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US-20260124611-A1 - PIPETTING APPARATUS AND METHODS

US20260124611A1US 20260124611 A1US20260124611 A1US 20260124611A1US-20260124611-A1

Abstract

An automated pipetting system includes a pipettor. The pipettor includes a pipetting channel, a first plunger mechanism operable to change a pressure in the pipetting channel to aspirate or dispense a liquid, and a second plunger mechanism operable to change the pressure in the pipetting channel to aspirate or dispense the liquid.

Inventors

  • Thomas PERROUD
  • Thomas Rawlins
  • Hans-Juergen Tiedtke
  • Kai Hassler

Assignees

  • REVVITY HEALTH SCIENCES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251105

Claims (20)

  1. 1 .- 138 . (canceled)
  2. 139 . An automated pipetting system, comprising: a pipettor comprising a channel therein; a pressure sensor coupled to the channel; and at least one controller circuit configured to perform operations comprising: receiving, from the pressure sensor, a signal indicating pressure in the channel of the pipettor; and based on the pressure indicated by the signal, automatically performing one or more evaporation compensation operations.
  3. 140 .- 146 . (canceled)
  4. 147 . The system of claim 139 , wherein the pipettor comprises a pipette tip having an opening therein for aspirating a liquid, and wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: performing a prewetting operation prior to the aspirating of the liquid; and/or adapting one or more aspiration parameters for the aspirating of the liquid; and/or controlling movement of a plunger in the channel.
  5. 148 . (canceled)
  6. 149 . The system of claim 147 , wherein the operations further comprise estimating an evaporation volume based on an evaporation rate and a duration of the aspirating of the liquid, wherein the evaporation volume indicates an amount of under-aspiration, and wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: adapting the one or more aspiration parameters to aspirate a further amount of the liquid based on the amount of under-aspiration; and aspirating the further amount of the liquid based on the one or more aspiration parameters that were adapted.
  7. 150 . The system of claim 147 , wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: after removal of the pipette tip from the liquid, controlling the movement of the plunger to aspirate air to reduce or avoid dripping of the liquid from the pipette tip.
  8. 151 . The system of claim 147 , wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: after removal of the pipette tip from the liquid, controlling the movement of the plunger to maintain a substantially constant pressure in the pipette tip.
  9. 152 . The system of claim 151 , wherein the substantially constant pressure is based on the pressure indicated by the signal after removal of the pipette tip from the liquid.
  10. 153 . The system of claim 151 , wherein the substantially constant pressure is a predetermined pressure.
  11. 154 . The system of claim 139 , wherein the operations further comprise: calculating an aspirated volume of a liquid based on a change in the pressure indicated by the signal.
  12. 155 . The system of claim 154 , wherein automatically performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: adapting one or more aspiration parameters based on a comparison of the aspirated volume to a target volume; and aspirating the liquid based on the one or more aspiration parameters that were adapted.
  13. 156 . The system of claim 139 , wherein automatically performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: adapting an aspiration speed based on a change in the pressure indicated by the signal relative to a pressure change threshold; and/or performing a prewetting operation based on a temperature of a liquid relative to a temperature threshold.
  14. 157 . A method of operating an automated pipetting system, the method comprising: executing, by at least one controller circuit, computer readable instructions stored in a non-transitory storage medium to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a pressure sensor, a signal indicating pressure in a channel of a pipettor; and based on the pressure indicated by the signal, automatically performing one or more evaporation compensation operations.
  15. 158 .- 164 . (canceled)
  16. 165 . The method of claim 157 , wherein the pipettor comprises a pipette tip having an opening therein for aspirating a liquid, wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: performing a prewetting operation prior to the aspirating of the liquid; and/or adapting one or more aspiration parameters for the aspirating of the liquid; and/or controlling movement of a plunger in the channel.
  17. 166 . (canceled)
  18. 167 . The method of claim 165 , wherein the operations further comprise estimating an evaporation volume based on an evaporation rate and a duration of the aspirating of the liquid, wherein the evaporation volume indicates an amount of under-aspiration, and wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: adapting the one or more aspiration parameters to aspirate a further amount of the liquid based on the amount of under-aspiration; and aspirating the further amount of the liquid based on the one or more aspiration parameters that were adapted.
