Tecan Trading Ag

Markus Schöni

Philipp Ott

Nicolas Cors

Markus Wiggli

Adi Zuppiger

Lars Kamm

Theo Meier

Thomas Struchen

Paul Zbinden

Daniel Kessler

Remo Keller

Raffael Bueler

The present invention relates to a method for determining the position of a robotic arm in an automatic liquid handling system in which a measurement probe with a first electrode is arranged on the robotic arm and, together with a second electrode formed by at least part of a working area or at least part of a container or container carrier forms a measurement capacitor that is operatively connected to a measurement unit for measuring an impedance, in particular a capacitance of the measurement capacitor. The method involves moving the measurement probe along a first path, detecting a first change in the impedance, in particular in the capacitance of the measurement capacitor at a first point on the first path, and defining at least one first reference spatial coordinate for a control unit of the robotic arm on the basis of the first point on the first path.

Method for determining the position of a robotic arm in a liquid handling system, and a corresponding liquid handling system

A method and device for distinguishing between a contacting of foam () or of liquid () in a liquid container () of a device () by employing a capacitively operating measuring device (M) having a sensor () which can be moved up and down in the liquid container (), in which at least one output signal (s(t)) is processed by the measuring device (M).

Method and device for distinguishing between a foam and/or liquid contacting

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

The invention relates to devices for liquid level detection (LLD). It relates to a laboratory device having an electronic circuit for detecting a liquid level in a liquid container, a feeler, which can be advanced, and which is connected to an input side of the electronic circuit, and having a movement device, which allows the feeler to be advanced in the direction of the liquid in the liquid container. Upon the immersion of the feeler in the liquid, a capacitance change is caused in the electronic circuit, which triggers a signal in the circuit. The laboratory device comprises a reference circuit, which is connected to the input side of the circuit, and which specifies an effective capacitance on the input side of the circuit. A sequence controller is used, which causes the triggering of a test by the application of a control signal to the reference circuit, the control signal causing an increase of the effective capacitance through a switching procedure. The processing of the corresponding capacitance change is monitored by the sequence controller, for example.

Method for testing a laboratory device and correspondingly equipped laboratory device

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Nanikon, Switzerland

Markus Schöni