US20030170910A1 - Temperature control apparatus and method for pipetting robot - Google Patents

Abstract

A temperature control apparatus in the form of a plate is provided for pipetting robots, the plate having a spiral tube for a temperature control medium and which apparatus is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates. A pipetting robot which utilizes a maximum amount of its working space, increasing the efficiency of pipetting liquids for analysis, is also provided.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention[0001]
• The present invention relates to a temperature control apparatus for pipetting robots for holding microtitration plates.[0002]
• 2. Description of the Prior Art[0003]
• Temperature control apparatus for pipetting robots are known. For example, Beckmann Instruments GmbH, Frankfurter Ring 116, D-80810 Munich markets pipetting robots under the name BIOMEK 2000. Such robots are used in the pharmaceutical industry, for example, for screening unknown substances (screening tests). They comprise temperature control apparatus for containers for the unknown substances, which are arranged on microtitration plates, as well as for pipetting apparatus, which can be actuated via programming languages or program codes, for filling these containers.[0004]
• The temperature control apparatus are used to keep the unknown substances at a constant temperature during the pipetting process in the screening tests. The temperatures of known temperature control apparatus can be controlled by means of Peltier elements. That is, they can be heated or cooled, and they have two segments for holding microtitration plates.[0005]
• Disadvantages of known temperature control apparatus are that they are suitable only for microtitration plates of a specific format, and that they do not fully utilize the available working area of the pipetting robot, or the full area which the pipetting apparatus can reach. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, a[0006]zone20 ofworking area15 is not utilized during a conventional pipetting process. The standard program for pipetting robots does not recognizezone20, and therefore, thefull working area15 of the pipetting robot is not utilized. This means thatmicrotitration plates14, held in place bytaps21, must be of a specific format to fit within the robot-recognized areas ofworking area15.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for controlling temperature which provides advantages and obviates a number of problems in known temperature control apparatus.[0007]
• To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a temperature control apparatus including a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates.[0008]
• According to another aspect of the present invention, the invention includes temperature control apparatus for pipetting robots including a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part. The upper part includes grooves in an upper surface thereof, which is facing away from the lower part, the grooves dividing the surface into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates.[0009]
• According to a further aspect of the present invention, the invention includes a temperature control apparatus including a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part. The lower part includes a channel in an upper surface of the lower part, which is in contact with the upper part, wherein the channel forms a spiral tube in the assembled state. The upper part and lower part can be connected to one another by normal fastening means.[0010]
• According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention includes a programmable pipetting robot having a temperature control apparatus including a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates, a working area containing the at least one temperature control apparatus, one microtitration plate holding containers for liquids located on each segment of the temperature control apparatus, a pipetting apparatus, and means for recognizing the position of each microtitration plate, wherein the pipetting robot is programmed such that, when the temperature-control apparatus and the microtitration plates are arranged correctly, the robot recognizes and fills each of the containers with a liquid.[0011]
• According to another aspect of the present invention, the invention includes a method of automatically pipetting fluids into wells of microtitration plates resting on a temperature control apparatus in a working area of a pipetting robot, including defining the working area of the robot to include an entire working table surface, placing microtitration plates in at least the middle of the working area, inputting a fluid source position, inputting a fluid destination position within the middle of the defined working area, moving a pipetting apparatus to the destination position, and filling a well of a microtitration plate located at the destination position.[0012]
• Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.[0013]
• It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.[0014]
• The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrates one embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.[0015]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the temperature control device according to the present invention;[0016]