  19. 168 . The method of claim 165 , wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: after removal of the pipette tip from the liquid, controlling the movement of the plunger to aspirate air to reduce or avoid dripping of the liquid from the pipette tip.
  20. 169 . The method of claim 165 , wherein performing the one or more evaporation compensation operations comprises: after removal of the pipette tip from the liquid, controlling the movement of the plunger to maintain a substantially constant pressure in the pipette tip.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/825,205, filed May 26, 2022, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/741,647 filed May 11, 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD The present technology relates to automated liquid handling systems and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for aspirating and/or dispensing liquids using a pipettor. BACKGROUND Laboratory liquid handling systems are used to transport and operate on volumes of liquid. The liquid handling system may include one or more pipettors that are used to aspirate portions of liquid samples and/or to dispense liquid samples. In some cases, the liquid samples are aspirated and dispensed robotically and, in some cases, automatically and programmatically. SUMMARY According to some embodiments, an automated pipetting system includes a pipettor. The pipettor includes a pipetting channel, a first plunger mechanism operable to change a pressure in the pipetting channel to aspirate or dispense a liquid, and a second plunger mechanism operable to change the pressure in the pipetting channel to aspirate or dispense the liquid. According to some embodiments, the first and second plunger mechanisms are operable to displace an air volume in the pipetting channel. According to some embodiments, the first and second plunger mechanisms are operable independently of one another to change the pressure in the pipetting channel. In some embodiments, the pipetting system includes a pipetting orifice and a liquid collection volume, and the first and second plunger mechanisms are operable to change the pressure in the pipetting channel to aspirate the liquid into the liquid collection volume through the pipetting orifice or to dispense the liquid from the liquid collection volume through the pipetting orifice. The automated pipetting system may include a pipette tip removably coupled to the pipettor, wherein the pipette tip includes the liquid collection volume and the pipetting orifice. In some embodiments, the pipettor includes an ejection mechanism operable to force the pipette tip off of the pipettor. According to some embodiments, the first plunger mechanism includes a first chamber and a first plunger, wherein the first plunger mechanism is operable to move the first plunger through the first chamber to change the pressure in the pipetting channel, and the second plunger mechanism includes a second chamber and a second plunger, wherein the second plunger mechanism is operable to move the second plunger through the second chamber to change the pressure in the pipetting channel. In some embodiments, the first plunger mechanism includes a first plunger actuator operable to move the first plunger through the first chamber, the second plunger mechanism includes a second plunger actuator operable to move the second plunger through the second chamber, and the automated pipetting system includes a controller configured to automatically and programmatically control the first plunger actuator and the second plunger actuator. The first plunger actuator and the second plunger actuator may be linear actuators. In some embodiments, the first plunger mechanism is configured to translate the first plunger along a first plunger axis, the second plunger mechanism is configured to translate the second plunger along a second plunger axis, the first plunger has a first cross-sectional area in a plane orthogonal to the first plunger axis, the second plunger has a second cross-sectional area in a plane orthogonal to the second plunger axis, and the second cross-sectional area is greater than the first cross-sectional area. In some embodiments, the second cross-sectional area is at least three times the first cross-sectional area. According to some embodiments, the first plunger mechanism is configured to translate the first plunger through the first chamber, the second plunger mechanism is configured to translate the second plunger through the second chamber, the first plunger displaces an air volume in the first chamber at a first rate of air volume displacement per unit translation, the second plunger displaces an air volume in the second chamber at a second rate of air volume displacement per unit translation, and the second rate of air volume displacement per unit translation is greater than the first rate of air volume displacement per unit translation. In some embodiments, the second rate of air volume displacement per unit translation is at least three times the first rate of air volume displacement per unit translation. In some embodiments, the first plunger mechanism is configured to provide a first maximum air volume displacement, the second plunger mechanism is configured to provide a second maximum air volume displacement, and the second maximum air volume displacement is greater than the first maximum air