DE102023128814A1 - Automated liquid handling device with combined dosing and pressure change device for filling and emptying a reaction vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated liquid handling device (10) comprises:
i. a reaction vessel device (18) comprising a reaction vessel arrangement (86) with at least one reaction vessel (88), wherein the at least one reaction vessel (88) has an input end (102) with an input opening (104) and an output end (106) spaced from the input end (102) with an output opening (116),
ii. a dosing device (62a) with at least one dosing opening (188) for transferring liquid (109) into at least one reaction container (88) of the reaction container device (18), wherein the dosing device (62a) is designed for liquid transfer by means of the dosing opening (188) through the input opening (104) of the at least one reaction container (88), and
iii. a pressure-changing device (62b), wherein the pressure-changing device (62b) is designed to change a gas pressure difference between an internal gas pressure in at least one reaction vessel (88) of the reaction vessel device (18) and an external gas pressure outside the at least one reaction vessel (88).
The pressure changing device (62b) and the dosing device (62a) form a combined feeding device (62) which can be displaced together along a feeding path (BP) and has at least one gas outlet opening (190) different from the dosing opening (188) for discharging gas and has at least one dosing opening (188).

Description

1. i. eine Reaktionsbehältereinrichtung mit einer Reaktionsbehälteranordnung mit wenigstens einem Reaktionsbehälter, wobei der wenigstens eine Reaktionsbehälter ein Eingabeende mit einer Eingabeöffnung und ein mit Abstand vom Eingabeende gelegenes Ausgabeende mit einer Ausgabeöffnung aufweist,
2. ii. eine Dosiereinrichtung mit wenigstens einer Dosieröffnung zur Übergabe von Flüssigkeit in wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälter der Reaktionsbehältereinrichtung, wobei die Dosiereinrichtung zur Flüssigkeitsübergabe mittels der Dosieröffnung durch die Eingabeöffnung des wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälters ausgebildet ist, und
3. iii. eine Druckveränderungseinrichtung, wobei die Druckveränderungseinrichtung zur Veränderung eines Gasdruckunterschieds zwischen einem Innengasdruck in wenigstens einem Reaktionsbehälter der Reaktionsbehältereinrichtung und einem Außengasdruck außerhalb des wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälters ausgebildet ist.

The present invention relates to an automated liquid handling device for handling liquids. Such an automated liquid handling device comprises:

1. i. a reaction vessel device comprising a reaction vessel arrangement having at least one reaction vessel, wherein the at least one reaction vessel has an input end with an input opening and an output end spaced apart from the input end with an output opening,
2. ii. a dosing device with at least one dosing opening for transferring liquid into at least one reaction container of the reaction container device, wherein the dosing device is designed for transferring liquid by means of the dosing opening through the inlet opening of the at least one reaction container, and
3. iii. a pressure-changing device, wherein the pressure-changing device is designed to change a gas pressure difference between an internal gas pressure in at least one reaction vessel of the reaction vessel device and an external gas pressure outside the at least one reaction vessel.

Such a liquid handling device is used in laboratories, for example, for the purification of nucleic acids.

A liquid handling device with the features mentioned above is shown in an abstract representation from the WO 2019/096407 A1 essentially known. An advantage of this known liquid handling device is that, during processing, liquid is always moved in the same direction from the input opening to the output opening of the at least one reaction container. Consequently, no reversal of direction of processed liquids occurs, as is known from other prior art liquid handling devices. Thus, a source of potential cross-contamination can be avoided.

• iv. eine Nutz-Aufnahmeeinrichtung zur Aufnahme von durch die Ausgabeöffnung des wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälters als Handhabungsziel ausgegebener Flüssigkeit,
• v. eine von der Nutz-Aufnahmeeinrichtung verschiedene Abfall-Aufnahmeeinrichtung zur Aufnahme von durch die Ausgabeöffnung des wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälters als Handhabungsabfall ausgegebener Flüssigkeit, und
• vi. eine Magneteinrichtung zur Ausbildung eines Magnetfelds in dem wenigstens einen Reaktionsbehälter.

The known automated liquid handling device, as well as the automated liquid handling device of the present invention in preferred developments, also comprises at least one of the following devices:

• iv. a useful receiving device for receiving liquid dispensed through the dispensing opening of the at least one reaction container as a handling target,
• v. a waste receiving device, different from the useful receiving device, for receiving liquid dispensed as handling waste through the dispensing opening of the at least one reaction container, and
• vi. a magnetic device for forming a magnetic field in the at least one reaction vessel.

Known liquid handling devices are easier to understand with knowledge of the advantageous refinement provided by the devices according to iv. to vi. Nevertheless, the devices according to iv. to vi. are not absolutely necessary for the automated liquid handling device of the present invention to achieve the purpose of the invention, but rather represent only a preferred embodiment. The explanations and refinements given below in the explanation of the prior art for the devices according to iv. to vi. also apply to refinements of the present invention.

The reaction container device is the device in which a liquid is "processed" in the broadest sense and in which the liquid is handled. For example, chemical reactions and/or physical processes take place here. In the at least one reaction container of the reaction container device, nucleic acids, in particular DNA or RNA, contained in a starting liquid transferred at the beginning of a handling process can be bound to appropriately prepared magnetic particles. The magnetic particles with the bound nucleic acids can be cleaned by transferring them, optionally waiting for a reaction time, and dispensing a cleaning liquid. The bound and purified nucleic acids can be eluted, i.e., detached from the magnetic particles, by transferring them, optionally waiting for a reaction time, and dispensing an elution liquid. The eluate thus obtained can be discharged from the at least one reaction container as a handling target. In contrast, a portion of the aforementioned starting liquid and the subsequently transferred cleaning liquid can be discharged from the at least one reaction container as handling waste.

The basics of binding nucleic acids to magnetic particles specially prepared for the binding of nucleic acids are described in the US 5705628 The special finishing can be done, for example, by coating the magnetic particles can be realized using functional groups.

The useful receiving device of the automated liquid handling device serves, as already described above, to receive liquid that is dispensed from the at least one reaction container as the desired handling target, usually an eluate containing purified nucleic acid. The useful receiving device can advantageously serve to transport the liquid received therein to further processing locations or stations. To receive the handling target, the useful receiving device preferably comprises a useful container arrangement with at least one useful liquid container, particularly preferably with a plurality of useful liquid containers.

Likewise, the waste receiving device of the automated liquid handling device serves to receive liquids that arise as waste during liquid processing, for example an original carrier liquid for nucleic acid, in which undesirable impurities, such as residues of cell components of the cells originally containing the nucleic acid and the like, may be present, which, after the nucleic acids have bound to magnetic particles, are released with the carrier liquid and are to be washed out by one or more subsequent washing processes. The cleaning liquid used during the washing processes therefore also forms handling waste within the meaning of the present application. The waste receiving device preferably comprises a waste container arrangement with at least one waste liquid container to receive the handling waste. Although the waste container arrangement can also have a plurality of waste liquid containers within the scope of the present invention, the waste container arrangement preferably comprises only one waste liquid container as a collection container for handling waste released from the reaction containers, i.e. Preferably, a waste liquid container is provided to receive handling waste from all reaction containers present simultaneously.

The magnetic device serves to temporarily immobilize the magnetic particles in the at least one reaction container. This ensures that only the respective liquid suspending the magnetic particles in the at least one reaction container can be dispensed through the dispensing opening, while the magnetic particles, in particular with nucleic acids bound to them, can be retained in the reaction container.

The pressure-changing device of the liquid handling device according to the invention serves to create the aforementioned gas pressure difference between a gas inside the at least one reaction container and the gas surrounding the reaction container. This specifically generated gas pressure difference allows liquid held in the at least one reaction container to be moved through the dispensing opening. Preferably, the pressure-changing device is designed only to create a positive pressure difference, at which the gas pressure inside the reaction container is higher than the gas pressure outside the at least one reaction container. According to this preferred embodiment, liquid is exclusively dispensed through the dispensing opening, but not drawn into the reaction container.

The dosing device of the liquid handling device according to the invention serves for the automated introduction of liquid into the at least one reaction container. It is hygienically advantageous that the liquid is introduced into the at least one reaction container through the inlet opening located remote from the dispensing opening of the at least one reaction container.

Liquid handling devices are also known, for example from the EP 0 691 541 A2 or from the EP 1 065 001 A1 whose reaction container has only one opening through which liquids are aspirated into the reaction container and then dispensed again. The aspiration and dispensing of different liquids in one liquid processing operation is considered to be disadvantageous in terms of process hygiene compared to the liquid processing explained above with the passage of liquids through the reaction container from the input opening to the output opening. The reason for this is largely that the input opening can be designed so large that it does not have to be wetted by the liquid introduced into the at least one reaction container or by a nozzle dispensing it. This is almost impossible with aspiration and dispensing through one and the same opening.

Another liquid handling device is from the WO 2010/075199 A2 known. The WO 2010/075199 A2 known liquid handling device discloses a similar structure as mentioned above. However, the WO 2010/075199 A2 no useful receiving device. The reaction vessels of the known liquid handling device are connected to a common disposal line which serves as a waste collection facility. A waste collection facility located in the WO 2010/075199 A2 Rather, the eluate produced by a known liquid handling device as a handling target is removed from the device together with the reaction containers containing the eluate and transported for further processing.

The WO 2004/113874 A2 discloses a further liquid handling device which, by means of a valve arrangement, allows different liquids to be fed through one and the same metering device into a plurality of reaction containers. The discharge openings of the reaction containers located away from the input openings of the WO 2004/113874 A2 known liquid handling device are as in the liquid handling device of the aforementioned WO 2010/075199 A2 connected to a common disposal line. The reaction containers that can be removed from the liquid handling device are therefore removed from the liquid handling device together with the handling target contained therein and transported further for further processing of the handling target once it has been achieved.

For further background information on the state of the art, please refer to the publications US 4895706 , US 4111754 , US 5273718 and US 8877145 B2 .

In addition, the DE 10 2007 041 071 B4 As further technological background, a device for applying liquid to a sample carrier is known, in which the dispensing opening is a capillary. Due to its dimensions, this capillary holds a liquid up to a certain liquid height above the dispensing opening in the receiving container solely through the capillary pressure caused by a gas atmosphere surrounding the receiving container at normal pressure, i.e., approximately 1013 hPa. A pressure head can be sealingly attached to an opening on the receiving container located away from the dispensing opening, with which gas pressure pulses can be generated in the receiving container, by means of which the liquid can be dispensed as small drops onto a sample carrier. DE 10 2007 041 071 B4 claims that this method can dispense liquids with a dosing volume of 0.1 nanoliters. DE 10 2007 041 071 B4 However, its description is limited to droplet dispensing and in no way concerns the use of magnetic particles or the application of magnetic fields to the liquid contained in the receiving container.

According to a preferred embodiment of liquid handling by the liquid handling device of the present invention, a liquid is introduced into and discharged from the at least one reaction container at least once, but usually several times, during the liquid handling. Solid components contained in the at least one reaction container can be bound in the at least one reaction container by different physical principles of action, depending on the method carried out and the substances used, for example by electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, or by exploiting a biospecific affinity, such as an antigen-antibody interaction or an enzyme-substrate interaction. Preferably, solid components that can be bound or immobilized in a reaction container are the above-mentioned magnetic particles, which can be immobilized in the at least one reaction container due to an external magnetic field generated by the preferably provided magnetic device. The immobilizable solid components can thus come into contact with a sequence of liquids, particularly in one and the same reaction vessel, where the liquids can be the same or different liquids. During the liquid handling in the at least one reaction vessel, the immobilizable solid components can be suspended once or repeatedly in a liquid contained in the at least one reaction vessel. Other, non-immobilized, solid components that are undesirable in the reaction vessels can be flushed out with the handling waste.

The object of the present invention is to further improve the automated liquid handling device mentioned above. The aim is, in particular, to simplify the structure of the liquid handling device without compromising process quality.

According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by an automated liquid handling device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the pressure changing device and the dosing device form a combined feeding device which can be displaced together along a feeding path and which has at least one gas outlet opening different from the dosing opening for discharging gas and has at least one dosing opening.

To clarify the nomenclature used in this application: the term “device” generally refers to the liquid handling device. To distinguish it, its functional components, unless they already have a specific designation, are referred to as “facility” for short.

By combining the metering device and the pressure-changing device in a common loading device, it is sufficient to arrange only the loading device movably in a device housing of the automated liquid handling device. A separate movable arrangement of the metering device and the pressure-changing device is therefore not necessary. The arrangement of the metering device and the pressure-changing device as a combined loading device is possible because the processes in the liquid handling device can be designed such that the metering device and the pressure-changing device are not required simultaneously. Therefore, the metering device and the pressure-changing device do not have to be designed to be movable relative to one another. With the device according to the invention, it is not possible to parallelize filling processes of reaction vessels and emptying processes. However, this is not absolutely necessary.

The liquid handling device preferably comprises a control device for controlling processes within the device. The control device, which preferably comprises at least one data memory and at least one integrated circuit as an electronic control device, is designed to control motion drives and/or valve devices of the device according to an operating program stored in the at least one data memory, using application data stored in the at least one data memory, optionally supplemented by user inputs and/or data transmitted from additional control units.

