IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,269,026
Granted Patent B2
US 12,269,026 · App. 17/238,841 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

System and apparatus for reactions including a liquid transfer device with an asymmetrical cross-section

Inventors: Simon Roderick Grover (Cambridge, GB); Paul Graham Wilkins (Cambridge, GB); Nick David Rollings (St. Albans, GB); Peter Laurence Mayne (London, GB); Wai Ting Chan (Cambridge, GB); Natalie Frances Scott (Cambridge, GB); Olivier Fernand Flick (Cambridge, GB); Henry Charles Innes (Princeton, NJ); Martyn Gray Darnbrough Beedham (Cambridge, GB); Nicholas David Long (Harrold, GB); Richard John Hammond (Foxton, GB)
Assignee: ABBOTT DIAGNOSTICS SCARBOROUGH, INC.
B01L3/0217B01L3/502A61J1/2096B01L2200/025B01L2200/026B01L2200/16B01L2300/025B01L2400/0478Y10T436/2575
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,269,026
App. No.
17/238,841
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, and methods for liquid transfer and performing reactions. In one aspect, a system includes a liquid transfer device having a housing having a pipette tip and a plunger assembly; and a reaction chamber, wherein the housing of the liquid transfer device is configured to sealably engage with the reaction chamber. In another aspect, a liquid transfer device including a housing having a pipette tip; and a plunger assembly disposed within the housing and the pipette tip, wherein a portion of the plunger assembly is configured to engage a fluid reservoir such that the plunger assembly remains stationary relative to the fluid reservoir and the housing moves relative to the plunger assembly.

Claims (30)

1. A system comprising:

a liquid transfer device ( 100 ) comprising a housing ( 110 ) having a plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ) extending from a bottom surface of the housing ( 110 ), and a plunger assembly ( 130 ) disposed within the housing ( 110 ); and

a fluid reservoir ( 300 ) comprising a housing having an opening,

wherein a bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) comprises an asymmetrical cross-section ( 105 ) that is compatible with a cross-section of the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), such that when the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is mated with the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) sealably engages with the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), and the plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ) is disposed within the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plunger assembly ( 130 ) comprises a plurality of syringe plungers ( 135 ), each syringe plunger ( 135 ) operably connected to a corresponding pipette tip ( 120 ) of the plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ).

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each syringe plunger ( 135 ) of said plurality of syringe plungers ( 135 ) seals within a pipette tip ( 120 ) of the plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ).

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein each syringe plunger ( 135 ) of said plurality of syringe plungers ( 135 ) comprises an o-ring ( 140 ).

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein said plunger assembly ( 130 ) comprises two syringe plungers ( 135 ).

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ) comprises two pipette tips ( 120 ).

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reaction chamber ( 200 ) comprising a housing ( 210 ), wherein the asymmetrical cross-section ( 105 ) of the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is compatible with a cross-section ( 205 ) of an opening of the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) and, when the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is mated with the reaction chamber ( 200 ), the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) lockably engages with the opening of the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ).

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein cross-section of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) is compatible with the cross-section of the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) and, when the reaction chamber ( 200 ) is mated with the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) lockably engages with the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) comprises a gasket configured to sealably engage with the opening of the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) and/or the opening of the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) comprises a gasket ( 235 ) configured to sealably engage with the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ), the gasket ( 235 ) fitting within the housing ( 210 ) of the reaction chamber ( 200 ).

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) further comprises a pair of slots and the reaction chamber further comprises a pair of tabs, wherein the slots are configured to lockably engage with the pair of tabs without dispensing and/or after dispensing.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reaction chamber ( 200 ) locks into the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) via insertion of one or more side tabs ( 240 ) on the reaction chamber ( 200 ) into one or more corresponding notches ( 340 ) on the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reaction chamber ( 200 ) locks into the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) when mated to form an irreversible seal.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is mated with the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), the plunger assembly ( 130 ) is configured to remain stationary relative to the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) and the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is configured to move relative to the plunger assembly ( 130 ), due to one or more flanges ( 139 ) disposed on the plunger assembly that contact a guide ring ( 320 ) on the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) to remain stationary.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein movement of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) relative to the plunger assembly ( 130 ) results in creation of a vacuum within the plurality of pipette tips ( 120 ).

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is configured to move relative to the plunger assembly ( 130 ) when the housing ( 110 ) is advanced toward the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) comprises an outer wall ( 350 ) and an inner wall, wherein the inner wall is spaced apart from and positioned within the outer wall ( 350 ).

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) and the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) sealably engage when mated with the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall ( 350 ) of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system contains a biological material, and the biological material is sealed within at least one of: the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) or the liquid transfer device ( 100 ).

19. A system comprising:

a liquid transfer device ( 100 ) comprising:

a housing ( 110 ) having a first pipette tip ( 120 ) extending from a bottom surface of the housing ( 110 ) and a second pipette tip ( 120 ) extending from the bottom surface of the housing proximate the first pipette tip ( 120 ); and

a plunger assembly ( 130 ) disposed within the housing ( 110 );

a fluid reservoir ( 300 ) comprising a housing having an opening; and

a reaction chamber ( 200 ) comprising a housing having an opening,

wherein a bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) comprises an asymmetrical cross-section ( 105 ) that is compatible with a cross-section ( 305 ) of the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) such that when the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is mated with the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) sealably engages with the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 );

wherein the asymmetrical cross-section ( 105 ) of the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) of the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is compatible with a cross-section ( 205 ) of the opening of the housing of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) and, when the liquid transfer device ( 100 ) is mated with the reaction chamber ( 200 ), the bottom periphery of the housing ( 110 ) lockably engages with the opening of the housing of the reaction chamber ( 200 ); and

wherein the opening of the housing of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) has an asymmetrical cross-section ( 205 ) that is compatible with the cross-section ( 305 ) of the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ) and, when the reaction chamber ( 200 ) is mated with the fluid reservoir ( 300 ), the opening of the housing of the reaction chamber ( 200 ) lockably engages with the opening of the housing of the fluid reservoir ( 300 ).

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: HAMMOND, RICHARD JOHN
To: CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LTD.
Reel/Frame 058348/0929 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: LONG, NICHOLAS DAVID
To: UNIPATH LIMITED TRADING AS ALERE INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 058349/0192 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: SAGENTIA LTD.
To: CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LTD.
Reel/Frame 058349/0662 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LIMITED
To: ALERE SWITZERLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 058349/0737 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: ALERE SWITZERLAND GMBH
To: ABBOTT RAPID DIAGNOSTICS INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
Reel/Frame 058349/0806 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: ABBOTT RAPID DIAGNOSTICS INTERNATIONAL UNLIMITED COMPANY
To: ABBOTT DIAGNOSTICS SCARBOROUGH, INC.
Reel/Frame 058349/0830 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: UNIPATH LIMITED TRADING AS ALERE INTERNATIONAL
To: CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LTD.
Reel/Frame 058427/0048 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: GROVER, SIMON RODERICK; WILKINS, PAUL GRAHAM; ROLLINGS, NICK DAVID; MAYNE, PETER LAURENCE; CHAN, WAI TING; SCOTT, NATALIE FRANCES; FLICK, OLIVIER FERNAND; INNES, HENRY CHARLES; DARNBROUGH BEEDHAM, MARTYN GRAY
To: SAGENTIA LTD.
Reel/Frame 058438/0930 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16057209 · Aug 7, 2018
Division 15141190 · Apr 28, 2016
Continuation 13242999 · Sep 23, 2011
Related Publication 20210316297A1 · Oct 14, 2021
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