Method of transferring liquid from reagent reservoir using a robotic handler

1 . A method of transferring a liquid using a robotic liquid handler, the method comprising:

positioning a multi-channel pipettor controlled by a transport device at a deck location of the robotic liquid handler;

aspirating a first volume of liquid out of a reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler, the reagent reservoir having a sloped bottom along a width of the reagent reservoir, the sloped bottom defining a shallow end and a deep end of the reagent reservoir, and a floor with decreasing cross-section along the width of the reagent reservoir from a first side-wall to a second side-wall, wherein the shallow end is proximal to the first side-wall of the reagent reservoir, wherein the deep end is proximal to the second side-wall of the reagent reservoir opposite the first side-wall, and wherein aspirating the first volume of liquid out of the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler comprises aspirating the first volume using the multi-channel pipettor along the width of the reagent reservoir from the first side-wall to the second side-wall;

positioning a single channel of a multi-channel pipettor controlled by the transport device over the deep end of the reagent reservoir; and

aspirating a second volume of liquid out of the deep end of the reagent reservoir using the single channel of a multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler,

wherein aspiration of the second volume out of the deep end results in depletion of liquid in the shallow end of the reagent reservoir.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the single channel of a multi-channel pipettor is positioned at a deepest portion of reagent reservoir, wherein the deepest portion is proximal to the second side-wall of the reagent reservoir.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reagent reservoir has a decreasing cross-section along the width of the reagent reservoir from the first side-wall to the second side-wall.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein aspirating the first volume of liquid out of the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler comprises aspirating the first volume using the multi-channel pipettor along the width of the reagent reservoir from the first side-wall to the second side-wall.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reagent reservoir has multiple chambers, each with sloped bottom.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein multiple chambers are formed by a dividing wall spanning the width of the reservoir.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

depositing particles in the liquid; and

allowing the particles to become suspended in the liquid;

wherein the particles settle evenly along the sloped bottom.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

aligning tabs with slots on the liquid handler to position the reagent reservoir on a deck of the robotic liquid handler.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

engaging tabs of the reagent reservoir with a deck of the robotic liquid handler to elevate the shallow end above the deep end and the first side-wall and the second side-wall stand vertical on the deck.

10 . A method of transferring liquid using a robotic liquid handler, the method comprising:

filling a reagent reservoir with a liquid such that a sloped bottom of the reagent reservoir, wherein the sloped bottom forms a deep end and a shallow end, the reagent reservoir having a floor with decreasing cross-section along a width of the reagent reservoir from a first side-wall to a second side-wall;

positioning a multi-channel pipettor controlled by a transport device at a deck location of the robotic liquid handler;

removing a first portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor having a first pipettor tip extending into a first position near the shallow end and a second pipettor tip extending into a second position near the deep end, and wherein removing the first portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor comprises removing the first portion using the multi-channel pipettor along the width of the reagent reservoir from the deep end to the shallow end;

positioning a single pipettor tip of a multi-channel pipettor controlled by the transport device over the deep end of the reagent reservoir; and

removing a second portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor having the single pipettor tip extending into a second position near the deep end.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the first portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor can result in the liquid emptying from the shallow end of the reagent reservoir.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the first portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir can further comprise repeating aspiration of liquid from the second portion with the second pipettor tip.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing a second portion of the liquid from the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor having a single pipettor tip extending into a second position near the deep end or a pipettor tip of a single-channel pipettor extending into the deep end can result in removing all of the liquid in the first portion.

14 . A method of transferring liquid using a robotic liquid handler, the method comprising:

positioning a first pipettor controlled by a transport device at a deck location of the robotic liquid handler;

aspirating a first volume of liquid out of a reagent reservoir using the first pipettor of the robotic liquid handler, the first pipettor having a number of tips including a first tip and a second tip, the reagent reservoir having a sloped bottom along a width of the reservoir, the sloped bottom defining a shallow end and a deep end of the reagent reservoir, and a floor with decreasing cross-section along the width of the reagent reservoir from a first side-wall to a second side-wall, wherein the first tip is positioned over the shallow end of the reagent reservoir and another tip is positioned over the deep end of the reagent reservoir during the aspiration of the first volume of liquid, and wherein aspirating the first volume of liquid out of the reagent reservoir using the first pipettor comprising aspirating the first volume using the first pipettor along the width of the reagent reservoir from the shallow end to the deep end;

positioning a second pipettor controlled by the transport device over the deep end of the reagent reservoir; and

aspirating a second volume of liquid out of the reagent reservoir using the second pipettor of the robotic liquid handler, the second pipettor having a number of tips less than the number of tips of the first pipettor, wherein a tip of the second pipettor is positioned over the deep end of the reagent reservoir during the aspiration of the second volume.

15 . A method of transferring liquid from a bulk storage reservoir using a robotic liquid handler, the method comprising:

adding liquid to the bulk storage reservoir such that:

a first volume of the bulk storage reservoir formed by a sloped bottom of the storage reservoir forming a deep end and a shallow end fills, the reagent reservoir having a floor with decreasing cross-section along a width of the reagent reservoir from a first side-wall to a second side-wall; and

a second volume of the bulk storage reservoir above the first volume formed by first and second end-walls of the bulk storage reservoir at the deep and shallow ends becomes at least partially filled;

positioning a multi-channel pipettor controlled by a transport device at a deck location of the robotic liquid handler;

emptying the second volume using the multi-channel pipettor along the width of the bulk storage reservoir;

positioning a single channel of a multi-channel pipettor controlled by the transport device over the deep end of the reagent reservoir; and

emptying the first volume using the single channel of a multi-channel pipettor.

16 . A method of transferring a liquid using a robotic liquid handler, the method comprising:

positioning a multi-channel pipettor controlled by a transport device at a deck location of the robotic liquid handler;

aspirating a first volume of liquid out of a reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler, the reagent reservoir having a sloped bottom along a width of the reagent reservoir, the sloped bottom defining a shallow end and a deep end of the reagent reservoir, and a floor with decreasing cross-section along the width of the reagent reservoir from a first side-wall to a second side-wall, wherein the shallow end is proximal to the first side-wall of the reagent reservoir, wherein the deep end is proximal to the second side-wall of the reagent reservoir opposite the first side-wall, and wherein aspirating the first volume of liquid out of the reagent reservoir using the multi-channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler comprises aspirating the first volume using the multi-channel pipettor along the width of the reagent reservoir from the first side-wall to the second side-wall;

positioning a single channel pipettor controlled by the transport device over the deep end of the reagent reservoir; and

aspirating a second volume of liquid out of the deep end of the reagent reservoir using the single channel pipettor of the robotic liquid handler,

wherein aspiration of the second volume out of the deep end results in depletion of liquid in the shallow end of the reagent reservoir.