The automated liquid handling device discussed here is intended as an "entry-level model" and should not exceed a size that allows the device to be placed on a laboratory bench and easily relocated as needed. This is not intended as a mobile, portable device, but rather as a device whose flexibility in placement in the laboratory is comparable to that of a printer in an office: the device can be set up and operated in almost any location. Once set up, however, it often remains at the chosen location until substantial reasons arise for changing the location.

To achieve a defined mobility of the respective device, each of the devices referred to above or below as movable or displaceable is preferably guided by a guide device along a movement path defined by the guide device. The guide device can, for example, comprise a guide rail and a guide carriage or guide slide movably arranged along the guide rail. Guide rails of the guide device are generally arranged in a fixed location, for example, on at least one device housing component consisting of a side wall, housing base, housing cover, and a structure firmly connected to the device housing.

Each of the devices referred to above or below as movable or displaceable can be driven to move by a motion drive, such as a belt drive and/or a spindle drive and/or a linear motor and/or another drive familiar to those skilled in the art, usually electrically powered. The motion drive can only be effective over sections of the motion range of a device. However, the motion drive is preferably effective over the entire motion range of a device. Furthermore, devices can be driven to move within their motion range by more than one motion drive. This can be advantageous, for example, if the movement path of a device has a bent or angled course, such as a horizontal and a vertical section, so that a different movement drive can be effective in one section of the movement path than in another.

In principle, it may be sufficient for the charging device to have exactly one gas outlet opening and exactly one metering opening. However, the charging device preferably comprises both a plurality of gas outlet openings and a plurality of metering openings, with the number of gas outlet openings and the number of metering openings particularly preferably being the same. This allows multiple reaction vessels to be filled simultaneously, and multiple reaction vessels to be emptied simultaneously. Preferably, one reaction vessel is filled via exactly one metering opening and emptied via exactly one gas outlet opening.

Since the reaction vessels of a reaction vessel arrangement are preferably arranged in a matrix-like manner in orthogonal rows and columns for easier processing, the gas outlet openings and the metering openings are also preferably arranged in a row next to one another. The direction in which the openings of the same function are arranged next to one another in their row are, is preferably orthogonal to the feed path, so that rows or columns of matrix-like arranged reaction vessels can be approached one after the other by a feed movement of the feed device along the feed path.

If the reaction vessels are arranged in a preferred m x n matrix with m rows and n columns, the feed device preferably has either m gas outlet openings and m metering openings or n gas outlet openings and n metering openings. The feed path then preferably runs in the column direction in the first case and in the row direction in the second case, so that the m rows or the n columns can be accessed successively.

Preferably, the at least one gas outlet opening and the at least one metering opening are arranged offset from one another along an offset direction parallel to the feed path, so that with a movement of the feed device along the feed path, each reaction vessel can be filled through a metering opening and emptied through a gas outlet opening.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the input openings of a plurality of reaction vessels of the reaction vessel device are arranged in a common surface, in particular in a common plane. In this case, surface is not to be understood in the strictly mathematical sense as an infinitely thin two-dimensional shape, but rather as an engineering surface with a thickness determined, among other things, by the manufacturing and arrangement tolerances of reaction vessels, reaction vessel supports, and the like. The input openings, arranged ready for handling, are located in this surface. The feed path then preferably runs parallel to the common surface of the input openings.

If the number of gas outlet openings and metering openings corresponds to either the number of rows or the number of columns, in an advantageous embodiment, a movement parallel to the surface of the inlet openings along the feed path is sufficient. A movement parallel to the surface and orthogonal to the feed path is not necessary.

To prevent a liquid dispensed from the metering opening from contaminating the gas outlet openings with unwanted splashes during its discharge into a reaction vessel, an advantageous development of the invention provides for the at least one gas outlet opening and the at least one metering opening to be spaced apart from one another by at least half the opening width of the inlet opening, measured along the feed path. In this case, the metering opening and gas outlet opening associated with one and the same reaction vessel can each be arranged on the reaction vessel such that only one of these openings is located above the inlet opening at any one time.

In order to avoid excessively long free jets and excessive turbulence in the fluid flows discharged from the at least one metering opening and the at least one gas outlet opening, and thus imprecise fluid discharge, it is preferably provided that the charging device can additionally be approached to the reaction vessel device and removed from the reaction vessel device along an approach path that is non-parallel to the charging path. The approach path is preferably orthogonal to the charging path and thus orthogonal to the above-mentioned area of the input openings. Two separate drives are preferably available for the charging device, one for driving a movement along the charging path and another for driving a movement along the approach path.

Since the discharge of gas via the gas outlet opening is intended to increase the gas pressure in a reaction vessel in order to expel liquid from the reaction vessel, it is advantageous to spatially delimit the gas space above the liquid contained in the reaction vessel in order to expel liquid from the reaction vessel. For this purpose, the charging device can have a sealing arrangement, wherein the sealing arrangement has a sealing surface designed to bear against the reaction vessel arrangement. Gas is preferably discharged through the charging device within an area surrounded by the sealing surface. By moving the charging device along the approach path, the sealing surface can be brought into sealing engagement with the reaction vessel arrangement and/or with individual reaction vessels and can be removed from this engagement again.

Since a closed gas space is not required for dosing liquids into a reaction vessel, the at least one dosing opening is preferably arranged outside the sealing surface to avoid contamination of relevant areas of the sealing surface by liquid splashes.

To increase process hygiene, the sealing arrangement is preferably arranged in a detachable manner on a seal receiving structure of the loading device. Particularly preferably, the sealing arrangement is arranged on the seal receiving structure in such a way that it can be attached to and removed from the sealing arrangement without the need for tools.

In terms of design, rapid attachment and removal of the seal assembly from the seal receiving structure, particularly without tools, can be achieved in that—when viewed in an operational state—one formation comprising the seal receiving structure and the seal assembly has a receiving recess running along an exchange path that is non-parallel to the feed path, and the other formation comprising the seal receiving structure and the seal assembly has a receiving projection that is movable in the receiving recess relative to the seal receiving structure along the exchange path. Further preferably, the receiving projection is preferably formed on the seal assembly, and the receiving recess is formed on the seal receiving structure.

The exchange path preferably runs orthogonally to the loading path and more preferably also orthogonally to the approach path.

To prepare the reaction container device for a subsequent handling operation, the reaction container device is preferably movable between a setup position and a standby position along a standby movement path that is non-parallel to the loading path. The standby position is preferably located below the movement space that the loading device can cover to meter liquid into the at least one reaction container and to increase the gas pressure in the at least one reaction container. The loading path is preferably orthogonal to the standby movement path, and the standby movement path is preferably parallel to the above-mentioned surface of the input openings. The setup position is preferably located outside a device housing that accommodates the automated liquid handling device and shields it from the environment, so that the reaction container device is accessible to an operator in the setup position.

Particularly preferably, the exchange path runs parallel to the standby movement path, as this forms the kinematic basis for arranging the seal assembly in the seal receiving structure by moving the reaction vessel device along the standby path and/or removing it from the seal receiving structure by moving the waste receiving device along the standby movement path. The waste receiving device is preferably also movable along a standby movement path between a setup position located outside the device housing and a standby position located below the operational reaction vessel device.

To facilitate handling, the seal receiving structure is preferably formed in one piece, particularly when it is intended to simultaneously seal multiple reaction vessels and multiple gas outlet openings against the environment. Although the sealing surface may have multiple separate sealing surface regions, such as one sealing surface for each reaction vessel and/or one for each gas outlet opening, the sealing surface is preferably a single, continuous sealing surface that can simultaneously engage multiple reaction vessels in a sealing engagement when multiple reaction vessels are provided on the reaction vessel device.

A physical prerequisite for an automated replacement of the sealing arrangement on the seal receiving structure by a movement of the reaction vessel device and/or the waste receiving device along their respective standby movement path is the possibility of the sealing arrangement being physically carried along by the reaction vessel device and/or the waste receiving device. According to an advantageous development of the present invention, this can be achieved in that the reaction vessel device has a holding formation with which the sealing arrangement, which is received in a ready-to-use manner on the loading device, can be brought into positive engagement. Additionally or alternatively, the waste receiving device, in particular the waste container arrangement, can have a further holding formation with which the sealing arrangement, which is received in a ready-to-use manner on the loading device, can be brought into positive engagement.

For example, the seal arrangement in the operative arrangement on the seal receiving structure can protrude from the seal receiving structure along the approach path. Accordingly, the holding structure can be a depression or recess in a component of the reaction vessel device, such as in a reaction vessel carrier that replaceably receives the reaction vessel arrangement, and/or the further holding formation can be a depression or recess in a component of the Waste collection device, such as in a container lid of a waste liquid container.

By approaching the reaction vessel device with the sealing arrangement arranged thereon, the receiving projection of the sealing arrangement can be inserted into the receiving recess of the loading device. The sealing arrangement inserted into the receiving recess of the loading device can then be lifted out of the holding formation by moving the loading device along the approach path away from the reaction vessel device.

By approaching the loading device with the sealing arrangement arranged thereon to the waste receiving device, the section of the sealing arrangement protruding along the approach path to the waste receiving device can be introduced into the depression or recess of the further holding structure, so that the sealing arrangement can then be stripped from the sealing receiving structure by a movement of the waste receiving device, in particular of the waste liquid container, which is non-parallel to the approach path and preferably orthogonal to the approach path, along the standby movement path of the waste receiving device.

In the setup position of the waste receiving device, the used seal assembly in the additional support structure can be disposed of and replaced with an unused seal assembly in the support structure of the reaction vessel device. The seal assemblies can be replaced in the setup position by a handling robot or by an operator.

Although it is generally possible to insert a new sealing arrangement into the receiving recess of the loading device and to strip a used sealing arrangement from the receiving recess of the loading device by one and the same device consisting of the reaction container device and the waste receiving device, for hygiene reasons it is preferable to separate the insertion process and the removal process into different devices.

The sealing arrangement can be made, for example, from a silicone material such as silicone rubber or, more generally, an elastomer. A material for the sealing arrangement that has proven successful in previous tests is "Silicon 35 A," i.e., a silicone material with a Shore A hardness of 35, such as that sold by Wacker Chemie AG under the trade name "Elastosil® Vario 15." The sealing arrangement is preferably made of a translucent material, in particular translucent silicone, to enable or facilitate decontamination of the sealing arrangement by UV irradiation. A UV radiation source can be provided in the device housing, for example, along the travel path of the reaction vessel device between the setup position and the standby or handling position. Alternatively or additionally, a UV radiation source can be provided as an external decontamination station upstream and/or downstream of the automated liquid handling device in the material flow.

According to the preferred embodiment described above, the sealing arrangement can generally be arranged on the loading device, in particular inserted into its receiving recess, in positive engagement with the holding formation by moving the reaction container device along a movement path, preferably along its standby movement path between its standby position and its setup position. The sealing arrangement can be removed from the loading device again by moving the reaction container device in the opposite direction. However, the waste receiving device, in particular the waste container arrangement, preferably has a further receiving formation into which the loading device can move a used or consumed sealing arrangement arranged thereon. The sealing arrangement can then be removed, in particular stripped, from the loading device by moving the waste container arrangement from its standby position to its setup position along a standby movement path of the waste container arrangement parallel to the standby movement path of the reaction container device.

Preferably, therefore, the standby movement paths of the reaction container devices and the waste receiving device as well as the exchange path are orthogonal to each other parallel to the approach path.

The charging device preferably has a switchable gas valve arrangement in order to block or permit a gas flow to the at least one gas outlet opening depending on the switching state of the gas valve arrangement. The gas valve arrangement is preferably connected to a gas pressure accumulator provided for the at least one gas outlet opening. The gas pressure accumulator can be a pressure vessel arranged replaceably on the device housing. Alternatively or additionally, the gas pressure accumulator can comprise a container permanently provided on the device housing, which is connected to a The compressor arranged in the direction of travel can be filled with a gas, in particular with compressed air.

Alternatively or preferably additionally, the feeding device can have a switchable dosing valve arrangement in order to block or allow a liquid flow to at least one dosing opening depending on the switching state of the dosing valve arrangement.

The metering valve arrangement can have a switchable valve for all metering openings or, preferably, a switchable valve for each metering opening. The same applies mutatis mutandis to the gas valve arrangement with respect to the at least one gas outlet opening. Thus, in the preferred case of multiple gas outlet openings and multiple metering openings, individual openings can advantageously be individually supplied with gas and/or liquid.

Preferably, the above-mentioned gas pressure accumulator also serves as a conveying force source for the liquid conveyed from a liquid reservoir to the at least one metering opening and through the latter, and thus moved. However, in principle, in deviation from this preferred embodiment, it is also possible to provide a liquid pump for conveying a liquid from a corresponding liquid reservoir arranged on the device housing. The structure of the liquid handling device is advantageously simple due to the use of one and the same gas pressure accumulator both for discharging gas through the at least one gas outlet opening and for conveying liquid through the at least one metering opening.

