The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 03, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 14, 2000
Steve J. Gordon, Weston, MA (US);
Intelligent Automation Systems, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A fluid level detection system includes an illumination source and a photodetector. The illumination source produces a beam at a fixed angle, which the photodetector is adapted to sense as it is reflected from the surface of a fluid. The photodetector varies in accord with the amount of the reflected beam that impinges on it. This amount, in turn, varies with the distance between the surface of the fluid, the illumination source and photodetector. The system can be used, for example, in automated pipetting applications in which it is important to ascertain the position of a pipette tip with respect to fluid contained within a body to provide safe and effective automatic processing of the fluid without the pipette tip contacting the body.