Tecan Trading Ag

Adi Zuppiger

Robert Liebhard

Torleif Ove Bjornson

Nikolaus Ingenhoven

Werner Hälg

Dirk Heerklotz

Markus Wiggli

Nicolas Cors

Joas Leemann

Urs Knecht

Carsten Hase

Roland Fuchs

Pascal Stäheli

Werner HÄLG

Markus SCHÖNI

A device for detecting a phase boundary in a liquid tank a sensor that can be advanced in the direction of the phase boundary in the liquid tank. A circuit processes an output signal of the sensor to detect a change in capacitance and has a first channel with a first filter module to filter out a first signal having a short pulse width from the output signal and a second channel having a second filter module to filter out a second signal having a greater pulse width from the output signal. A controller module with comparator module determines whether the first signal reaches a first threshold value and a processing module determines whether the second signal meets predefined second signal criteria.

Method and apparatus for detecting phase boundaries and correspondingly equipped laboratory device

A method of selecting pipetting parameters of a pipetting device for dispensing or pipetting a specific volume of a liquid sample, includes a fluid column of a fluid chamber of the pipetting device set into oscillation at the beginning of the aspiration, the pressure is monitored with the pressure transducer in the fluid chamber, and the pressure changes generated during aspiration into measuring signals are recorded. These measuring signals are processed by a computer or micro-processor and reproduced as a pressure curve, which is characteristic for the fluid column with the aspirated liquid sample, and which is compared with known pressure curves. Based on this comparison, pipetting parameters of the pipetting device are selected for the dispense or for pipetting a specific volume of the liquid sample. Selectable pipetting parameters include a speed of a movement of a pump piston of the pipetting device.

Method for selecting pipetting parameters for a liquid

The present invention relates to a method for classifying a liquid () in a known pipetting system for this liquid (), the method being characterized in that the changes of a selected, measurable, and physically founded virtual parameter are detected as a data set typical for this liquid (); this typical data set of the selected virtual parameter is compared to corresponding data sets of known liquids, and the liquid () is classified on the basis of this comparison. An especially preferred method and a device for classifying a liquid () relate to a device which comprises a fluid chamber (), to which a measuring chamber () is connected, whose internal pressure is monitored using a pressure transducer (). At least a first part () of this fluid chamber () may be brought into fluid connection with a sample () of this liquid ().

A pipetting apparatus has a fluidic space to which a pressure transducer with a pressure sensor is attached with a gas filled space. The fluidic space is defined by a pipette tip, a first tubing that connects the pipette tip to a pump, and an active part of the pump. The pipetting apparatus further has an impulse generating mechanism that is in operative contact with a column of system liquid inside the fluidic space. The impulse generating mechanism induces a vertical movement in the system liquid column, which results in a pressure variation in the gas filled space that is pneumatically connected with the fluidic space. This pressure variation, as recorded with the pressure transducer and as processed by a first data processing unit during utilization of this pipetting apparatus, is taken as an indicator for the detection of penetration or of quitting of a surface of a liquid, with an orifice of the pipette tip, of which liquid an amount is to be aspirated and dispensed. This pressure variation is also taken as an indicator for the detection of the presence or the absence of gas bubbles in the system liquid contained in the fluidic space of this pipetting apparatus.

Pipetting apparatus with integrated liquid level and/or gas bubble detection

A method according to Claim, wherein essentially homogeneous material mixtures are achieved or maintained in these liquid containers.

Device and method for moving liquid containers

The invention relates to a pipetting apparatus () having a pipette tip () for aspirating and dispensing liquid samples; a pump () for generating negative pressure or positive pressure in the pipette tip () that is connected to the pipette tip () by means of a pump conduit (); a fluid chamber () defined by the pipette tip () and/or the pump conduit (); a measurement probe () functionally connected to the fluid chamber () for measuring the physical parameters resulting in this fluid chamber () during pipetting; and a device control system () with a processor (), in which an activated computer program product enables the control system () of the pipetting apparatus () to individually accept or reject pipetted liquid samples on the basis of the physical parameters measured. The pipetting apparatus () in accordance with the invention is characterized in that it comprises a data storage device () for storing an actual measured curve () measured during pipetting and a simulated curve () for such a pipetting procedure and also a computer program product that in an activated state enables the processor () of this pipetting apparatus () to generate this simulated curve () and approximate it to the actual measured curve () iteratively to create an iterative curve () and then matching the pipetting and/or the corresponding pipetted liquid samples to one of a plurality of decision-making criteria on the basis of sections of the measured curve () in the actual measured curve () that deviate from defined threshold values () in relation to the corresponding sections of the curve () of the iterative curve (). A corresponding computer program product and method are included within the scope of the invention.

Pipetting apparatus with a computer program product and a method for accepting or rejecting pipetted liquid samples

A pipetting apparatus () comprises a fluidic space (), to which a pressure transducer () with a pressure sensor () is attached with a gas filled space (). The fluidic space () is defined by a pipette tip (), a first tubing () that connects the pipette tip () to a pump (), and an active part () of the pump (). The pipetting apparatus () according to the present invention is characterized in that the pipetting apparatus () further comprises an impulse generating means () that is in operative contact with a column () of system liquid () inside the fluidic space (). The impulse generating means () is designed to induce a vertical movement in this system liquid column (), which results in a pressure variation in the gas filled space () that is pneumatically connected with the fluidic space (). This pressure variation&#x2014;as recorded with the pressure transducer () and as processed by a first data processing unit () during utilization of this pipetting apparatus&#x2014;is taken as an indicator for the detection of penetration or of quitting of a surface () of a liquid, with an orifice () of the pipette tip (), of which liquid an amount is to be aspirated and dispensed. This pressure variation is also taken as an indicator for the detection of the presence or the absence of gas bubbles in the system liquid () contained in the fluidic space () of this pipetting apparatus.

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Siebnen, Switzerland

Adi Zuppiger