The use of the gas pressure accumulator both as a gas reservoir and as a pressure reservoir for conveying liquid has the further advantage that this creates the basis for cleaning the at least one metering device with gas from the gas pressure accumulator. After a liquid passage or before a change of the liquid to be metered through the at least one metering opening, the at least one metering opening can be blown through with gas from the gas pressure accumulator and thus freed of residues of the previously metered liquid and dried. For this purpose, according to a further development of the present invention, in implementing this function, it can be provided that the liquid handling device has a switchable switching valve device in order to connect the at least one metering opening to a gas reservoir for the flow through of the gas contained in the gas reservoir or to a liquid reservoir for the flow through of the liquid contained in the liquid reservoir, depending on the switching state of the switching valve device.

The switching of at least one valve in at least one of the above-mentioned valve arrangements, for example between a blocking position and a passage position, can preferably also be carried out by the above-mentioned control device, as can a movement control of the devices described as movable or adjustable or displaceable.

• 1 eine grobschematische perspektivische Darstellung einer Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der vorliegenden Erfindung von schräg vorne und oben,
• 2 eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung von 1 ohne Gehäusewände,
• 3 eine vergrößerte schematische Seitenansicht gemäß 2 mit der Reaktionsbehältereinrichtung und der Nutz-Aufnahmeeinrichtung in bezogen auf die Darstellung von 2 abweichenden Positionen,
• 4 eine vergrößerte schematische perspektivische Innenansicht der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der 1 bis 3 mit teilgeschnittenen Einrichtungen,
• 5 eine vergrößerte schematische perspektivische Innenansicht, teilgeschnitten wie jene von 4, mit der Nutz-Aufnahmeeinrichtung in einer Ausweichposition,
• 6 eine grobschematische Darstellung der Magnetträgeranordnung der Magneteinrichtung der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der 1 bis 5 in Draufsicht,
• 7 eine Explosions-Unteransicht des einen Magnetträgers der Magnetträgeranordnung der Magneteinrichtung,
• 8 eine Explosions-Unteransicht des anderen Magnetträgers der Magnetträgeranordnung der Magneteinrichtung,
• 9 eine perspektivische Ansicht von schräg oben einer Reaktionsbehälteranordnung zur Verwendung an der Reaktionsbehältereinrichtung der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der 1 bis 5,
• 10A eine Längsschnittansicht durch die Reaktionsbehälteranordnung von 9, wobei die Schnittebene die virtuellen Behälterachsen der einzelnen Reaktionsbehälter enthält, mit Blickrichtung längs des Pfeils XA in 9,
• 10B eine grobschematische Seitenansicht der Reaktionsbehälteranordnung von 10A mit übertrieben dargestellter Krümmung zur Fixierung der Reaktionsbehälteranordnung im Reaktionsbehälterträger,
• 11 einen Längsschnitt durch einen randständigen Reaktionsbehälter, geschnitten längs derselben Schnittebene wie jener von 10A,
• 12 eine vergrößerte Ansicht des Ausgabeendes des Reaktionsbehälters von 11,
• 13 eine grobschematische Detailansicht eines Eingabeendes eines Reaktionsbehälters und eines sich daran anschließenden Behälterabschnitts mit einem Radialvorsprung zur Fixation des Reaktionsbehälters in einer Reaktionsbehälteraufnahme des Reaktionsbehälterträgers,
• 14 einen Querschnitt durch einen Reaktionsbehälter längs einer orthogonal zu dessen virtueller Behälterachse verlaufenden Schnittebene,
• 15 eine Draufsicht auf die Reaktionsbehälteranordnung der 9 und 10A,
• 16 eine Querschnittsansicht einer Reaktionsbehälteranordnung längs einer orthogonal zu den virtuellen Behälterachsen der Reaktionsbehälter orientierten Schnittebene XVI-XVI in 10A,
• 17 eine perspektivische Ansicht des Abfall-Flüssigkeitsbehälters der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der 1 bis 5,
• 18 eine perspektivische Querschnittsansicht des Abfall-Flüssigkeitsbehälters von 17,
• 19 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Beschickungseinrichtung der Flüssigkeitshandhabungsvorrichtung der 1 bis 5 mit ihrem Bewegungsapparat, bei Betrachtung überwiegend von unten,
• 20 eine weitere perspektivische Ansicht der Beschickungseinrichtung mit ihrem Bewegungsapparat von 19,
• 21 perspektivische Ansicht auf die schaltbare Ventile tragende Rückseite der Beschickungseinrichtung der 19 und 20,
• 22 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Beschickungseinrichtung der 19 bis 21 überwiegend von unten und ohne schaltbare Ventile,
• 23 ein Leitungssystem im Leitungskorpus der Beschickungseinrichtung der 19 bis 22,
• 24 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Rückseite der Beschickungseinrichtung von 22, ohne schaltbare Ventile, und
• 25 eine perspektivische Ansicht der Vorderseite der Beschickungseinrichtung der 19 bis 22 und 24, ohne schaltbare Ventile.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

• 1 a roughly schematic perspective view of a liquid handling device of the present invention from an oblique front and top,
• 2 a schematic perspective view of the liquid handling device of 1 without housing walls,
• 3 an enlarged schematic side view according to 2 with the reaction vessel device and the useful receiving device in relation to the representation of 2 different positions,
• 4 an enlarged schematic perspective interior view of the liquid handling device of the 1 to 3 with partially cut facilities,
• 5 an enlarged schematic perspective interior view, partly sectioned like that of 4 , with the useful receiving device in an alternative position,
• 6 a rough schematic representation of the magnet carrier arrangement of the magnetic device of the liquid handling device of the 1 to 5 top view,
• 7 an exploded bottom view of one magnet carrier of the magnet carrier arrangement of the magnet device,
• 8 an exploded bottom view of the other magnet carrier of the magnet carrier arrangement of the magnet device,
• 9 a perspective view obliquely from above of a reaction container arrangement for use on the reaction container device of the liquid handling device of the 1 to 5 ,
• 10A a longitudinal sectional view through the reaction vessel arrangement of 9 , where the section plane contains the virtual vessel axes of the individual reaction vessels, looking along the arrow XA in 9 ,
• 10B a rough schematic side view of the reaction vessel arrangement of 10A with exaggerated curvature for fixing the reaction vessel arrangement in the reaction vessel carrier,
• 11 a longitudinal section through a marginal reaction vessel, cut along the same cutting plane as that of 10A ,
• 12 an enlarged view of the discharge end of the reaction vessel of 11 ,
• 13 a roughly schematic detailed view of an input end of a reaction vessel and an adjoining vessel section with a radial projection for fixing the reaction vessel in a reaction vessel receptacle of the reaction vessel carrier,
• 14 a cross-section through a reaction vessel along a cutting plane orthogonal to its virtual vessel axis,
• 15 a top view of the reaction vessel arrangement of the 9 and 10A ,
• 16 a cross-sectional view of a reaction vessel arrangement along a section plane XVI-XVI oriented orthogonally to the virtual vessel axes of the reaction vessels in 10A ,
• 17 a perspective view of the waste liquid container of the liquid handling device of the 1 to 5 ,
• 18 a perspective cross-sectional view of the waste liquid container of 17 ,
• 19 a perspective view of the loading device of the liquid handling device of the 1 to 5 with their musculoskeletal system, when viewed predominantly from below,
• 20 another perspective view of the loading device with its movement apparatus from 19 ,
• 21 perspective view of the switchable valve-bearing rear side of the loading device of the 19 and 20 ,
• 22 a perspective view of the loading device of the 19 to 21 predominantly from below and without switchable valves,
• 23 a piping system in the piping body of the feeding device of the 19 to 22 ,
• 24 a perspective view of the rear of the loading device of 22 , without switchable valves, and
• 25 a perspective view of the front of the loading device of the 19 to 22 and 24 , without switchable valves.

The figures are not to scale, but correctly represent the proportions.

In 1 is an inventive embodiment of a liquid handling device according to the present application generally designated 10. The liquid handling device 10 comprises a device housing 12. The viewer of the 1 looks at the front 12a with the front wall 13a, the top 12b with the ceiling wall 13b and the right side 12c with the right side wall 13c of the device housing 12. An operator working with the liquid handling device 10 is usually located opposite the front 12a. On the front 12a there is a display and control panel 14 on which information about an ongoing, a prepared and/or a completed liquid handling process of the liquid handling device 10 can be displayed. In the preferred embodiment as a touch screen the display and control panel 14 is not only an output but also an input device of the liquid handling device or "device" 10 for short. Consequently, an operator can also enter data and commands into the device 10 or its control device 40 (see 2 ) must be entered.

As information about the orientation of the device 10, the direction of gravity g is shown in numerous figures.

Below the display and control panel 14 there is a 1 open access opening 16 through which a reaction container device 18 has been moved out of the interior of the device housing 12. The reaction container device 18 is located in 1 in its setup position located outside the device housing 12. In the setup position, the reaction vessel device 18 and numerous of its components are accessible to an operator or an operating robot.

The reaction container device 18 comprises a reaction container carrier 20, on which a plurality of reaction container arrangements 86 (see 3 ) and a sealing arrangement 22, also explained below, for use in the loading device 62 of the device 10 can be arranged by the operator. The reaction vessel carrier 20 has reaction vessel receptacles arranged in a matrix-like manner in an orthogonal 12 x 8 matrix. men 24 for holding reaction vessels 88 (see 9 to 16 ) or reaction vessel arrangements 86 and has a sealing arrangement receptacle 26 designed as a recess, in which 1 a new, unused sealing arrangement 22 for a subsequent handling operation.

The reaction container device 18 is movable along the preferably rectilinear standby movement path RB starting from the illustrated setup position into a standby position located inside the device housing 12.

The access opening 16 is preferably a pre-tensioned in its closed position, in 1 A flap (not shown) is assigned to automatically close the access opening 16 in the absence of any devices passing through it. The flap (not shown) is displaced by the reaction vessel device 18, as it approaches its setup position, against its prestress into its open position, which is different from the closed position, and is held in the open position for the duration of the projection of the reaction vessel device 18 through the access opening 16 into the external environment U of the device 10.

Below the access opening 16 there is a drawer 28 in which a waste receiving device 46 (see 2 ff.). The drawer 28 is along a rectilinear standby movement path AB of the waste receiving device 46, parallel to the standby movement path RB of the reaction container device 18, from the 1 The drawer 28 can be pulled out of the device housing 12 and pushed back into the standby position shown. A standby position of the drawer 28 corresponds to a standby position of the waste receiving device 46, which is movable together with the drawer 28.

In 1 To the left of the drawer 28 there is an on/off button 30 which establishes or interrupts the power supply to the device 10.

In 1 To the right of the access opening 16, in a recessed portion of the front side 12a, is an operating fluid compartment 32, in which, for example, two containers 34 and 36 containing operating fluids are provided for use during fluid handling operations in the device 10. For example, the container 34 may contain a cleaning fluid and the container 36 may contain an elution fluid.

Extraction lines 38a and 38b extend into the containers 34 and 36 and reach almost to the bottom of the respective container 34 and 36. A pressure line 38c enables the introduction of gas into the operating fluid compartment 32 to increase the gas pressure above the respective liquid level of the operating fluid contained in the containers 34 and 36 relative to the atmospheric pressure of the environment U, so that the gas pressure in the operating fluid compartment 32 forces the operating fluids in the containers 34 and 36 into the respective extraction lines 38a and 38b. An actual flow of operating fluids in a line system of the device 10, which also includes the extraction lines in 38a and 38b, is controlled in the device 10 by switching valves explained in more detail below, which can be switched between a flow position and a blocking position. The operating fluid compartment 32 is sealed from the outside environment and from the rest of the interior of the device 10 in order to maintain a gas pressure level that is higher than the outside environment U.

In 2 a part of the interior I of the device 10 is shown.

The control device 40 of the device 10 is only roughly schematically indicated by the representation of some integrated circuit boards. This control device 40, as an electronic data processing unit, controls processes in the device 10 and, for this purpose, controls actuators and drives, is in data transmission connection with sensors, and reads out a data memory 42 integrated in the control device 40 or writes to it.

The drawer 28 has a drawer bottom 28a, in which a waste container arrangement 44 with, in this embodiment, only a single waste liquid container 45 as a collecting container is inserted in a recess 28b in a form-fitting manner for joint movement with the drawer 28. The waste container arrangement 44 and thus the waste liquid container 45 can, however, be lifted out of the recess 28b against the direction of gravity g, so that an operator or an operating robot can remove the waste liquid container 45 when the drawer 28 is moved out of the 1 and 2 shown standby position along the standby movement path AB of the waste receiving device 46 into its setup position located outside the device 10, can be removed from the drawer 28, emptied, cleaned and reinserted into the recess 28b. The drawer 28 with its drawer bottom 28a is thus a waste Container carrier as defined in the introduction to the description.

On the floor 13d of the device 10 or its device housing 12, a guide rail 48 can be seen as a guide device of the waste receiving device 46, which guides the drawer 28 together with the waste receiving device 46 for movement along the standby movement path AB.

Above the 2 The waste receiving device 46 shown in its standby position is located in 2 , also in its standby position, a useful receiving device 50, from which in 2 only one useful container carrier 52 can be seen.

