Patent ID: 8367022

Claim:
An electronic multi-channel pipetting system comprising: a pipetting head carriage; a multi-channel pipetting head carried in the carriage, the multi-channel pipetting head having a plurality of pipette tip fittings arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns; a pipetting motor that drives the multi-channel pipetting head to aspirate and dispense; a deck adapted to hold at least one multi well-plate, reagent reservoir or tip rack; a motorized drive mechanism having at least one motor moving the pipetting head with respect to the deck, the drive mechanism including at least a vertical drive mechanism having a vertical drive motor for moving the pipetting head vertically with respect to the deck with sufficient force to mount pipette tips to each of the pipette tip fittings in the multi-channel pipetting head; a control handle and a motion control system configured such that the multi-channel pipetting head moves with respect to the deck via the drive mechanism in response to force applied to the control handle by an operator; and a detector for the vertical drive mechanism that provides a safety signal to the motion control system if an unintended obstacle is met and when the operator applies force on the control handle to move the pipetting head carriage and multi-channel pipetting head downward, wherein the motion control system stops the vertical drive motor for the vertical drive mechanism in response to the safety signal.