Patent Publication Number: US-2013250548-A1

Title: Light beam guided liquid delivery device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This divisional application claims the benefit of co-pending application Ser. No. 13/264,768 filed Oct. 17, 2011, which, in turn, claimed the benefit of earlier-filed, co-pending PCT/US2010/031823 filed Apr. 21, 2010, which claimed the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/171,496 filed Apr. 22, 2009. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed toward a light beam guided liquid delivery device for tracking the placement of a sample by a liquid delivery device, like a micropipette, into a small receptacle, like a microtiter plate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A liquid delivery device is any device capable of delivering liquid to a specific receptacle. One commonly used liquid delivery device is a pipette. A pipette (also called a pipet, micropipette, pipettor or chemical dropper) is a laboratory instrument used to transport a measured volume of liquid. Pipettes are commonly used in molecular biology as well as medical tests. Pipettes come in several designs, for various purposes having differing levels of accuracy and precision, from single piece glass pipettes to more complex adjustable or electronic pipettes. Many pipette types work by creating a partial vacuum above the liquid-holding chamber and selectively releasing this vacuum to draw up and dispense. 
     Pipettes that dispense between 1 and 1000 μl are termed micropipettes, while standard pipettes dispense a greater volume of liquid. Two types of micropipettes are generally used: air-displacement pipettes and positive-displacement pipettes. In particular, piston-driven air-displacement pipettes are micropipettes which dispense an adjustable volume of liquid from a disposable tip. The pipette body contains a plunger, which provides the suction to pull liquid into the tip when the piston is compressed and released. The maximum displacement of the plunger is set by a dial or electronic interface on the pipette body, allowing the delivery volume to be set. Whereas, for larger volumes, cylindrical pipettes (such as volumetric or graduated pipettes) are used and driven by a pipette aid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipette). Most pipettes are made of borosilicate, aluminosilicate or quartz with many types and sizes of glass tubing being available. Each of these compositions has unique properties which will determine suitable applications (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropipette). Most micropipettes have a plastic housing for the air displacement works (see reference number  24  in  FIG. 1 ), a fitting post for a disposable plastic tip where the tips may be provided in a variety of sizes and shapes that are designed around specific applications (see reference number  18  in  FIG. 1 ); fluids are drawn into the tips. In most assays tips are discarded after each individual use, usually via an ejector mechanism. 
     Many common methods in e.g. molecular biology, combinatorial chemistry, forensic science, clinical diagnostics, biochemical assays, etc. use standard manual micropipetters for the transfer of small volumes of fluid to and from various receptacle, including, but not limited to, standard 2 milliliter, 1.5 milliliter, and 0.5 milliliter disposable plastic sample tubes, the standard 96-well microtiter plate format, 384- and 512-well microtiter plates, PCR individual and strip tubes, and analysis devices such as 1D and 2D gels, LC and HPLC micro vials, etc. In each case, the operator handling the micropipette must carefully track the tip of the micropipette in order to deliver the reagent/solution to the correct location and do so without touching any other location which would cause contamination. Many of the materials are clear or translucent as are most solutions and reagents, providing minimal visual cues. Therefore, there is a strong demand in the industry for a practical solution for a researcher to locate the proper well to be filled or sampled. 
     The instant invention is designed to address the above mentioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a light beam guided liquid delivery device for tracking the placement of a sample by a liquid delivery device, like a micropipette, into a receptacle, like a milliliter or microliter scale tube or a microtiter plate. The light beam guided liquid delivery device includes: a liquid delivery device; and a light beam generator. The light beam generator may be positioned on the outside or inside of the liquid delivery device. The light beam generator may be adapted to shoot a light beam below the tip of the liquid delivery device, whereby, a user may track the placement of the tip of the liquid delivery device via the light beam. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form that is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a prior art micropipette being used with a microtiter plate. 
         FIG. 2  is an environmental view of one embodiment of the light beam guided liquid delivery device made according to the instant invention being used with a microtiter plate. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the light beam guided liquid delivery shown in  FIG. 2  with the mount broken away. 
         FIG. 4  a perspective view of another embodiment of the light beam guided liquid delivery device made according to the instant invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the light beam guided liquid delivery device made according to the instant invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like elements, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a micropipette  24  according to the prior art. Prior to the instant invention, a user of a micropipette would have to guide the tip  18  of micropipette  24  into the small receptacles, or wells, of a microtiter plate  20  by visually guiding tip  18  into the wells. As a result, the operator handling the micropipette must carefully track tip  18  of micropipette  24  in order to deliver the reagent/solution to the correct location and do so without touching any other location which could cause contamination. Many of the materials are clear or translucent as are most solutions and reagents, providing minimal visual cues. The instant invention is designed to aid the operator in tracking the tip  18  of micropipette  24  into the correct location, like the wells of microtiter plate  20 . 
