Patent ID: 7455814

Claim:
A metered fluid dispenser and aspirating apparatus comprising: a variably positionable well table disposed on an apparatus platform, the sample table having at least one array of sample wells disposed on its surface, and the table being variably positionable on the platform by means of a table drive mechanism; a fluid delivery/removal head, the fluid head comprising a positionable shuttle assembly and a substantially fixed reservoir assembly, the shuttle assembly comprising a shuttle bar having an upper and a lower bar surfaces, and a plurality of vertical aspirator ports extending through the shuttle bar between the upper and lower bar surfaces with the aspirator ports arranged in a dispenser pattern; and a shuttle peg extending in a downward direction from each aspirator port at the lower bar surface, the shuttle peas being tubular and having two open peg ends connected via an interior lumen of the shuttle peg, with the shuttle assembly being variably positionable relative to the reservoir assembly and with the fluid head fixed relative to the platform and disposed closely above the well table such that a sample well disposed on the well table contacts a bottom surface of the fluid head when the sample well is positioned below the fluid head, the fluid head for the controlled decanting a metered volume of a liquid material to the sample wells below it and for removing waste fluids from the sample wells; a fluid handling system in flow communication with the fluid head, the fluid handling system for the controlled delivering liquid materials to and removing waste from the fluid head; and a controller assembly, including a central processing unit and appropriate hardware and software, the controller assembly in electrical communication with the well table, the fluid head and the fluid handling system, and providing for the time responsive operation and control of the delivery/removal fluid head, the fluid handling system and the well table.