Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for cleaning a liquid handling probe

US8118042B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
16References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 2009
Grant dateFeb 21, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 29, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N35/1004
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention concerns an improved apparatus for cleaning the interior of a liquid handling probe to reduce the amount time and the volume of wash fluid required to clean the probe and minimize carryover of material between different samples. In addition to the probe, the apparatus includes one or more wash fluid reservoirs, a compressed gas supply, one or more pumps, two or more valve-controlled probe lines and a controller for opening and closing the valves and actuating the pump(s) at desired time intervals. The invention further concerns a method of cleaning a liquid handling probe using the claimed apparatus and comprising sequential steps of pumping wash fluid and compressed gas through the probe.

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