The useful receiving device 50 is guided by a guide rail 54 fixed to the device housing as part of a guide device of the useful receiving device 50 for movement along a standby movement path NB of the useful receiving device 50.

In contrast to the waste receiving device 46, which in the present embodiment can only be moved manually, the useful receiving device 50, or more precisely its useful container carrier 52, can be driven by an electric motor via a belt drive 56. The control device 40 can actuate the belt drive 56, so that the control device 40 can control the movement of the useful receiving device 50 between a setup position, which is also located outside the device housing 12, and the 2 The standby movement path NB of the useful receiving device 50 is parallel to the standby movement paths AB and RB of the waste receiving device 46 and the reaction container device 18, respectively.

Above the useful receiving device 50 is the already 1 known reaction container device 18. The reaction container device 18, more precisely the reaction container carrier 20, is guided on a guide rail 58 as part of a guide device for movement along the standby movement path RB of the reaction container device 18. The reaction container device 18, more precisely the reaction container carrier 20, can also be driven by an electric motor-operated belt drive 60 by the control device 40 for movement along the standby movement path RB.

Due to the arrangement of the reaction vessel device 18 on the one hand and the useful receiving device 50 on the other hand, one above the other and one below the other with respect to the direction of gravity g, and their movement guidance by parallel guide rails 54 and 58, the setup positions of the reaction vessel device 18 and the useful receiving device 50 are also located outside the device housing 12, one above the other and one below the other. The devices 18 and 50 can be moved into their setup position through one and the same access opening 16, provided the access opening 16 is large enough. Otherwise, a separate access opening can be formed for each of the devices 18 and 50 on the front side 12a of the device housing 12.

Above the reaction vessel device 18 in its 2 In the standby position shown, which is identical to the handling position of the reaction container device 18 during liquid handling, a feeding device 62 is arranged which, as will be explained in more detail below, comprises a metering device 62a for transferring operating liquid into one or more reaction containers 88 and a pressure changing device 62b for changing the pressure of a gas in one or more reaction containers 88. The metering device 62a and the pressure changing device 62b are connected or combined for joint movement in the feeding device 62 along a feeding path BP orthogonal to the previously explained standby movement paths AB, NB and RB. In a similar manner to the reaction vessel device 18 and the useful receiving device 50, the loading device 62 is also guided by a guide rail 64 for movement along the loading path BP and can be driven for movement by means of an electromotive belt drive 66 controllable by the control device 40.

In 2 At the top left, a compressor 68 and a pressure accumulator 69 are visible as part of the pressure-changing device 62b. The compressor 68, which can be controlled by the control device 40, enables the compression of gas, in particular air, which is provided as compressed gas, in particular compressed air, in the pressure accumulator 69 and can be removed through switchable valves along selected lines. A pressure sensor 69a can detect the gas pressure in the pressure accumulator 69 and transmit it to the control device 40.

Gas is always present in a reaction vessel 88 of the reaction vessel device 18. In addition, the reaction vessel 88 can be filled with a liquid, which can be expelled from a discharge opening of the reaction vessel by increasing the gas pressure in the reaction vessel 88 by the charging device 62, more precisely by the pressure changing device 62b. Depending on whether When a liquid is drawn from a reaction container 88, below which the useful receiving device 50 or the waste receiving device 46 is located, the liquid expelled from the reaction container 88 is either drawn into the useful liquid container 90 (see 3 ) of the useful receiving device 50 or into the waste liquid container 45. The present application fundamentally distinguishes between a liquid present in the reaction container 88 as a handling target, in which case the liquid present was desired as an intermediate or end product of a liquid handling, and a liquid present in the reaction container 88 as handling waste, in which case the liquid present is no longer required and is disposed of.

It should be added that by means of a further vertical guide rail 32a, i.e. running along the direction of gravity g, the transparent cover 32b of the operating fluid compartment 32 is removed from the 1 and 2 shown position upwards in order to change the containers 34 and 36 in the operating fluid compartment 32 and, if necessary, to carry out cleaning work in the compartment 32. The cover 32b is connected via a framework 32c to a guide carriage 32d which can be displaced along the guide rail 32a. Gravity loads the cover 32b into the 1 and 2 shown position, in which the operating fluid compartment 32 is sealed gas-tight by the cover.

In the extension area of the reaction vessels 88 of the reaction vessel device 18, a magnetic device 70 is arranged on the device 10, by means of which a magnetic field can act inside the reaction vessels 88. The magnetic device 70 is in the view of 2 largely concealed by the reaction vessel device 18. The 3 to 5 However, they show the interior area I of the device housing 12 in further operating situations, which also reveal the magnetic device 70.

The magnetic device 70 will be discussed in more detail below. It comprises a magnet carrier arrangement 72 in which 3 not sufficiently recognizable permanent magnets 94 (see 6 ) are arranged in a pattern. The magnet carrier arrangement 72 has two magnet carriers 72a and 72b that are movable along the direction of gravity g both relative to one another and relative to the device housing 12. Each of the magnet carriers 72a and 72b has its own movement drive 74a or 74b, by means of which the respective drivable magnet carrier 72a or 72b can be driven independently of the other magnet carrier by the control device 40 to move along the direction of gravity. Through this relative movement of a magnet carrier 72a and 72b, the magnetic field emanating from the respective magnet carrier 72a or 72b can be shifted in its spatial position relative to the reaction vessels 88 of the reaction vessel device 18. Of course, the movement drives 74a and 74b can also be controlled by the control device 40 in such a way that the two magnet carriers 72a and 72b are moved synchronously and in the same direction, in particular as a single magnet carrier arrangement 72.

The automated liquid handling device 10 also includes a 2 to 5 shown lifting device 76, which makes it possible to raise and lower either the waste container arrangement 44 on its own or the waste container arrangement 44 together with a useful container arrangement 78 of the useful receiving device 50 along a handling movement path HB defined by a guide rail 80. As a result, the waste container arrangement 44 or the useful container arrangement 78 can be brought closer to the reaction container device 18 and removed again from it. In the illustrated embodiment, the useful container arrangement 78 can only be brought closer to the reaction container device 18 together with the waste container arrangement 44, which is then located below the useful container arrangement 78 and shielded thereby. If the useful container arrangement 78 is to be brought closer to the reaction container device 18 as desired, the waste container arrangement 44 is moved along as ballast. However, a single lifting device 76 is sufficient to separately approach and remove both container arrangements 44 and 78 from the reaction container device 18.

The lifting movement of the lifting gear 82 of the lifting device 76 is controlled by a 3 This is effected by the lifting drive 84, which is partially concealed by the guide rail 64 and the belt drive 66. The lifting drive 84 is preferably an electric drive that can be controlled by the control device 40. Preferably, the movement drives 74a and 74b of the magnetic device 70 and the lifting drive 84 are similar, particularly preferably identical, drives.

Then, if an approach of only the waste container arrangement 44 to the reaction container device 18 is desired, the useful container device 50 can be moved into its 3 shown alternative position, which is located along the standby movement path RB between its setup position and its standby position.

In 3 It can be seen that a plurality of reaction vessel arrangements 86, in this case exactly 12, each comprising 8 reaction vessels 88 are arranged parallel to one another in the reaction vessel carrier 20. This results in an orthogonal arrangement of 96 reaction vessels 88 in a 12 x 8 matrix, which corresponds to that of the reaction vessel receptacles 24, since each reaction vessel 88 is arranged in a reaction vessel receptacle 24.

In the utility container arrangement 78, utility liquid containers 90 are also arranged in an orthogonal 12 x 8 matrix, so that in the standby position of the devices 18 and 50 and also in the handling position of the devices 18 and 50, a reaction container receptacle 24 is arranged above each utility liquid container 90, and thus at least one reaction container 88 can be arranged. This ensures that, in the handling position of the devices 18 and 50, liquid, in this case the handling target, can be dispensed from each reaction container 88 into a utility liquid container 90. For the sake of clarity, only some of the reaction container arrangements 86, the reaction container 88, and the utility liquid container 90 are provided with reference numerals.

In 3 is still an already in 2 The contactless container sensor 92 shown can be recognized, in the exemplary case shown, an ultrasonic sensor, with which the presence of a reaction container arrangement 86 in the reaction container carrier 20 and, if appropriate, further information associated with an existing reaction container arrangement 86 can be detected and transmitted to the control device 40. The container sensor 92 is connected to the loading device 62 for joint movement along the loading path BP.

In the 4 and 5 the devices 18, 46, 50, 70 and 76 are shown in a perspective sectional view, wherein the sectional plane runs parallel to the handling movement path HB on the one hand and parallel to the standby movement paths RB and NB on the other hand.

In 4 Of the magnetic device 70, only the magnet carrier 72a is shown, but not the magnet carrier 72b, which is also present. The waste container arrangement 44 will be explained in detail below using separate figures.

In 4 the useful receiving device 50 is moved away from its standby position in the direction of the setup position along its standby movement path NB.

The waste liquid container 45 can therefore be brought closer to the reaction containers 88 of the reaction container device 18 by the lifting device 76. An edge 45b of the waste liquid container 45, which projects outwardly from the receiving volume 45a in the container interior of the waste liquid container 45, rests on a support formation 82a of an arm 82b of the lifting device 82, so that the waste liquid container 45 can be lifted by the lifting device 82 through this positive support engagement. The lifting device 82 encompasses the waste liquid container 45 in a fork-like manner on two opposite sides. The edge 45b closer to the viewer of 4 located side with the arm of the lifting gear 82 arranged there lies in front of the cutting plane of 4 and is therefore not shown.

The lifting device 82 also has a projection 82c, here: a vertical projection 82c, on which the useful container assembly 78, optionally with an adapter receiving it in the useful container carrier 52, can engage during a lifting movement along the handling movement path HB of the lifting device 82 for carrying it along against the direction of gravity g. The formations 82a, 82b, and 82c are preferably formed as a single piece and monolithic.

The lifting device 76 has a weighing sensor 83, which detects the weight lifted by the lifting device 82 and transmits it to the control device 40. Thus, if the tare weight is known or can be determined, the control device 40 can determine the fill level of the waste container assembly and, when a predetermined fill threshold is reached, issue a warning message on the display and control panel 14.

The magnet carrier 72a is located in 4 in a maximally lowered position, as is necessary so that the reaction vessel device 18 with the reaction vessel arrangements 86 arranged thereon can be moved collision-free along its standby movement path RB from the 4 shown standby position into the 1 shown setup position. Thus, with one and the same lifting device 82, the waste container arrangement 44 and/or the useful container arrangement 52 can be lifted in their respective standby positions toward the reaction container device 20 in its standby/handling position. This ensures that an output end 106 of a reaction container 88 can be immersed in a container comprising the useful liquid container 90 and the waste liquid container 45 for dispensing liquid, for example for an immersion distance of 1 to 2 mm.

Since the waste container arrangement 44 would have to be removed from its standby position for the sole lifting movement of the useful container arrangement 78 by the lifting device 76 and its lifting gear 82, which can only be done manually in the illustrated embodiment, either the waste container arrangement 44 alone or the waste container arrangement 44 and the useful container arrangement 78 are lifted together by the lifting device 76.

In 5 The magnet carrier arrangement 72, comprising the magnet carriers 72a and 72b, is raised into the extension area of the reaction containers 88, so that the waste liquid container 45 can be brought closer by the lifting device 86 along the handling movement path HB to the reaction container device 18, which is only movable along the standby movement path RB. Meanwhile, the useful receiving device 50 is in its evasive position displaced relative to the standby position along its standby movement path NB.

In the present case, the useful container arrangement 78 is a known one-piece injection-molded titer plate with the already mentioned 12 x 8 = 96 useful liquid containers 90.

In 6 The magnet carrier arrangement 72 of the magnet device 70 is shown schematically in plan view. 7 and 8 the magnet carriers 72a and 72b are more realistic than in 6 shown in exploded subviews.

In 6 The reaction vessels 88 of the reaction vessel device 18 are shown in their orthogonal 12 x 8 matrix. The rough schematic view of 6 is a plan view of the magnet carrier assembly 72 in relation to sections of the reaction vessels 88, which extend with their receiving volume 112 (see e.g. 11 ) orthogonal to the plane of 6 extend. The reaction vessels 88 are arranged along mutually parallel first rows 88a and mutually parallel second rows 88b. The straight first rows 88a and the straight second rows 88b extend orthogonally to each other. At each intersection point of each first row 88a with each second row 88b, exactly one reaction vessel 88 is arranged. For the sake of clarity, 6 Starting from the upper left reaction vessel 88, only four of twelve first rows 88a and only four of eight second rows 88b are indicated by dash-dotted lines. The eight reaction vessels 88 of each reaction vessel arrangement 86 formed integrally by injection molding extend along a first row 88a. The maximum number of reaction vessel arrangements 86 that can be arranged in the reaction vessel carrier 20 corresponds to the maximum number of first rows 88a.

The intersecting first rows 88a and second rows 88b, which are each parallel to the plane of the 6 run, span a line that is also connected to the drawing plane of the 6 parallel reference plane BE.