     As used herein the term “well” is a sample holder such as a small test tube where a biological or other sample is placed in microtiter plate  20 . Microtiter plate  20  or microplate is a plate that contains multiple wells such as 6, 24, 96, 384, 1536, or more wells. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , there is shown different embodiments of the instant invention of a light beam guided liquid delivery device  10 . Prior to the instant invention, one had to rely on pure eyesight to guide the tip of a liquid delivery device, like a micropipette, into the correct location, like a microtiter plate. See  FIG. 1  of the prior art. Light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  may be for tracking the placement of a sample by the liquid delivery device  12  into microtiter plate  14  by lighting up the proper well to insert tip  18 . See  FIG. 2 . Light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  may generally include a liquid delivery device  12  and a light beam generator  14 . 
     Liquid delivery device  12  may be included in the instant invention of light beam guided liquid delivery device  10 . See  FIGS. 2-5 . Liquid delivery device  12  may be any device capable of delivering liquid to a specific receptacle, like a milliliter scale tube, a microliter scale tube or a microtiter plate. Liquid delivery device may be any size, shape, or type of liquid delivery device, including, but riot limited to, a pipette or micropipette. A pipette is a slender graduated tube used in a laboratory for measuring and transferring quantities of liquids from one container to another. The pipette may be any type or size of pipette, including a micropipette  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 . A micropipette or micropipetter is a small pipette for transferring or measuring minute amounts of fluid, microorganisms, etc., with a plastic housing for the fluid uptake and dispensing mechanism. Micropipette  24  is shown in  FIGS. 2-5  as a manual micropipette. However, the invention is not so limited, and the laser beam generator  14  could also be positioned outside or inside an electronic micropipette. Micropipette  24  may be a single channel micropipette, as shown in the Figures, but again the invention is not so limited. The instant invention could also be included on a multi-channel micropipette with one or more light beam generators  14  attached for guiding one or more of the tips of the multi-channel micropipette. With multi-channel micropipettes, different color light beams  16  could be used to light up the respective wells for the different channels of the multi-channel micropipette. 
     Light beam generator  14  may be included in light beam guided liquid delivery device  14 . See  FIGS. 2-5 . Light beam generator  14  may be positioned anywhere on the outside (see  FIGS. 2-4 ) or inside (see  FIG. 5 ) of liquid delivery device  12 . Light beam generator  14  may be adapted to shoot light beam  16  below tip  18  of liquid delivery device  12 . Light beam  16  being shot below tip  18  may allow a user to track the placement of tip  18  into the correct location, like a well of a microtiter plate, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Light beam  16  may be aimed to shoot directly below tip  18 , or light beam  16  may be aimed directly at the end of tip  18  (see  FIG. 4 ). When light beam  16  is aimed directly at the end of tip  18  as in  FIG. 4 , tip  18  may deflect light beam  16  downward to light up an area directly below tip  18 . In addition, tip  18  may be illuminated while deflecting light beam  16  downward. Thus, both the area directly below tip  18  and tip  18  may be illuminated. Light beam generator  14  may be any device capable of producing a light beam  16 . The light beam generator  14  may be provided with any color of light beam  16 , including, but not limited to, red, orange, green, blue or yellow. The light beam generator  14  may also be provided with any shape of light beam  16 , including, but not limited to, circular, square, triangular, diamond, a cross, a line, or an x-shaped light beam. 
     Light beam generator  14  may include a button  15  for turning light beam  16  on or off. Button  15  may be included anywhere on light beam guided liquid delivery device  10 , including, but not limited to, directly on light beam generator  14 , or on channel  42  of micropipette  24 . Button  15  may optionally include a timer for turning light beam generator  14  on and off at certain intervals. This feature may be advantageous for enzymes which require the samples to be delivered at specific time intervals. 
     In one embodiment, light beam generator  14  may be a laser pointer. A laser pointer may be a small laser designed to highlight something of interest by projecting a small bright spot of colored light onto it. Most laser pointers have low enough power that the projected beam presents a minimal hazard to eyes for incidental exposure. The laser beam may not be in itself visible from the side, but may be visible as a result of light scattered by dust particles along the beam path. The small width of the beam and low power of typical laser pointers may make the beam itself invisible in a reasonably clean atmosphere, showing a point of light when striking an opaque surface. The laser pointer may be a class II or class IIIa laser pointer. 
     In another embodiment, the light beam generator  14  may be an LED (light emitting diode) light. An LED is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices, and are increasingly used for lighting. Early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness. As such, modern LED lights may produce light beams similar to the laser pointer described above. 
     In other embodiments, light beam generator  14  may generate other types of light sources, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), waveguides, traditional filament and fluorescent light bulbs, and any other light sources. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  is shown with light beam generator  14  mounted on the outside of an existing micropipette  24 . In this embodiment, a mount  36  may be used to attach light beam generator  14  to the existing micropipette  24 . Mount  36  may be any device capable of attaching light beam generator  14  to micropipette  24 . Mount  36  may include, but is not limited to, tape, Velcro, an adhesive, a bracket, and any combinations thereof. A variety of materials are suitable for manufacturing all of these embodiments of the mount  36 , however some uses will require the mount (and light beam generator) to be made of materials that can be autoclaved and/or cleaned with solvents that remove nucleic acids or other contaminants. 
