Methods and apparatus are provided for attaching and detaching pipette tips with a pipettor and for storing pipette tips. A pipette comprises an aspiration block and one or more magnets fixed at the aspiration block face. A reusable pipette tip has a pipette adaptor comprising a magnetically attracted material. A pipetting device is provided which comprises a pipettor magnetically attached to a pipette tip. Methods of using foregoing apparatus are also provided.

An air cushion pipette comprises at least one seat configured to releasably hold a pipette tip and a displacement apparatus comprising a displacement chamber including a displacement element configured to be displaced therein. A drive apparatus is coupled to the displacement element and configured to displace the displacement element in the displacement chamber. An overstroke apparatus comprises a lower stop and is configured such that a stop element displaces the lower stop downwards when the stop element presses against the lower stop, wherein the downward displacement of the lower stop is limited to a first overstroke. A displaceable overstroke limiting element is configured to enable the displacement of the lower stop downwards by the first overstroke in a release position and limit said displacement to a second overstroke that is shorter than the first overstroke in a blocking position.

A pipetter is disclosed that has a suction lumen with an opening and an ejection bar that slides relative to the suction lumen. The pipette tip has a distal end opening and a proximal end with a rim. The pipette tip has a pipette wall with a low-force stretch region with a plurality of thinning channels. The system comprises at least three configurations: an insertion configuration, wherein (1) the suction lumen is inserted into the proximal opening, and (2) the ejection bar does not abut the rim; a sealed/installed configuration, wherein (1) the suction lumen forms a liquid-tight seal between the suction lumen and the pipette wall, and (2) the ejection bar abuts the rim, preventing further insertion of the suction lumen (95); and an ejection configuration, wherein (1) the ejection bar is slid towards the rim, and (2) the ejection bar dislodges the pipette tip from the suction lumen.

In order for the handling of a pipette to be improved, the pipettes (1) according to the invention and a method according to the invention for setting a volume of a pipette to be pipetted are proposed. In the case of the pipette (1) it is provided that the activation element (7) for activating the ejection mechanism (6) for ejecting a pipette tip forms a conduit (9) for the pipetting button (3). On account thereof, an activation face (10) of the activation element (7) is enlarged in such a manner that the handling of the ejection mechanism (6) of the pipette (1) is in particular simplified and is particularly comfortable. It is furthermore also proposed that the activation element (7) is coupled to the volume adjustment mechanism (11) of the pipette, and the adjustment of the volume to be pipetted by the pipette (1) is performed with the aid of a movement of the activation element (7)(FIG. 4).

The present disclosure provides better aspiration and dispensing of fluids by an innovative mechanism by (i) offsetting the diameter of a bottom tube with a narrower top piston when the two are moved together in the same chamber to give extremely fine resolution, thereby eliminating the need for any skinny or filamentous piston, (ii) letting the bottom tube move in the chamber alone without offset to give high flow, (iii) an at-the-ready space between the tube and piston in the chamber to permit contact-free blowoff, including viscous samples, and (iv) a frame, adjustable knob and readable volume gage that let the mechanism operate as a handheld pipettor apparatus for various volumes.

The present disclosure provides better aspiration and dispensing of liquids by an innovative mechanism by (i) offsetting the diameter of a bottom tube with a narrower and tapered top piston when the two are moved together in the same chamber to give extremely fine resolution, thereby eliminating the need for any skinny or filamentous piston, (ii) using thick walled compliant O-rings to seal against the different diameters of the tapered piston to given an additional order of magnitude range of resolution, (iii) letting the bottom tube move in the chamber alone without offset to give high flow, and (iv) an at-the-ready space between the tube and piston in the chamber to permit contact-free blowoff, including viscous samples.

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.

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.

A pipette tip for and method of automatically maintaining pipette tip depth in a fluid during a fluid transfer operation is disclosed. The pipette tip includes, for example, two electrodes that run substantially the full length of the pipette tip for measuring the resistance therebetween when submerged in a conductive fluid. A method is provided of automatically maintaining the depth of the pipette tip in a liquid throughout a pipetting operation, as the liquid surface rises or falls in its container, without any prior knowledge of the container geometry.

A pipetter is disclosed that has a suction lumen with an opening and an ejection bar that slides relative to the suction lumen. The pipette tip has a distal end opening and a proximal end with a rim. The pipette tip has a pipette wall with a low-force stretch region with a plurality of thinning channels. The system comprises at least three configurations: an insertion configuration, wherein (1) the suction lumen is inserted into the proximal opening, and (2) the ejection bar does not abut the rim; a sealed/installed configuration, wherein (1) the suction lumen forms a liquid-tight seal between the suction lumen and the pipette wall, and (2) the ejection bar abuts the rim, preventing further insertion of the suction lumen (95); and an ejection configuration, wherein (1) the ejection bar is slid towards the rim, and (2) the ejection bar dislodges the pipette tip from the suction lumen.