The magnet carrier arrangement 72 has a plurality of matrix magnets 94, which are arranged distributed over the magnet carriers 72a and 72b. The matrix magnets 94 are physically and magnetically essentially identical permanent magnets, but are arranged differently oriented with regard to their polarization depending on their location in the magnet carrier arrangement 72. What all matrix magnets 94 have in common is that their polarization direction 94a runs parallel to the reference plane BE and non-parallel to both the direction of the first rows 88a and the direction of the second rows 88b. The polarization direction 94a is the shortest direction in which the 6 The magnetic south pole of a matrix magnet 94, indicated by the letter "S", follows the magnetic north pole of the same matrix magnet 94, indicated by the letter "N". A boundary surface 94b, orthogonal to the polarization direction 94a, between the magnetic north pole and the magnetic south pole of each matrix magnet 94 runs orthogonal to the reference plane BE.

In the example shown, all polarization directions 94a of the matrix magnets 94 arranged in the magnet carrier arrangement 72 are offset by an amount of 45° with respect to the direction of the first rows 88a and the direction of the second rows 88b by an angle relative to the plane of the drawing of the 6 and thus rotated to the axis of rotation orthogonal to the reference plane BE.

The number of matrix magnets 94 in the magnet carrier arrangement 72 is less than the number 96 of reaction vessels 88 and is greater than the sum of the first and second rows 88a and 88b, i.e. in the present case greater than 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of matrix magnets is 58. In the illustrated embodiment, it is half the sum of the number (96) of reaction vessels 88, the number (12) of first rows 88a and the number (8) of second rows 88b.

The matrix magnets 94 are also arranged in an orthogonal matrix, namely along mutually parallel third rows 96a and along mutually parallel fourth rows 96b. For reasons of clarity, only the left first three third rows 96a and only the upper first three fourth rows 96b in 6 and provided with reference numerals. The third rows 96a are parallel to the first rows 88a, and the fourth rows 96b are parallel to the second rows 88b.

The matrix magnets 94 are located at intersections of the third rows 96a and the fourth rows 96b. However, in contrast to the reaction vessels 88, where each intersection between the first rows 88a and the second rows 88b is occupied by a reaction vessel 88, a matrix magnet 94 is not arranged at each intersection of a third row 96a and a fourth row 96b. In the matrix of matrix magnets 94 formed from the third rows 96a and the fourth rows 96b, in each row of the third rows 96a and the fourth rows 96b, an intersection located adjacent to an intersection occupied by a matrix magnet 94 is not occupied by a matrix magnet 94.

In this way, exactly two matrix magnets 94 are adjacent to each reaction vessel 88 in the reference plane BE.

Furthermore, the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in a common third row 96a are the same, and the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in a common fourth row 96b are the same. In addition, the polarization directions 94a of the matrix magnets 94 arranged in adjacent third rows 96a are rotated from row to row by an angular amount of 90° with respect to a rotation axis orthogonal to the reference plane BE. The direction of rotation at the transition from a third row 96a to an adjacent third row 96a is the same for all matrix magnets 94 of a common third row 96a with respect to the matrix magnets in the adjacent third row 96a. The direction of rotation alternates between counterclockwise and clockwise from one third row 96a to the next third row 96a. The same applies to the matrix magnets 94 in successive fourth rows 96b. If one imagines the third rows 96a to be numbered consecutively starting with 1, the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in third rows 96a with odd numbers are the same, and the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in third rows 96a with even numbers are the same. If one also imagines the fourth rows 96b to be numbered consecutively starting with 1, the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in fourth rows 96b with odd numbers are the same, and the polarization directions 94a of all matrix magnets 94 arranged in fourth rows 96b with even numbers are the same.

In this way, each reaction vessel 88 faces a different polarization section of the two adjacent matrix magnets 94. Of the two matrix magnets 94 immediately adjacent to a reaction vessel 88, only one polarization section of one of the matrix magnets 94, i.e., only either the magnetic north pole or only approximately the magnetic south pole, faces the reaction vessel 88, while both polarization sections of the other of the two matrix magnets 94 and the edge emerging from the matrix magnet 94 faces the virtual interface 94b between the two polarization sections. As a result, the two adjacent matrix magnets 94, which are physically and magnetically essentially identical, act with different magnetic field strengths on the reaction vessel 88, which is equidistant from each of the two matrix magnets 94. Thus, with an asynchronous relative movement of the two matrix magnets 94 adjacent to the same reaction container 88 relative to one another and relative to the reaction container 88 parallel to the direction of gravity g, or with a synchronous but oppositely directed relative movement of the two matrix magnets 94 adjacent to the same reaction container 88, a very good mixing effect of magnetic particles suspended in a liquid in the reaction container 88 can be achieved. Nevertheless, due to the different magnetic effects of the two adjacent matrix magnets 94 on one and the same reaction container 88, an immobilization of the magnetic particles in the reaction container 88 in the region of the magnetic field of the increasing strength of the matrix magnet 94 can be achieved, thus preventing undesirable double cluster formation of magnetic particles due to two magnetic fields acting on the interior of the reaction container 48.

For this purpose of effective utilization of the magnetic fields emanating from the matrix magnets 94 and their effect on the contents of the reaction containers 88, for all reaction containers 88 arranged in the reaction container carrier 20, the matrix magnets 94 immediately adjacent to one and the same reaction container 88 are arranged on different and separately movable magnet carriers 72a and 72b.

Following the above virtual numbering, all third or fourth rows with odd row numbers are arranged on one and the same magnetic carrier. In this case, all third rows 96a with odd numbers are arranged on the magnetic carrier 72a. Likewise, all third or fourth rows with even numbers are arranged on one and the same other magnetic carrier. In the present case, all third rows 96a with even row numbers are arranged on the magnet carrier 72b.

In the present case, all third rows 96a of a magnet carrier 72a or 72a have the same number of matrix magnets 94. However, the even-numbered third rows 96a, i.e., the third rows 96a of the magnet carrier 72a, in the present embodiment each have one fewer number of matrix magnets 94 than the third rows 96a of the magnet carrier 72b. The latter rows have five matrix magnets 94. The third rows 96a of the magnet carrier 72a, in contrast, each have only four matrix magnets 94.

The magnet carriers 72a and 72b are structurally largely identical or similar. Each magnet carrier 72a and 72b comprises a magnet carrier base 72a-1 or 72b-1, from which magnet carrier legs 72a-2 or 72b-2 project orthogonally to the respective magnet carrier base 72a-1 or 72b-1, preferably projecting on one side. The magnet carrier legs 72a-2 run parallel to one another. The magnet carrier legs 72b-2 run parallel to one another. The magnet carrier bases 72a-1 and 72b-1 run parallel to one another. Consequently, the magnet carrier legs 72a-2 and 72b-2 also run parallel to one another. The magnet carrier legs 72a-2 or 72b-2 of one magnet carrier 72a or 72b converge towards the magnet carrier base of the other magnet carrier 72b or 72a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the magnet carrier base of a magnet carrier, in this case the magnet carrier base 72a-1 of the magnet carrier 72a, is longer than the magnet carrier base 72b-1 of the magnet carrier 72b. The magnet carrier 72a has more magnet carrier legs 72a-1, in this case by exactly one more magnet carrier leg than the magnet carrier 72b has magnet carrier legs 72b-1. The magnet carrier legs 72a-2 and 72b-2 are arranged interlaced, so that each magnet carrier leg 72b-2 of the magnet carrier 72b with the shorter magnet carrier base 72b-1 runs in the spacing space between two immediately adjacent magnet carrier legs 72a-2 of the magnet carrier 72a with the longer magnet carrier base 72a-1. In principle, if a magnet carrier leg 72a-2 or 72b-2 of a magnet carrier 72a or 72b has an adjacent magnet carrier leg on each side along the direction of its magnet carrier base 72a-1 or 72b-1, these two adjacent magnet carrier legs are magnet carrier legs 72b-2 or 72a-2 of the other magnet carrier 72b or 72a, respectively.

The magnet support legs 72a-2 and 72b-2 each carry the matrix magnets 94 of a third row 96a. The magnet support legs 72a-2 carry the third rows 96a with odd row numbers, and the magnet support legs 72b-2 carry the third rows 96a with even row numbers.

Those matrix magnets 94 which, in their third row 96a or in their fourth row 96b, in which they are arranged, are not adjacent to an intersection point of a third row 96a with a fourth row 96b in at least one direction are outer matrix magnets 94-1. In contrast, those matrix magnets 94 which, in both their third row 96a and their fourth row 96b, in which they are arranged, are adjacent to an intersection point of a third row 96a with a fourth row 96b in each row direction are inner matrix magnets 94-2.

The inner matrix magnets 94-2 of a magnet support leg 72a-2 or 72b-2 project beyond this magnet support leg on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the direction of extension of the magnet support leg 72a-2 or 72b-2 supporting them. Therefore, sections, preferably equal-sized sections, of one and the same inner matrix magnet 94-2 are exposed on both sides of the magnet support leg 72a-2 or 72b-2 supporting it. The inner matrix magnets 94-2 can thus be brought as close as possible to a container wall 110 of the nearest reaction container 88.

Likewise, those reaction vessels 88 which, in their first row 88a or in their second row 88b in which they are arranged, are not adjacent to an intersection point of a first row 88a with a second row 88b in at least one row direction are peripheral reaction vessels 88-1. In contrast, those reaction vessels 88 which, in both their first row 88a and their second row 88b in which they are arranged, are adjacent to an intersection point of a first row 88a with a second row 88b in each row direction are internal reaction vessels 88-2.

Each inner matrix magnet 94-2 is adjacent to four reaction vessels 88, which, due to their orthogonal matrix arrangement, are arranged at the corners of a rectangle containing the respective inner matrix magnet 94-2.

The corners of the rectangle are defined by the respective virtual container axes BA (see e.g. 10A , 11 , 15 and 16 ) of the reaction vessels 88 involved.

Each outer matrix magnet 94-1 is adjacent to two reaction vessels 88, more precisely two peripheral reaction vessels 88-1.

If one considers four matrix magnets 94 arranged closest to one another in a rectangle, two of which are arranged in the same third row 96a and two in the same fourth row 96b, then a reaction container 88 is located between each matrix magnet 94 and a matrix magnet 94 of the same rectangle that is adjacent along the edge of the rectangle. The rectangular edges of the virtual rectangles of the matrix magnets 94 thus formed run at an angle of 45° to the third and fourth rows 96a and 96b that the matrix magnets 94 have.

Thus, while each inner matrix magnet 94-2 is arranged face-centered with respect to the rectangle formed by the four reaction vessels 88 closest to and surrounding it in the reference plane BE, the reaction vessels 88 are arranged edge-centered with respect to four matrix magnets 94, which span a rectangle with the smallest area in the reference plane BE.

In the 7 and 8 is a perspective bottom view of the magnet carrier arrangement 72 or its magnet carriers 72a and 72b in a more realistic representation than in 6 shown.

The magnet carriers 72a and 72b comprise at least two components, namely a magnet receiving component 73a-1 or 73b-1 and a magnet holding plate 73a-2 or 73b-2.

The matrix magnets 94 are inserted from the underside into largely complementary receiving recesses 95a and 95b of the magnet receiving component 73a-1 and 73b-1, respectively, and are positively secured therein against falling out sideways. The magnet holding plate 73a-2 and 73b-2, respectively, fastened to the underside of the respective magnet receiving component 73a-1 and 73b-1 with screws 98, secures the matrix magnets 94 in their receiving recesses 95a and 95b of the magnet receiving component 73a-1 and 73b-1, respectively, against falling out in the direction g of gravity. The magnet holding plate 73a-2 and 73b-2 essentially has the same circumferential contour, consisting of the base and the legs projecting therefrom, as the magnet receiving component 73a-1 and 73b-1, respectively, to which it is screwed. In this way, the matrix magnets 94 can be arranged as close as possible to a dispensing opening of the reaction containers 88, so that a magnetic field emanating from the matrix magnets 94 can effectively act on a liquid held in a reaction container 88 even if the amount of liquid in the reaction container 88 is very small and the liquid is essentially only in the vicinity of the dispensing end or the dispensing opening.

A fastening extension 72a-3 or 72b-3, which in the illustrated embodiment is preferably formed in one piece only on the respective magnet receiving component 73a-1 or 73b-1, which in the illustrated embodiment is designed as an extension of the respective magnet carrier base 72a-1 or 72b-1, enables a force-transmitting connection with the respective movement drive 74a or 74b of the magnet carrier 72a or 72b.

In order to be able to bring the matrix magnets 94 as close as possible to the container wall 110 of reaction containers 88, recesses 100a and 100b are formed in the magnet carrier legs 72a-2 and 72b-2 of the magnet carriers 72a and 72b, respectively, which are complementary to an outer shape of the reaction containers 88, more precisely to an outer shape of an axial section of the reaction containers in which the magnet carriers 72a and 72b are arranged during operation of the device 10.

In the 9 to 16 is a reaction vessel assembly 86 and reaction vessels 88 of the reaction vessel assembly 86 are shown in different views and with different levels of detail.

