment of the invention described in
Other sensors could be incorporated into a pipette, such as a sensor that monitors the temperature or pH of fluid aspirated into or dispensed from a pipette: the fluid volume sensor could also be adapted to record temperature and pH data. This data would subsequently be transmitted by the data transmission device to the data storage device.
Reference is now made to
The embodiment of the invention described in
The data storage device 28 receives either the processed or unprocessed electrical signals from the data transmission device 26 either directly or through an optional data input port 30. In different preferred embodiments of the invention, the data input port could be a USB port, an RS232 port, a serial data port, a parallel data port, or a PS/2 port. The data storage device 28 stores to persistent memory data reflecting the volumes of fluid dispensed from the pipette. The data storage device has an optional clock, and thus the data storage device can optionally store the various times at which the volumes of fluid have been dispensed from the pipette.
In some embodiments, the data storage device 28 is controlled by a controller, either electronic or programmed with controller software. In some embodiments, the controller instructs the data storage device each time it receives a signal indicating that fluid is dispensed from the pipette, to store the value reflecting the volume setting of the pipette at the time that fluid is released. In other embodiments, the controller instructs the data storage device to store both the value reflecting the volume setting of the pipette as well as a value reflecting the status of the fluid release mechanism, at predetermined time intervals such as 5 times per second. This data together constitutes a complete electronic record of all of the fluid dispensed from the pipette.
Reference is now made to
In the preferred embodiment shown in
The user of the specific pipette in
It is possible to build a volume sensor device using all of the parts shown in
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the volume sensor may be a miniature CCD camera mounted with an optical element such as a prism, which enables simultaneous viewing of the numerator of the pipette for the volume setting, and readout of the pipette volume setting itself by the CCD camera. The image generated by the camera is preferably acquired by the electronic unit mounted on the pipette body and the data is preferably transmitted by a wireless protocol to a computer for further processing and storage in the electronic lab book. The procedure of the image acquisition and processing is initiated by a start signal generated when the volume release button is suppressed.
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The means, materials, and steps for carrying out various disclosed functions may take a variety of alternative forms without departing from the invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IL06/00493 | 4/20/2006 | WO | 00 | 4/30/2008 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60672988 | Apr 2005 | US |