     In one embodiment, mount  36  may include a bracket  37  adapted to connect light beam generator  14  to the outside of micropipette  24 . Bracket  37  may connect light beam generator  14  by any means to micropipette  24 . In one embodiment, bracket  37  may include a first clamp  38 . First clamp  38  may be adapted to attach bracket  37  to micropipette  24  at a first connection point  40 . First connection point  40  may be anywhere on micropipette  24 , including the channel  42  of micropipette  24 . First clamp  38  may be any device capable of connecting to the channel  42  of micropipette  42 . In one embodiment, first clamp  38  may be a spring clip with a “c” shaped cross section, as shown in the Figures. Light beam generator  14  may be connected to bracket  37  approximate to first clamp  38 . 
     In another embodiment, bracket  37  may optionally include a second clamp  44 . Second clamp  44  may be adapted to attach bracket  37  to micropipette  24  at a second connection point  46 . Second connection point  46  may be anywhere on micropipette  24 , including an area approximate to tip  18 . Second clamp  44  may be any device capable of connecting to the area approximate to tip  18  on micropipette  24 . In one embodiment, second clamp  44  may be a spring clip with a “c” shaped cross-section, as shown in the Figures. Optional second clamp  44  may provide more stability to bracket  37  than an embodiment with just first clamp  38 . 
     Bracket  37  may also include an adjustable connection  48  between first clamp  38  and light beam generator  14 . Adjustable connection  48  may be for allowing the angle of light beam generator  14  to bracket  37  to be adjusted. This may allow for light beam  16  to be properly positioned below tip  18  of micropipette  24  (either directly or through tip  18  deflecting light beam  16 ). Adjustable connection  48  may allow the light path of light beam  16  to be directed below the various length and sizes of tip  18  that can be loaded onto micropipette  24  and that consequently highlights a target directly beneath tip  18  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, adjustable connection  48  allows the user to easily manually refocus and aim the laser beam to highlight solution delivery tips of varying lengths. In one embodiment, adjustable connection  48  may be a flexible wire  50 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Flexible wire  50  may allow for adjustment of light beam generator  14  in all directions. In another embodiment, adjustable connection  48  may be a plurality of bars  52  that are hingedly connected to one another, as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 . Plurality of bars  52  may include any number of bars, including, at least two. Providing at least two bars  52  may allow the angle of light beam generator  14  to bracket  37  to be adjusted as well as the distance light beam generator  14  may be positioned away from micropipette  24 . Plurality of hinged bars  52  may allow for adjustment of light beam generator in one direction in the same plane as micropipette  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  is shown with light beam generator  14  mounted on the outside of a new micropipette  24 . In this embodiment, light beam generator  14  may be integrally built onto the channel of micropipette  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  is shown with light beam generator  14  being manufactured on the inside of a new micropipette  24 . In this embodiment, light beam generator  14  may be sealed on the inside of channel  42  of micropipette  24 . Light beam generator  14  may be positioned to shoot light beam  16  straight down the barrel and out of tip  18 . In this embodiment, button  15  may be wired to the outside of channel  42  for turning light beam  16  on or off. For the internal incorporations of the light beam generators  14  of the present invention, a focus device will be required, in order to allow the user to redirect the beam so that varying tip lengths can be used. This focus device may be wired to the outside of channel  42 , and may be included with button  15 . 
     The instant invention also includes a method of guiding the tip of a liquid delivery device with a guiding light beam. The method includes the steps of: providing light beam guided liquid delivery device  10  according to the instant invention; aiming light beam generator  14  to shoot light beam  16  below tip  18  of liquid delivery device  12 ; and tracking the placement of tip  18  of liquid delivery device  12  via light beam  16 . The step of aiming light beam generator  14  may include aiming light beam  16  directly below tip  18 , or may include aiming light beam  16  directly to the end of tip  18 , where tip  18  redirects light beam  16  directly below tip  18 . 
     The advantages to operators of the instant invention include reducing reagent pick-up and delivery error, and improving efficiency by speeding up the transfer of solutions by making it easier for the technician to visualize locations. A common pipetting error is placing a clear liquid in the wrong well of a clear or translucent plate. By highlighting the target and tip together, the technician can better see what is happening. A very similar situation arises when loading gels for electrophoresis. In this situation, the gels are clear or translucent, the tips are clear or translucent, and the solutions are clear or translucent, thus, highlighting the tip makes delivery of the solution into the well easier because it is easier to track the actual location. In all of these cases, the instant invention of a light beam guided liquid delivery device may be a great benefit to any lab, from those at research institutions such as universities, to commercial testing and government labs that are processing sensitive medical and forensic diagnostics samples, where some or all of the steps are performed by technicians rather than on robotic stations. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and the essential attributes thereof, and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicated the scope of the invention.