9 shows a perspective view obliquely from above of a reaction container arrangement 86, as used on the reaction container device 18. A plurality of reaction containers 88, eight in the example shown, are arranged consecutively along a following path FB. Each reaction container 88 extends along a virtual container axis BA. The container axes BA of the reaction containers 88 of a reaction container arrangement 86, which are imagined to pass centrally through the reaction containers 88, lie in a plane spanned by the direction vectors of the container axes BA and the following path FB, and run parallel to one another and transversely, preferably orthogonally, to the following path FB, at least when the reaction container arrangement 86 is received in the reaction container carrier 20. 10A shows a longitudinal sectional view through the reaction vessel assembly 86 of 9 , where the section plane contains the virtual vessel axes BA of the individual reaction vessels 88. The viewing direction of the section view of 10A is indicated by the arrow XA in 9 displayed. 10B shows a rough schematic side view of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 of 10A with exaggerated curvature for improved fixation of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 in the reaction vessel carrier 20. 11 shows a longitudinal section through a reaction vessel 88, more precisely through a peripheral reaction vessel 88-1. The section plane of 11 is the same as that of 10A . 12 shows an enlarged view the output end of the reaction vessel 88 of 11 . 13 shows a roughly schematic detailed view of the input end of a reaction container 88 and the adjoining container section with a radial projection for fixing the reaction container 88 in a reaction container receptacle. 14 shows a cross-section with a cutting plane orthogonal to the virtual container axis BA through a reaction container 88, more precisely through an edge-mounted reaction container 88-1, to explain the radial projections arranged equidistantly in the circumferential direction for fixing the reaction container 88 in a reaction container receptacle 24. 15 shows a top view of the reaction vessel arrangement of the 9 and 10A and 16 shows a cross-sectional view along the section plane XVI-XVI of 10A orthogonal to the virtual container axes BA below a band connecting the reaction containers 88 of the reaction container arrangement 86, but in the region of the radial projections and a web connecting a reaction container 88 with its reaction container 88 adjacent along the following path FB.

Each reaction vessel 88 has an input end 102 with an input opening 104 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is essentially circular. At a distance D to be measured along the virtual vessel axis BA (see 11 ) from the input end 102 and the input opening 104, the reaction vessel 88 has an output channel 108 at an output end 106 opposite the input end 102.

Within the space surrounded by a container wall 110 of the reaction container 88, a receiving volume 112 is formed above the discharge channel 108. A liquid 109 with ferromagnetic particles 109a suspended therein can be received in this receiving volume in the reaction container, which is preferably introduced into the reaction container 88 through the input opening 104.

The discharge channel 108 penetrating the container wall 110 is dimensioned such that when the receiving volume 112 is filled with a liquid 109, the liquid 109 is held in the receiving volume 112 by capillary pressure in the discharge channel 108 until the pressure in the receiving volume 112 sufficiently exceeds the capillary pressure in the discharge channel 108 by blowing in gas by means of the pressure-changing device 62b through the inlet opening 104. In this case, the liquid 109 begins to exit the receiving volume 112 through the discharge channel 108. This preferably occurs in a free jet.

A more detailed representation of the shape of the output channel 108 shows 12 On its side facing the receiving volume 112, the output channel 108 has an inlet opening 114, which, along the virtual container axis BA, marks the axial longitudinal end of the output channel 108 closer to the receiving volume 112. At its axial longitudinal end axially opposite the inlet opening 114 and farther from the receiving volume 112, the output channel 108 ends in an output opening 116. The distance D specified above extends from the input opening 104 to the inlet opening 114 and forms a reference dimension RD of the reaction container 88.

Preferably, the input opening 104, the output channel 108 and thus in particular the inlet opening 114 and the output opening 116 are arranged coaxially with respect to the virtual container axis BA.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet opening 114 is completely surrounded by an inlet surface 118. The inlet surface 118 is preferably oriented orthogonally to the container axis BA. The outlet opening 116 is completely surrounded by an outlet surface 120, which in the illustrated preferred embodiment is also oriented orthogonally to the virtual container axis BA and is therefore parallel to the inlet surface 118. The surface area of the outlet surface 120 is larger than the surface area of the inlet surface 118.

To protect the dispensing opening 116 and the dispensing surface 120 surrounding it, an axial projection 122 extending along the container axis BA preferably extends in a closed manner around the container axis BA in the circumferential direction. The overhang length of the axial projection 122 relative to the dispensing surface 120 is less than the thickness T of the container wall 110. The overhang length L of the axial projection 122 relative to the dispensing surface 120 is also less than the distance d, measured along the container axis BA, between the inlet surface 118 and the dispensing surface 120.

For example, the thickness T of the container wall can be 0.5 to 0.8 mm, preferably 0.6 mm. The distance d of the inlet surface 118 from the outlet surface 120 can be 0.3 to 0.6 mm, preferably 0.4 mm. In the illustrated embodiment, this distance d corresponds to the axial length of the outlet channel 108. Due to the formation of the defined surfaces 118 and 120, the distance d of the inlet surface 118 from the outlet surface 120 is preferably smaller than the wall thickness T of the container wall 110, approximately smaller than the wall thickness T of the container wall 110 in the region of its extension along the container axis BA. The projection length L of the axial projection 122 relative to the dispensing surface 120 is preferably 0.1 mm or between 20% and 30% of the distance between the inlet surface 118 and the dispensing surface 120 or between 40% and 125% of the diameter of the dispensing opening 116. The radial width B of the axial projection 122, which preferably extends closed around the container axis BA to protect the dispensing opening 116 on all sides, is greater than its projection length L, preferably at least twice as large. In the illustrated embodiment, the radial width B of the axial projection 122 is between 0.2 and 0.3 mm, particularly preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.24 mm.

The input opening 104 is preferably circular and has an opening width OW, in particular a diameter, in the range of 5.7 to 6.3 mm. The diameter of the preferably circular-cylindrical output channel 108 is preferably less than half a millimeter. In the illustrated embodiment, it is in the range of between 0.15 and 0.3 mm.

The outer diameter De of the preferably circular inlet surface 118 is preferably 40% to 60% of the outer diameter Da of the preferably circular outlet surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter De of the inlet surface 118 is approximately 0.5 mm, and the diameter Da of the outlet surface 120 is approximately 1 mm.

An inner wall surface 110a of the container wall 110, which directly delimits the receiving volume 112, is preferably designed in the shape of a rotational body with the virtual container axis BA as the axis of rotation. The inner wall surface 110a is designed such that the receiving volume 112 has a first tapered region 112a, in which the receiving volume 112 tapers as it approaches the discharge channel 108. The taper angle α1 (see 11 ), which is preferably constant over the entire axial length of the first tapered region 112a, is smaller than the tapered angle α2 of a second tapered region 112b following the first tapered region 112a in the direction of the output channel 108.

In 11 For better clarity, the taper angles are drawn on the outer wall surface 110b. Due to the constant thickness T of the container wall 110 along its course along the container axis BA, the taper angles α1 and α2 drawn on the outer wall surface 110b also correctly reflect the taper of the inner wall surface 110a. The taper angles α1 and α2 are half the opening angles within the conical taper regions 112a and 112b of the receiving volume 112, related to the virtual container axis BA, which is also the cone axis of the conical taper regions 112a and 112b.

The taper angle α1 is a moderate taper angle in the range of 0.7° to 5°, 1° in the illustrated embodiment. In this first taper region 112a, a liquid flow can occur along the container axis BA without generating turbulence in the liquid, and pressure waves can propagate within a liquid 109 held in the reaction container 88 along the container axis BA without generating turbulence.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first tapered region 112a is axially longer than the second tapered region 112b. The second tapered region 112b extends axially to the edge of the inlet surface 118. Preferably, the first tapered region 112a is at least five times as long as the second tapered region 112b along the container axis BA.

In 11 Two thin parallel lines indicate the axial longitudinal end of the first tapered region 112a closer to the discharge channel 108 and the axial longitudinal end of the second tapered region 112b further from the discharge channel 108. Between them lies a first transition region 124, in which the inner wall surface 110a transitions seamlessly from the first tapered angle α1 to the second tapered angle α2. In longitudinal sectional views containing the virtual container axis BA, the sectional contour of the inner wall surface 110a in the first transition region 124 has a curvature with a radius of curvature in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.1 mm.

The taper angle α2 of the second taper region 112b, which in the example shown is also preferably constant over its entire axial length, is preferably 45° in the exemplary embodiment shown.

The second tapered region 112b, whose axial length is only approximately one-twelfth to one-eighth, in this case approximately 2/21; of the axial length of the first tapered region, optimally conditions the liquid in the receiving volume 112 for splash-free discharge in a free jet during discharge of liquid through the discharge channel 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the entire second tapered section 112b thus forms an inlet section 126, in which the liquid received in the receiving volume 112 is fed to the inlet opening 114 in a laminar or at least substantially laminar manner under appropriate pressure conditions inside the reaction vessel 88.

The inlet surface 118, which forms the longitudinal end of the second tapered region 112b closer to the discharge channel 108, can mitigate any shear forces occurring at the inlet opening 114 that could otherwise have a detrimental effect on long-chain molecules contained in the liquid. Nucleic acids, in particular, form very long-chain molecules that can be sensitive to shear forces in the liquid containing them and can be destroyed by such shear forces.

The dispensing surface 120 can ensure that liquid exiting from the dispensing opening 116 does not wet the outside of the container wall 110. If liquid is nevertheless able to wet the dispensing surface 120, the range of this wetting is limited by the axial projection 122, which also mechanically protects the dispensing opening 116 and the dispensing channel 108, as well as the dispensing surface 120 itself, from impacts and the like.

On the side of the first tapered region 112a closer to the input opening 104, there is a funnel region 128 with a third tapered angle α3, which is greater than the first tapered angle α1 and smaller than the second tapered angle α2. In the illustrated embodiment, the third tapered angle α3 is approximately 30°.

In the illustrated embodiment, the axial length of the funnel region 128 is approximately 3 to 4 times the axial length of the second tapered region 112b and thus of the inlet region 126. The axial length of the first tapered region 112a is in turn approximately 2.5 to 3 times the axial length of the funnel region 128. The funnel region 128 serves to taper the reaction vessel 88 to the shortest possible axial length without jumps or steps in the inner wall surface 110a. Between the first tapered region 112a and the funnel region 128 there is therefore a second transition region 130, in which the inner wall surface 110a transitions with a convex curvature from the funnel region 128 into the first tapered region 112a. In contrast, the curvature of the inner wall surface 110a in the first transition region 124 is concave.

The above-mentioned recesses 100a and 100b of the magnet carrier arrangement 72 are designed to accommodate the first tapered region 112a and, with appropriate axial adjustment of the magnet carrier arrangement 72, at least a portion of the funnel region 128. Due to the above-described inclination of the container wall 110 with a substantially constant thickness T, whenever the first tapered region 112a can be accommodated in the recesses 100a and 100b of the magnet carrier arrangement 72, the second tapered section 112b can also be accommodated in the recesses 100a and 100b and exposed to the magnetic field of the matrix magnets 94. Preferably, immobilization of magnetic particles 109a, which may be suspended in a liquid 109 received in the receiving volume 112, takes place in the first tapered section 112a or in at least one of the adjacent transition regions 124 or 130 or in the second tapered section 112b, but preferably in the first tapered section 112a due to the distance from the output channel 108.

MA denotes a range of motion along which the magnet carrier assembly 72, with its two magnet carriers 72a and 72b, can at least move during operation of the liquid handling device 10. In fact, the magnet carrier assembly 72 can be moved below the discharge ends 106 of the reaction container assemblies 86 in order to be able to move the reaction container device 18 between its setup position and its standby position without collision.

The mutually facing longitudinal ends of the funnel region 128 and the first tapered region 112a are in 11 separated from each other by thin horizontal lines, between which the second transition region 130 is located.

To facilitate the introduction of liquid 109 through the inlet opening 104 into the receiving volume 112, a guide region 132 is located between the inlet opening 104, preferably directly axially adjacent thereto, and the funnel region 128, which guide region 132 also tapers in the direction away from the inlet opening 104 and toward the outlet channel 108. Preferably, the fourth taper angle α4 is also constant along the entire guide region 132.

The fourth taper angle α4 is smaller than the third taper angle α3 and, in the illustrated embodiment, essentially corresponds to the first taper angle α1 or differs from it by no more than 30% relative to the first taper angle α1.

Again, parallel horizontal lines in 11 the mutually facing axial longitudinal ends of the guide region 132 and the funnel region 128, between which a third transition region 134 is located, in which the inner wall surface 110a of the guide region 132, approaching the discharge channel 108, in the Funnel area 128 transitions smoothly and without jumps.

The reaction vessels 88 of a reaction vessel arrangement 86 are connected to one another at their input ends 112 by a belt 136 running along the follower path FB. As already explained several times, the reaction vessel arrangement 86 discussed here is formed in one piece as an injection-molded component made of thermoplastic material.

In 10A is a longitudinal sectional view through a reaction vessel arrangement 86. The details of the reaction vessels 88 shown there have already been described above in connection with the 11 and 12 explained.

With EI is in 10A one to the drawing level of the 10A orthogonal input-end plane in which the input openings 104 of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 shown and all further ones in front of and/or behind the 10A shown reaction vessel arrangement 86 arranged in the reaction vessel carrier 20.

