SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TITRATING LIQUIDS

Abstract

A system for titrating liquids, with a syringe or tip, comprising a holding device and at least one tag and a metering equipment, comprising an additional holding device for holding the syringe or tip on the holding device, a reading device for reading the tag of the syringe or tip held by the additional holding device, a driving device having a motor, which is detachably coupled with a plunger of the syringe when the same is held by the additional holding device, or which is coupled with a plunger which is arranged in a cylinder which is coupled with the tip via a fluid conduit, when the same is held by the additional holding device, an operating device for operating the metering equipment and a control device, connected with the operating device, the reading device and the driving device, which controls the movement of the plunger depending of the tag of the inserted syringe or tip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the present invention is explained in more detail by means of the attached drawings of examples of realisation. In the drawings show:

FIG. 1 a syringe with a metering device holding the same, in a front view;

FIG. 2 the same syringe and the metering device holding the same, in a side view;

FIG. 3 the syringe when it is inserted into the lower part of the metering device, in a front view.

Claims

1. A system for titrating liquids, with a syringe (1) or tip, comprising a holding device and at least one tag (6, 7) and a metering equipment (13), comprising an additional holding device for holding the syringe (1) or tip on the holding device, a reading device (17) for reading the tag (6, 7) of the syringe (1) or tip held by the additional holding device, a driving device (18) having a motor (19), which is detachably coupled with a plunger (9) of the syringe (1) when the same is held by the additional holding device, or which is coupled with a plunger which is arranged in a cylinder which is coupled with the tip via a fluid conduit, when the same is held by the additional holding device, an operating device (23) for operating the metering equipment (13) and a control device (22), connected with the operating device (13), the reading device (17) and the driving device (18), which controls the movement of the plunger (9) depending of the tag (6, 7) of the inserted syringe (1) or tip.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the tag (6, 7) can be sensed mechanically and/or optically.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the reading device (13) is a device for mechanical and/or optical sensing.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the tag (6, 7) is disposed on a flange (5) of the syringe (1) or tip and/or a plunger (9) of the tip.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the tag (6, 7) indicates the nominal volume and/or the construction type and/or the material and/or the purity grade and/or the manufacturer and/or the manufacturing date and/or performed usages of the syringe (1) or tip.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control device (22) controls the movement of the plunger (9), the speed and/or acceleration of the plunger (9) and/or the displacement of the plunger (9) when small amounts of liquid are delivered, depending on the tag of the Syringe (1) or tip which is set in.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the control device controls a lower speed and/or a lower acceleration of the plunger (9) at syringes (1) or tips with greater volume, and/or a smaller displacement of the plunger (9) than with syringes or tips with smaller volume when smaller amounts of liquid are delivered.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the control device (22) controls a higher speed and/or a higher acceleration of the plunger (9) at syringes (1) or tips with greater volume, and/or a greater displacement of the plunger (9) than with syringes or tips with smaller volume when smaller amounts of liquid are delivered.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control device (18) is switchable into a titration mode and/or into a dispensing mode and/or into a pipetting mode and/or into an aspiration mode an/or into a sequential dispensing mode.

10. A system for titrating liquids, according to claim 1 in particular, with a syringe (1) or tip, comprising a holding device and a metering equipment (13), comprising an additional holding device for holding the syringe (1) or tip on the holding device, a driving device (18) having a motor (19), which is detachably coupled with a plunger (9) of the syringe (1) when the same is held by the additional holding device, or which is coupled with a plunger (9) which is arranged in a cylinder (2) which is coupled with the tip via a fluid conduit, when the same is held by the additional holding device, an operating device (23) for operating the metering equipment (13) and a control device (22), connected with the operating device (23) and the driving device (18), which controls a movement of the plunger (9) for the delivery of big amounts of liquid in a first delivery phase and controls a movement of the plunger (9) for the delivery of at least one small defined amount of liquid in a second delivery phase when triggered by an actuation of the operating device (23) or by reaching the end of the first delivery phase.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid having a volume smaller than 1/100 of the nominal volume of the syringe (1) or tip.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid having a volume smaller than 1/500 of the nominal volume of the syringe (1) or tip.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid having a volume in the region of about one or several thousandths of the nominal volume of the syringe (1) or tip.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid in the form of droplets.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid in a free jet or in the form of ejected droplets.

16. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) controls the delivery of small defined amounts of liquid in the form of a running off flow or running off droplets.

17. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) controls the movement of the plunger (9) in the first delivery phase when an operating element (23.2) of the operating device (23) is actuated, and the rest of the plunger (9) when the operating element is not actuated.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the control device (22) reduces the speed of the plunger (9) with respect to its speed at the preceding actuation at every subsequent actuation of the operating element (23.2)

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the control device (22) controls a movement of the plunger (9) only for a predetermined number of actuations of the operating element, and initiates the second delivery phase when the maximum number has been reached.

20. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) initiates the second delivery phase upon a defined actuation of the operating device.

21. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control device (22) is connected with a sensor which aims at a volume to which the delivery opening of a syringe (1) or tip is directed when it is held by the additional holding device on the metering equipment (13), in order to detect an approach to the apex point of the titration, and the control device (22) reduces the speed of the plunger (9) and/or initiates the second delivery phase when approaching the apex point of the titration in the first delivery phase.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein the holding device comprises a flange (5) on a cylindrical or sleeve-shaped body of the syringe (1) or tip and/or a collar at the end of a plunger (9) of the syringe (1).

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein the additional holding comprises a plug-in receptacle (14) of the metering equipment (13) and at least one gripper, which is movable from a position releasing the holding device to a position capturing the holding device in the plug-in receptacle (14).

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein the driving device (18) comprises an electric motor (19).

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the electric motor (19) is a DC motor.

26. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control device (22) establishes the amount of liquid that has been delivered.

27. A system according to claim 1, wherein the driving device (18) and/or the plunger (9) is coupled with an increment transmitter for detecting the position of the plunger (9), and the control device (22) is coupled with a sensor for sensing the increment transmitter.

28. A system according to claim 1, wherein the operating device (23) comprises at least one electric push-button (23.2) and/or an electric switch.

29. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control device (22) is an electric control device.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the control device is program driven.

31. A method for titrating liquids, wherein a syringe or tip with at least one tag is detachably connected to a metering equipment, the metering equipment reads at least one tag from the syringe or tip and the metering equipment moves a plunger of the syringe or a plunger in a cylinder connected with the syringe, depending on an input of the user.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the metering equipment senses the tag mechanically and/or optically from the syringe or tip.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the syringe or tip is provided with a tag relating to the nominal volume and/or the construction type and/or the material and/or the purity grade and/or the manufacturer and/or the manufacturing date and/or carried out usages of the syringe or tip.

34. A method according to claim 31, wherein the metering equipment controls the speed and/or the acceleration of the plunger and/or, when small amounts of liquid are delivered, the displacement of the plunger, depending on the tag of the syringe (1) or tip which is set in.

35. A method according to claim 31, wherein one operating mode of the metering equipment is selected among one or plural of the operating modes titration mode, dispensing mode, pipetting mode, aspiration mode and sequential dispensing mode.

36. A method for titrating liquids, according to claim 31 in particular, wherein a syringe or tip is detachably connected to a metering equipment, in a first delivery phase a plunger of the syringe or a plunger in a cylinder connected to the tip is moved for the delivery of large amounts of liquid, and the plunger is moved for the delivery of at least one small defined amount of liquid in a second delivery phase.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the plunger is moved upon actuation of an operating element and is stopped upon release of the operating element in the first delivery phase.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein at every subsequent actuation of the operating element the speed of the plunger with respect to its speed at a preceding actuation is reduced in the first delivery phase.

39. A method according to claim 37, wherein the second delivery phase is initiated after a predetermined number of actuations of the operating element.

40. A method according to claim 36, wherein the second delivery phase is initiated after a special actuation of an operating element.

41. A method according to claim 36, wherein the solution with the substance to be determined is monitored and upon approaching the apex point of the titration, the speed of the plunger is reduced and/or the second delivery phase is initiated.