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pipetting robot utilizing the temperature control device of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;[0017]
• FIG. 3A is a top view of microtitration plates placed in a utilized working area of a pipetting robot according to the present invention;[0018]
• FIG. 3B is a top view of microtitration plates placed in a utilized working area of a pipetting robot according to the prior art; and[0019]
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer system in which interfaces consistent with the present invention may be implemented.[0020]
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.[0021]
• The preferred embodiment of the temperature control apparatus is illustrated in perspective in FIG. 1.[0022]Temperature control apparatus1 includes anupper part2 and alower part3, each of which is formed as a rectangular plate, the plates being connectable by any common fastening element, such as a screw or aclamp11.Temperature control apparatus1 may be made from any suitable material which will supportmicrotitration plates14 and which can support a temperature control medium. Examples of suitable materials are plastics and metals.
• [0023]Lower part3 includes anupper surface9 and alower surface13.Upper surface9 oflower part3 includes a spiral channel which, in the assembled state, forms aspiral tube5. Thespiral tube5 includes aninput6 and anoutput7 for receiving a heating or cooling medium, depending on the operation to be performed.
• [0024]Upper part2 includes anupper surface10 and alower surface12.Grooves4 are incorporated inupper part2, inupper surface10 which is facing away fromlower part3, such thatsurface10 is divided into threesegments8 forholding microtitration plates14. A different division into two, or more than three,segments8 is possible without further ramifications.
• The rectangular plates, when assembled, rest one on top of the other to form the[0025]temperature control apparatus1. When assembled,lower surface12 ofupper part2 rests on top ofupper surface9 oflower part3. As shown in FIG. 2,microtitration plates14 fit betweengrooves4 intosegments8, and rest onupper surface10 ofupper part3. As shown in FIG. 3A, temperature of themicrotitration plates14 is monitored once they are placed on the temperature control apparatus via athermostat17 monitoring the temperature of a heating or cooling medium flowing inspiral channel5 throughtemperature control apparatus1. The heating or cooling medium is contained incontainer18 and flows fromcontainer18 intoinput6, throughtemperature control apparatus1, out ofoutput7, and returns tocontainer18 where the temperature of the temperature control medium is measured bythermostat17. Once a desired temperature is reached, the thermostat is set, and pipettingrobot16 can fill the wells ofmicrotitration plates14.
• According to one aspect of the invention and as embodied in FIG. 2, the present invention includes a pipetting robot. Conventional pipetting robots are restricted in their access to the[0026]available working area15. Standard programs for pipetting robots utilizing conventional temperature control devices fix positions reachable by the pipetting robot in the horizontal plane. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, a conventional pipetting robot cannot accesszone20 ofworking area15. In a conventional working space, where there are twelve positions defined to receive microtitration plates, each microtitration plate generally containing 96 wells.
• Pipetting[0027]robot16, as embodied herein and shown in FIG. 2, includes a workingarea15, apipetting apparatus16a,a temperature control apparatus1 (comprisingelements2 and3), acontroller19, athermostat17, and acontainer18 for holding a temperature control medium.
• Pipetting[0028]apparatus16ais moveable in three dimensions.Pipetting apparatus16ais moveable longitudinally along workingspace15, it is moveable horizontally across the width oftemperature control apparatus1, and it is moveable vertically.Controller19 includes a microprocessor, such as a computer.
• Pipetting[0029]robot16 may access and utilize additional portions of thework space15 when additional programming is performed. Thus, in contrast to conventional robots and as shown in FIG. 3A, the working area of the pipetting robot of the present invention may hold sixtemperature control apparatus1, and therefore the working area contains a total of 18 positions defined to receive microtitration plates, each microtitration plate generally containing 96 wells. Thus, the present invention allows a 33% increase in the amount of working area available for use.
• An example of a program for actuation of a pipetting robot according to the invention is described in the following text. This program is executable in a microprocessor such as[0030]controller19.Controller19 may include theprogram25, amemory26, adisplay27, asecondary storage device28, aCPU29, and aninput device30. This program was written in the programming language TCL, which is proposed by the Beckmann company for such applications and is accessible via the Internet.