With EO, 10A one to the drawing level of the 10A orthogonal discharge end plane in which the discharge openings 116 of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 shown and all further ones in front of and/or behind the 10A shown reaction vessel arrangement 86 arranged in the reaction vessel carrier 20.

The preferably parallel virtual planes EI and EO are to be understood as having a certain thickness in order to account for manufacturing tolerances of the reaction vessel arrangements 86 and arrangement tolerances of the reaction vessel arrangements 86 in the reaction vessel carrier 20. The two planes EI and EO are parallel to the follow-up path FB and are parallel to the standby movement paths AB, RB, and NB. They are also parallel to the loading path BP.

To stiffen the reaction container arrangement 86, whose band 136 has approximately the same thickness T as the container wall 110, webs 138 are formed between adjacent reaction containers 88 along the following path FB, more precisely in the illustrated embodiment between adjacent guide regions 132, which connect the adjacent reaction containers 88 to one another. The webs 138 protrude integrally from the band 136 toward the discharge end. With eight consecutive reaction containers 88 along the following path FB, seven webs 138 are formed between adjacent reaction containers 88.

10B shows an unrealistically exaggerated curvature of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 around a curvature axis K orthogonal to the guideway FB and to the vessel axes BA. The curvature axis K runs orthogonally to the plane of the drawing of 10B and is actually further away from band 136 than in 10B is shown. The 10B serves only to qualitatively represent the axis of curvature K and its position relative to the belt 136. A surface 136a pointing away from the reaction vessels 88 is therefore convexly curved.

The curvature serves to improve the fixation of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 in the reaction vessel carrier 20. The reaction vessel receptacles 24 in the reaction vessel carrier 20 are also centrally penetrated by virtual receptacle axes which are aligned parallel to one another. In contrast, the vessel axes BA are 10B curved reaction vessel arrangements 86 are oriented divergingly. If the curved reaction vessel arrangement 86 with the diverging vessel axes BA is now arranged in the reaction vessel carrier 20 with the parallel receiving axes of the reaction vessel receptacles 24, the reaction vessel arrangement 86 is forcibly deformed by the reaction vessel carrier 20 such that the virtual vessel axes BA of the individual reaction vessels 88 of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 are oriented parallel to one another and collinear with the receiving axes within a certain tolerance range. The resulting deformation is an elastic deformation, which increases the contact force with which a vessel wall 110 presses against a wall or structure of the reaction vessel receptacle 24 or the reaction vessel carrier 20. This increased contact force increases the frictional force acting between the reaction vessels 88 and the reaction vessel carrier 20, so that the resistance of a reaction vessel arrangement 86 arranged deformed in the reaction vessel carrier 20 due to its curved rest state against removal from the reaction vessel carrier 20 is increased compared to the same reaction vessel arrangement 86 arranged undeformed in the reaction vessel carrier 20.

To further improve the fixation of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 in the reaction vessel carrier 20, radial projections 140 are formed on the outer wall surfaces 110b of the vessel wall 110. In the illustrated embodiment, each reaction vessel 88 is designed as a fixation reaction vessel with three equidistantly distributed around the vessel axis BA. Provided with radial projections 140. In the illustrated embodiment, the radial projections 140 are formed in the guide region 132 and extend parallel to the virtual container axis away from the belt 136 toward the discharge end 106. The axial extension length of the radial projections 140 of a reaction container 88 is the same for each radial projection 140. It is preferably greater than the axial extension length of the webs 138.

The radial projections 140 are particularly well suited to the 9 , 13 , 14 and 16 to recognize.

The radial projections 140 locally increase the outer diameter or the outer dimension of the reaction vessel 88 and in particular of the guide region 132 carrying the radial projections 140. If the guide region 132 with the radial projections 140 is introduced into a reaction vessel receptacle 24 in which no negative counterpart for the radial projections 140 is formed in the receiving cavity, the locally increased outer dimension in the region of the radial projections 140 results in a clamping of the reaction vessel 88 in the reaction vessel receptacles 24 and thus in an improved fixation of the reaction vessel 88 in the reaction vessel carrier 20.

From a technical and physical perspective, this improved fixation of the reaction vessels 88 by the radial projections 140 is based on a similar effect to that resulting from the curved design of the reaction vessel arrangement 86: due to the locally larger external dimensions of the reaction vessels 88 compared to the projection- or recess-free inside width of the reaction vessel receptacles 24, the reaction vessel 88 can only be inserted into the reaction vessel receptacles 24 with elastic deformation of the area supporting the radial projections 140. Due to the elastic deformation, the contact force with which the radial projections 140 are pressed against a contact surface of the reaction vessel receptacles 24 increases, and as a result of the increased contact force, the frictional force acting between the reaction vessel 88 and the reaction vessel receptacle 24 increases.

The essentially identically formed radial projections 140 have lateral flanks that enclose an angle β1 of between 45 and 55°, preferably 50°. The radially outward-facing end face 140a of the radial projections 140 has a width b, measured in the circumferential direction, of 0.15 mm to 0.3 mm, in the present example 0.2 mm. In the radial direction, the radial projection 140 protrudes 0.4 to 0.7 mm, in the illustrated embodiment 0.5 mm, from the remaining outer wall surface 110b of the container wall 110. The outer dimension of a reaction vessel 88 in the area carrying the radial projections 140, measured across the virtual vessel axis BA, which is thought to pass through centrally, is therefore 0.5 mm larger than the outer diameter of the reaction vessel 88 measured at the same axial position, but across a diameter direction in which no radial projection 140 is present.

While the outer wall surfaces 110b of the guide region 132, which supports the radial projections 140, tapers slightly toward the discharge end 106, the radially outward-facing end surface 140a preferably extends parallel to the container axis BA, so that the radial projections 140, with the container axis BA as the cylinder axis, preferably have a cylindrical envelope. An insertion bevel with an inclination of preferably 30° relative to the container axis BA at the longitudinal end of the radial projections 140 closer to the discharge end 106 facilitates their insertion into a cylindrical or conical reaction container receptacle 24.

The reaction containers 88, or more precisely the band 136 of the reaction container arrangement 86 connecting them, have or have at a longitudinal end 136b of the band 136 a physical coding formation 142 in the form of a detection surface 142a arranged at a distance from the surface 136a of the band 136 facing away from the output end 106.

The container sensor 92 of the device 10 can detect the distance between it and the belt 136, as well as between it and the detection surface 142a, and transmit it to the control device 40. Encoding information by the physical coding formation 142 during manufacture of the reaction container assembly 86 offers the significant advantage of avoiding subsequent erroneous coding by a laboratory technician, as might potentially occur during hectic laboratory work.

For example, the detection surface 142a may be raised by a predetermined distance s relative to the surface 136a of the belt 136 or lowered by a predetermined distance s. Even the arrangement of the detection surface 142a at the same surface level as the surface 136a may be an information carrier.

Furthermore, the physical coding formation 142 can be arranged at the same longitudinal end, but using the opposite corner of the band 136. Considering only the alternatives of raised or depressed arrangement of the detection surface 142a at one of two Corner regions of the longitudinal end 136b, then four possible different coding states result. If the simultaneous formation of a physical coding formation 142 at both corners of the longitudinal end 136b is added, six possible different coding states result.

Preferably, the coding states are correlated with a physical feature of the reaction containers 88 of the reaction container arrangement 86, such as the configuration of the dispensing channel 108, more precisely, its diameter and/or length. The coding state of a reaction container arrangement 86, specified by the coding formation 142 formed thereon, can directly indicate to the control device 40 operating parameters that the control device 40 should set during a handling operation on the device 10. One possible such parameter is the specification of an overpressure in the receiving volume 112 in order to ensure splash-free dispensing of liquid from the receiving volume 112 through the dispensing channel 108. Data assignments can be stored in the data memory 42 of the control device 40, which assign a detection area 142a detected by the container sensor 92 or a coding state associated with this detection to a pressure value that the control device 40 is intended to achieve during a liquid handling operation for dispensing liquid from a reaction container 88 into its receiving volume 112 via the pressure-changing device 62b. Instead of a pressure value, for the detection of which the pressure sensor 69a can be used on the device side or another pressure sensor can be provided, a duration of an introduction of gas into the receiving volume 112 can also be stored in the data memory 42.

The detection surface 142a is preferably a flat surface and is also preferably parallel to the surrounding portion of the surface 136a of the belt 136. This applies at least in a state in which the reaction vessel arrangement 86 is arranged in a reaction vessel carrier 20, since then the curvature about the curvature axis K described above is eliminated and the reaction vessel arrangement 86 arranged in the reaction vessel carrier 20 is essentially uncurved.

However, the parallelism of the flat detection surface 142a to at least the section of the surface 136a surrounding it can essentially also apply in the original curved delivery state, since, on the one hand, the curvature around the curvature axis K has a very large radius of curvature, which is significantly greater than the reference length RD, so that the curvature in the area around the coding formation 142 is negligible. Furthermore, the curvature of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 in the delivery state is preferably achieved essentially at the webs 138 by targeted material shrinkage during cooling, so that the longitudinal end region 136b, which is formed by the edge-mounted reaction vessel 88-1 closest to the coding formation 142 in 10A cantilevered to the right, without curvature around the curvature axis K.

The overall curvature of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 can therefore be composed of flat sections of the reaction vessel arrangement 86 in the region of the inlet openings 104, which, due to the targeted utilization of a material shrinkage in the region of the webs 138, are inclined relative to an adjacent flat region by an angle about an inclination axis parallel to the curvature axis K. Such a reaction vessel arrangement 86 has, when viewed according to the perspective of 10B no continuously curved shape like the one in 10B Instead, the band 136 has a polygonal shape with flat regions angled to one another in the same direction of inclination at the inlet openings 104 and also at the projecting longitudinal end regions 136b and 136c, resulting in a curved shape overall. In other words, the curved reaction vessel arrangement 86 need not be a continuously curved reaction vessel arrangement 86, but can be a discontinuously curved reaction vessel arrangement 86 formed by a series of flat regions inclined to one another.

To save weight, the belt 136 can be constricted in areas between two reaction vessels 88 following one another along the following path FB (see 15 ), wherein a jump-free and stepless constriction is preferably formed. With the exception of the physical coding formation 142 and the radial projections 140, the reaction vessel arrangement 86 is preferably mirror-symmetrical with respect to a plane containing the vessel axes BA.

The waste container assembly 44 with the waste liquid container 45 will be described below.

In the 17 and 18 is the waste liquid container 45 in perspective view ( 17 ) and in a cross-sectional view ( 18 ) is shown.

The waste liquid container 45 has a tub body 45c, which has a receiving volume 45a of the tub body 45c and thus of the waste liquid container 45. The tub body 45c is covered by a container lid 45d. The container lid 45d does not cover the entire tub body 45c, but rather a spout 144 is formed at each of the longitudinal ends of the tub body 45c. The spouts 144 are recessed in the container lid 45d. In the setup position, an operator or a service robot can lift the waste liquid container 45 from the drawer 28 supporting it and dispose of liquid handling waste, which has accumulated in the receiving volume 45a over several handling operations, through one of the spouts 144 without lifting the lid 45d. In principle, it is also possible to remove the waste liquid container 45 filled with handling waste from its recess 28b in the drawer bottom 28a and replace it with a similar empty waste liquid container 45. This allows more time for the disposal of the handling waste, and this disposal can be carried out with greater care.

The container lid 45d has an elongated recess serving as a waste seal assembly receptacle 27, into which the loading device 62, or more precisely, the pressure-changing device 62b, can deposit a seal assembly 22. Once the seal assembly 22 arranged on the pressure-changing device 62b is immersed in the waste seal assembly receptacle 27, it can be removed from the loading device 62, or more precisely, from the pressure-changing device 62b, by moving the waste liquid container 45 along the standby movement path AB. An operator or a service robot can then, when the waste liquid container 45 is in its setup position, remove the used seal assembly 22 from the waste seal assembly receptacle 27 in the container lid 45d and dispose of it.

Both the tub body 45c and the container lid 45d are preferably manufactured as a single piece from a thermoplastic injection-molded component. However, manufacturing from stainless steel is also possible. The tub body 45c and the container lid 45d can be deep-drawn for this purpose. The container lid 45d can also have openings provided by stamping.

The container lid 45d covers a filling opening 146 of the bowl-shaped or tub-shaped tub body 45c. The tub body 45c comprises a container bottom 148, which, as in 18 shown, can be flat or can have defined support formations in order to stand particularly securely. Side walls 150a to 150d protrude from the container bottom 148, and the filling opening 146 is formed on the edge of said walls remote from the container bottom 148. The side wall 150a is the side wall which is oriented transversely to the standby movement path AB and leads the way during the movement of the waste liquid container 45 from the setup position to the standby position. The opposite side wall 150b follows during the aforementioned movement of the waste liquid container 45, and the two side walls 150c and 150d connect the first-mentioned side walls 150a and 150b.

