Patent · US Expired

Micromechanical pipetting device

US6407437B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
1References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 19, 1998
Grant dateJun 18, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2035/1039
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A micromechanical pipetting device comprising an integrally built pipetting module which has an inlet/outlet which may be connected to a removable pipetting tip or integrally built with a pipetting tip. The pipetting module comprises a micromechanical structure which is integrally built on a silicon wafer. In order to improve the accuracy of the pipetted volume the device is characterized in that it comprisesa) a first chamber located within said pipetting module, the volume comprised within said first chamber being alterable by displacement of a membrane which is a portion of a wall of said chamber, said first chamber having an opening, said opening being permanently open and allowing fluid flow into and from the interior of said first chamber,b) a channel located within said pipetting module, said channel establishing a direct, valveless and permanent fluidical connection between said opening of the first chamber and the inlet/outlet of the pipetting module,c) actuator means for displacing said membrane, and thereby aspiring or expelling a volume of air or of a liquid into or from said first chamber, which in turn causes aspiring or expelling a volume of a liquid sample into resp…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.