  #	Universal - TCL - Script for once-off outputting of volumes.
  #
  #	When defining local variables, please observe upper case/lower
  #	case !!!
  #	--------------------------------------------------------------

  #	Should a Tip_touch be made
  #	and if yes, where ?
  #	Only source, only destination or both
  #	1 = Yes    /    0 = No

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------

  setsource_tip_touch 1

  set target_tip_touch 1

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------

  #	The desired volumes are used from here on

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------

  #

  set disp_vol 100

  set bias_vol 10

  #

  #	if deliver_vol then no blow_out

  #

  setdeliver_vol 15

  #

  #	blowout = no blowout !!

  #

  set blowout_vol 0

  #

  #	calculate volume to be accommodated if greater than m_vol
  #	then terminate the script

  #

  if { $deliver_vol > 1 } {set blowout_vol 0}

  if { $blowout_vol > 1 } {set deliver_vol 0}

  set asp_vol [expr $disp_vol+$bias_vol+$deliver_vol+$blowout_vol]

  #

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------

  #	Pipette parameters used from here on

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #	Depending on pipette used
  #	MP200 slope: 0.0838 / offset: 0.05 / m_vol 240

  set m_vol 240

  set slope 0.0838

  set offset 0.05

  #

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #	The coordinates for the source container are used from here on
  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #
  #	Source:    MTP to Position B3

  set source_x 77050

  set source_y 41401

  set source_certain_move 32000

  set source_asp_high 30700

  set source_disp_high 31000

  set source_touch_x 450

  set source_touch_high 31200

  #

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #	The coordinates of the destination vessel are used from here on
  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #
  #	Destination: Deep Well at Position A4

  set target_x 90960

  set target_y 26201

  set target_sicher_move 32300

  set target_disp_high 31000

  set target_touch_x 450

  set target_touch_high 31600

  #

  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #	No more changes may be made from this point !!!
  #	--------------------------------------------------------------
  #

  set certain_move [expr $source_certain_move*1 ]

  if {$source_certain_move < $target_certain_move}

  {set certain_move [expr $target_certain_move*1 ]}

  #

  #	Convert to BIOMEK coordinates
  #

  set BIAS [expr int((($bias_vol*100*$slope+($offset*100))+0.5*−1)]

  set DISPENSE [expr int((($disp_vol*100*$slope+($offset*100))+0.5*−1)]

  set DELIVER 0

  if {$deliver_vol > 1}

  {set DELIVER [expr int((($deliver_vol*100*$slope+($offset*100))+0.5*−1)]}

  set BLOWOUT 0

  set GET_BLOWOUT 0

  if {$blowout_vol > 1}

  {set BLOWOUT [expr int((($blowout_vol*100*$slope+($offset*100))+0.5*−1)]

  set GET_BLOWOUT [expr abs($BLOWOUT)]}

  set ASPIRATE [ expr abs($DISPENSE)+abs($BIAS)+abs($DELIVER) ]

  #

  #	set speed up

  #

  SX 650

  SY 650

  #

  #	move to destination labware

  #

  MA 0 0 $certain_move

  if {$blowout_vol > 1} {MT $GET_BLOWOUT}

  MA $source_x $source_y 0

  MA 0 0 $source_asp_high

  #

  #	get volume

  #

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MT $ASPIRATE

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MT $BIAS

  if {$source_tip_touch > 0}

  {MA 0 0 $source_touch_high

  MS TT 11 10 0

  MV $source_touch_x 0 0

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MV [ expr $source_touch_x * −1 ] 0 0}

  MA 0 0 $certain_move

  #

  #	move to source

  #

  MA $target_x $target_y 0

  MS TT 11 10 0

  MA 0 0 $target_disp_high

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MT $DISPENSE

  if {$blowout_vol > 0} {MT $BLOWOUT}

  if {$target_tip_touch > 0}

  {MA 0 0 $target_touch_high

  MS TT 11 10 0

  MV $target_touch_x 0 0

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MV [ expr $target_touch_x * −1 ] 0 0}

