Coulter Electronics, Inc.

Ivan K Saltz

Guenter Ginsberg

Bruce J Hodgins

John A Richardson

Vladimir J Drbal

Ernesto Bello

Rodolfo R Rodriguez

Richard M Grimm

Ted W Britton

A fluid transfer mechanism for rapidly and accurately picking up or aspirating a fluid quantity or aliquot in one position, moving it to a second position and dispensing the aspirated aliquot. The mechanism includes an arm mounted on a high helix shaft on one end and driven up and down the shaft by a first motor and rotated around the shaft by a second motor. The arm includes at a second end a fluid transfer probe which is moved into and out of the fluids to aspirate and dispense the fluids in precise angular locations. The arm may be accelerated and deaccelerated as it is rotated to avoid vibrations and spilling of the fluid from the probe. The probe may include a level sensing structure for sensing when the probe has contacted a fluid surface. The probe also may be coupled to an oscillator to oscillate the probe in a vessel into which the fluid has been dispensed to mix the fluids therein.

Fluid transfer mechanism

A variable stop syringe for automatically selecting, aspirating and dispensing one of a desired plurality of fluid volumes. The variable syringe includes a plurality of stops in an array each of which defines a particular fluid volume. The array selectively is moved to position the desired stop in the fully aspirated position of the syringe plunger. The stop positions are coded and automatically may be read to select the desired syringe stop for the particular volume of fluid desired to be aspirated and dispensed. The completely dispensed and the fully aspirated positions of the plunger, as well as the speed of the plunger operation, may be monitored to ensure that the plunger is operating properly.

Variable stop syringe

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Cooper City, FL, United States of America

Ivan K Saltz