Patent ID: 7811522

Claim:
A laboratory sample reservoir system for use with a handheld pipettor comprising: a reusable reservoir base providing a stable support on a flat surface, the base having an elongated basin including a pair of endwalls, a longitudinal trough extending along a bottom surface of the basin, and a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending between the endwalls, each longitudinal sidewall slanting outward as the sidewall extends upward to form a portion of the basin, wherein at least one of the sidewalls has distinct liquid volume graduation marks on an inside surface of the sidewall forming a portion of the basin; and a disposable liner made of formed transparent plastic material, the liner having a basin with a shape that closely follows a contour of the basin of the reusable base thereby rendering the formed disposable liner unable to stand vertically on a flat surface without further support, wherein the liquid volume graduation marks on the sidewall of the basin are calibrated to measure a volume of liquid sample contained in the disposable liner and are observable through the formed transparent disposable liner when the disposable liner is set in place within the reusable base; wherein the reusable base comprises a rim around an upper end of the basin and the disposable liner further comprises a peripheral flange that extends outward from a top of the liner basin, wherein the peripheral flange rests on the rim of the reusable base when the disposable liner is set in place within the reusable base such that the disposable liner hangs within the reusable base with slight clearance between the liner basin and the basin of the base, and further wherein the disposable liner contains at least one pouring spout formed at an intersection of the peripheral flange and at least one endwall and one sidewall of the disposable liner.