  MS TT 11 10 0

  MA 0 0 $certain_move

  MA $source)_x $source_y 0

  if {$deliver_vol > 0}

  {MS TT 11 10 0

  MA 0 0 $source_disp_high

  MT $DELIVER

  MS TT 11 10 0

  if {$source_tip_touch > 0}

  {MA 0 0 $source_touch_high

  MS TT 11 10 0

  MV $source_touch_x 0 0

  MS TT 11 20 0

  MV [expr $source_touch_x * −1 ] 0 0 }}

  MA 0 0 $certain_move

  #

  #	speed down

  #

  SX 500

  SY 500

  #

  #	Clear all initialized variables

  #

  unset source_tip_touch

  unset target_tip_touch

  unset disp_vol

  unset bias_vol

  unset deliver_vol

  unset blowout_vol

  unset asp_vol

  unset m_vol

  unset slope

  unset offset

  unset source_x

  unset source_y

  unset source_certain_move

  unset source_asp_high

  unset source_disp_high

  unset source_touch__x

  unset source_touch_high

  unset target_x

  unset target_y

  unset target_certain_move

  unset target_disp_high

  unset target_touch_x

  unset target_touch_high

  unset certain_move

  unset BIAS

  unset DISPENSE

  unset DELIVER

  unset BLOWOUT

  unset GET_BLOWOUT

  unset ASPIRATE

• Use of the above program, or similar programming, allows pipetting[0031]robot16 to access all wells in allmicrotitration plates14 which are within pipetting robot's16 workingspace15. Utilizing such a program with pipettingrobot16, which is controlled by a microprocessor, such ascomputer19, allows more efficient processing of materials to be analyzed.
• Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.[0032]

Claims (13)

What is claimed is:

1. A temperature control apparatus for pipetting robots for holding microtitration plates, comprising a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates.

2. The temperature control apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part; and

wherein the upper part includes grooves in an upper surface thereof, which is facing away from the lower part, said grooves dividing the upper surface into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates.

3. The temperature control apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part; and

wherein the upper part includes grooves in an upper surface thereof, which is facing away from the lower part, said grooves dividing the upper surface into at least three segments for holding microtitration plates.

4. The temperature control apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plate is divided into at least three segments for holding microtitration plates.

5. The temperature control apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part;

wherein the lower part includes a channel in an upper surface of the lower part, which is in contact with the upper part, wherein the channel forms a spiral tube in the assembled state.

6. The temperature control apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plate includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein both the upper and lower parts are rectangular, the upper part resting on top of the lower part;

wherein the upper part includes grooves in an upper surface thereof, which is facing away from the lower part, said grooves dividing the upper surface into at least three segments for holding microtitration plates; and

wherein the lower part includes a channel in an upper surface of the lower part, which is in contact with the upper part, wherein the channel forms a spiral tube in the assembled state.

7. A pipetting robot, comprising:

a working area;

a pipetting apparatus;

at least one microtitration plate; and

a temperature control apparatus including a plate having a spiral tube for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates.

8. A programmable pipetting robot, comprising:

at least one temperature control apparatus including a plate having a spiral tube for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments for holding microtitration plates;

a working area containing the at least one temperature control apparatus;

one microtitration plate holding containers for liquids located on each segment of the temperature control apparatus;

a pipetting apparatus; and

a controller for recognizing the position of each microtitration plate, wherein the pipetting robot is programmed such that, when the temperature-control apparatus and the microtitration plates are arranged correctly, the robot recognizes and fills each of the containers with a liquid.

9. A method of automatically pipetting fluids into wells of microtitration plates resting on a temperature control apparatus in a working area of a pipetting robot, comprising:

defining the working area of the robot to include an entire working table surface;

placing microtitration plates in at least the middle of the working area;

inputting into a controller a fluid source position;

inputting into a controller a fluid destination position within the middle of the defined working area;

moving a pipetting apparatus to the destination position; and

filling a well of a microtitration plate located at the destination position.

10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the placing step includes filling the entire working area with microtitration plates, and the inputting step includes inputting a fluid destination position for each well of each microtitration plate located within the working area.

11. A method of automatically pipetting fluids into wells of a microtitration plate, comprising:

providing at least one temperature control apparatus to a working area of a programmable pipetting robot, the apparatus having a width and a length and including a plate having a spiral tube therein for receiving a temperature-control medium, wherein the plate is divided into at least two segments across its width for holding microtitration plates;

placing a microtitration plate on each segment of the temperature control apparatus;

moving a pipetting apparatus across the width of the temperature control apparatus; and

filling each well of each microtitration plate as the pipetting apparatus moves across the width of the temperature control apparatus.

12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the placing step includes placing at least three microtitration plates across the width of the temperature control apparatus.

13. The method ofclaim 11, further including inputting into a controller a destination position to designate a well to be filled prior to moving the pipetting apparatus.

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