The container lid 45d has openings 152 arranged in an orthogonal matrix. This is also a 12 x 8 matrix, so that the container lid 45d has as many openings 152 as the maximum number of reaction containers 88 that can be arranged in the reaction container carrier 20. Not only is the number of openings 152 and reaction containers 88 identical, but the distances between the output channels 108 and their output openings 116 of the individual reaction containers 88 are also identical to the distances between the openings 152 in the two orthogonal directions of the 12 x 8 matrix. In this way, it is ensured that when handling waste is to be dispensed from the reaction containers 88 through the dispensing channels 108, an opening 152 in the container lid 45d of the waste liquid container 45 is opposite each dispensing channel 108 and thus handling waste from any reaction container 88 can safely reach the receiving volume 45a of the waste liquid container 45.

The portion of the surface 154 of the container lid 45d located between the openings 152 is preferably flat. The same applies to the portion of the surface 154 of the container lid 54c surrounding the waste seal assembly receptacle 27.

By means of the lifting device 76 described above, the waste liquid container 45 can be lifted for the discharge of handling waste from the reaction containers 88, preferably to such an extent that the discharge opening 116 of a reaction container 88 or the discharge openings 116 of all reaction containers 88 are moved through the surface 154 and are located, with respect to the surface 154, on the side of the container lid 45d facing the receiving volume 45a. The longitudinal end sections with the discharge ends 106 of the reaction containers 88 can protrude 0.2 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 3 mm, through the surface 154. In the device 10, preferably all discharge openings 116 of existing reaction containers 88 are located in a common arrangement plane. This arrangement plane can be a thickness of 1 mm, preferably a thickness of 0.5 mm.

As a splash guard, each opening 152 is adjoined by a wall arrangement 156 that tapers from the opening 152 toward the receiving volume 45a and completely encloses an inlet volume 158 in the circumferential direction around inlet axes EA. Preferably, the wall arrangements 156 of all openings 152 are identical. The wall arrangement 156 forms an inlet funnel for introducing handling waste through the openings 152 into the receiving volume 45a.

To stiffen the container lid 45d, connecting webs 160 and 162 are formed in both orthogonal directions of the 12 x 8 matrix of the arrangement of openings 152, projecting from the side of the container lid 45d facing the receiving volume 45a and connecting the wall arrangements 156 to one another. The wall arrangements 156 are also preferably formed integrally with the rest of the container lid 45d.

The virtual inlet axes EA centrally penetrate the inlet volumes 158 and form, so to speak, cone axes or funnel axes of the wall arrangements 156. The wall arrangements 156 preferably extend smoothly and continuously from the flat surface 154 into the receiving volume 45a.

Starting from the edge 152a of an opening, an inlet region 156a of the wall arrangement 156 extends along the inlet axis EA from the container lid 45d toward the container bottom 148. The inlet region 156a, like the rest of the wall arrangement 156, is curved around the respective inlet axis EA. The inlet region 156a is also curved around axes of curvature that run orthogonal to the inlet axis EA and at a distance from it. The infinite number of axes of curvature orthogonal to the inlet axis EA extend circumferentially around the inlet axis EA.

In order to prevent the wall assemblies 156 from being wetted by handling waste accumulating in the receiving volume 45a, the wall assemblies 156 preferably extend over less than one-third of the clear height of the receiving volume 45a above the container bottom 148. However, for adequate splash protection, the wall assemblies 156 extend at least over 10% of the clear height of the receiving volume 45a starting from the remaining container lid 45d into the receiving volume 45a.

In contrast to the inlet area 156a, the outlet area 156b is only curved around the inlet axis EA in the illustrated embodiment.

The container lid 45d is detachably connected to the tub body 45c. It can be held, for example, frictionally and/or positively to the tub body 45c by retaining tongues 164.

In the 19 and 20 the loading device 62 with its movement apparatus is shown.

The guide rail 64 and the belt drive 66 of the loading device 62 are mounted on a support 166 fixed to the device housing. The belt drive 66 comprises a belt 66a and two deflection pulleys 66b and 66c, of which the deflection pulley 66c is driven by a drive motor 168 also mounted on the support 166. This essentially corresponds to the structure of the belt drives 56 and 60 of the other devices 18 and 50 described above as being driven and displaceable.

On the guide rail 64, a guide carriage 170 connected to the belt 66a for common movement is movably arranged along the feed path BP.

A mobile support 172 is arranged on the guide carriage 170, which is movable together with the guide carriage 170 along the loading path BP and carries the container sensor 92 and the loading device 62. The mobile support 172, which is rigidly connected to the guide carriage 170, carries a guide rail 174 that, in the example shown, is oriented vertically and thus orthogonally to the guide rail 64 and orthogonally to the parallel guide rails 48, 54, and 58.

The loading device 62 is movably guided along a vertical approach path WP on the guide rail 174. The mobile carrier 172 also carries a movement drive 176, by which the loading device 62 can be driven to move along the approach path WP. As a result, the loading device 62 can be brought closer to the reaction vessel device 18 and in particular to the input ends 102 with the input openings 104 of the reaction vessels 88 and can be lifted away from them again. 1 Sealing arrangement 22, when arranged on the loading device 62, can be pressed sealingly against the belt 136 of the reaction vessel arrangements 86 with a predetermined and/or defined contact pressure. In addition, a used Seal assembly 22 can be moved along the approach path WP into the waste seal assembly receptacle 27, from where it can be stripped from the loading device 62, more precisely from the pressure change device 62b, by moving the waste liquid container 45 along its standby movement path AB. Alternatively, a used seal assembly 22 arranged on the loading device 62 can be moved along the approach path WP into the seal assembly receptacle 26 by the movement drive 176, from where it can be stripped from the pressure change device 62b by moving the reaction container carrier 20 along its standby movement path RB.

The feeding device 62 is explained in more detail below, which is shown in the 19 and 20 without their switching valves. As can be seen from the 19 and 20 As can be seen, the feed device 62 has a line body 178 and a discharge component 180. In the line body 178, the switchable valves 182, 184 and 186 (see 21 ) interconnectable and separable lines are formed, which open into metering openings 188 for dispensing liquid and into gas outlet openings 190 for dispensing gas in the dispensing component 180. The metering openings 188 and the gas outlet openings 190 are arranged offset relative to one another along an offset direction VD parallel to the feed path BP. Their distance along the offset direction VD is greater than at least the opening width OW of the inlet openings 104 of the reaction vessels 88, so that if one opening consisting of the metering opening 188 and the gas outlet opening 190 is arranged centrally above an inlet opening 104, the other opening cannot discharge into the inlet opening 104. In order to prevent a simultaneous discharge of a metering opening 188 and a gas outlet opening 190 into the same input opening even when an opening consisting of a metering opening 188 and a gas outlet opening 190 is arranged off-center above an input opening 104, the distance between the metering openings 188 and the gas outlet openings 190 is preferably greater than the opening width OW.

As in 22 As shown, the metering openings 188 can be formed by simple openings in the dispensing component 180 or as an end opening of a pipe 189 (see in 22 the rightmost metering opening 188). Preferably, all lines leading to a metering opening 188 are of the same design, i.e., preferably, either all metering openings 188 are openings directly in the dispensing component 180 or all metering openings 188 are openings in a respective pipeline 189. The pipelines 189 preferably protrude beyond a surface 180a of the dispensing component 180 that, during operation, points toward the reaction vessel device 18. The surface 180a, from which the pipelines 189 emerge, can be set back from a further surrounding surface 180b of the dispensing component 180 in order to protect the end sections of the pipelines 189 from external mechanical influences.

The sealing arrangement 22 is received by a receiving projection 22b in a receiving recess 192 in the dispensing component 180, which extends parallel to the standby movement path RB of the reaction container device 18, in a form-fitting manner along an exchange path BB running parallel to the standby movement path RB and orthogonal to the loading path BP. The receiving recess 192 is provided in the dispensing component 180 by a T-slot-shaped seal receiving structure 193.

Through openings 194 in the sealing arrangement 22, which penetrate the sealing arrangement 22 and its sealing surface 22a designed to engage the surface 136a of the band 136, are arranged in an operative arrangement collinear with the gas outlet openings 190 as a continuation thereof in order to guide gas escaping from the gas outlet openings 190 to the inlet openings 104 of the reaction vessels 88.

Of the 21 The switching valves 182, 184, and 186 shown, mounted on the rear side 178a of the line body 178, switch lines of the metering device 62a between a blocking state and a passing state. The switching valves 182 therefore form a metering valve arrangement 183 in the sense of the introduction to the description. The switching valves 184 switch lines of the pressure-changing device 62b between a blocking state and a passing state. The switching valves 184 therefore form a gas valve arrangement 185 in the sense of the introduction to the description. Each switching valve 182 and 184 interrupts or connects two line sections formed in the line body 178.

The two switching valves 186 form a switching valve device 187, which allows a liquid from one of the containers 34 and 36 or gas from the gas pressure reservoir 69 to be selectively directed through the metering openings 188 of the metering device 62a. By blowing through the lines and metering openings 188 of the metering device 62a in this way, the lines and metering openings 188 of the metering device 62a can be freed and cleaned of the last liquid passed through between a change of liquids to be metered, for example between the containers 34 and 36. Each switching valve 186 can be selectively connect an upper or lower opening with a middle opening or separate the openings from each other.

On the conduit body 178, in the illustrated embodiment on the top side 178b, three conduit connections 196, 198 and 200 are arranged. The conduit connections 196 and 198 are liquid-conducting conduit connections which conduct liquids from the containers 34 and 36 to a conduit system 202 (see 23 ) of the line body 178. It is assumed that the line connection 196 is connected to the extraction line 38a and the line connection 198 to the extraction line 38b. The line connection 200 is a gas-conducting line connection which supplies the line system 202 of the line body 178 with pressurized gas from the gas pressure accumulator 69. The pressure line 38c in the operating fluid compartment 32 is connected to the gas pressure accumulator 69 and is not routed via the valve arrangements of the charging device 62.

In 24 a perspective view of the feed device 62 looking towards the rear side 178a of the line body 178 without the switching valves 182, 184 and 186 is shown.

The large openings 204, arranged in four parallel rows, serve solely to attach the switching valves 182, 184, and 186, with each switching valve being secured to the rear side 178a by two screws screwed into a respective large opening 204. For clarity, not all of the large openings 204 are provided with a reference symbol. There are a total of 36 openings 204 on the rear side 178a of the line body 178, namely two for each of the 18 switching valves.

A bottom row of small openings 206 leads via line sections 208 directly to the metering openings 188.

The switching valves 182 are arranged to connect the line sections 208 by means of their small openings 206 to likewise small openings 210 of a line section 212 or to separate said openings 206 and 210 from one another.

The line section 212 opens into the rear side 178a of the line body 178 in a small central opening 214, which leads to the 21 right changeover valve 186 opens.

From the line connection 198, a short line section 216 extends to a small opening 218, which is an upper one of three small openings 218, 214 and 220 formed by the 21 right changeover valve 168 can be connected in pairs or separated from each other.

The lowermost small opening 220 opens into a line section 222, which only leads to a middle small opening 224 of the 21 left changeover valve 186.

In the 21 In addition to the middle small opening 224, an upper small opening 226 of a line section 228, which leads to the line connection 196, and a lower small opening 230 of a line section 232, which leads to the gas-carrying line connection 200, open into the left switching valve 186.

Directly connected to the gas-carrying line connection 200 is a further line section 234, which leads to small openings 236 below the switching valves 184 of the gas valve arrangement 185. In addition to the small openings 236, small openings 238 of line sections 240 open toward the switching valves 184, which lead directly into the gas outlet openings 190.

By switching the switching valves 182, the fluid at the openings 210 and thus the fluid at the opening 214 can be selectively directed to the metering openings 188 or not.

By switching the switching valves 184, the gas present at the openings 236 via the line section 234 can be selectively directed to the gas outlet openings 190 or not.

Through the 21 The right switching valve 186 can either direct the fluid present at the line connection 198 via the line section 216 and the opening 218 or the fluid present at the opening 220 to the openings 210.

Through the 21 The left switching valve 186 can connect the middle opening 224 and thus the line section 222 leading to the opening 220 either to the line connection 196 and the line section 228 leading to the opening 126 or to the opening 230 and thus to the line section 232 and the gas-carrying line connection 200.

By appropriately switching the switching valves 186, either liquid from the container 34 or liquid from the container 36 or pressurized gas from the gas pressure accumulator 69 can be supplied to the openings 210 of the metering valve arrangement 183.

In 25 The loading device 62 is shown in perspective from below, looking at the essentially smooth front side 178c of the line body 78. This view is presented merely as a supplement and final detail to the previous explanations.

QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2019/096407 A1 [0003]
• US 5705628 [0007]
• EP 0 691 541 A2 [0013]
• EP 1 065 001 A1 [0013]
• WO 2010/075199 A2 [0014, 0015]
• WO 2004/113874 A2 [0015]
• US 4895706 [0016]
• US 4111754 [0016]
• US 5273718 [0016]
• US 8877145 B2 [0016]
• DE 10 2007 041 071 B4 [0017]

Claims (14)

Automated liquid handling device (10) for handling liquids (109), comprising: i. a reaction container device (18) with a reaction container arrangement (86) with at least one reaction container (88), wherein the at least one reaction container (88) has an input end (102) with an input opening (104) and an output end (106) located at a distance from the input end (102) and having a output opening (116), ii. a metering device (62a) with at least one metering opening (188) for transferring liquid (109) into at least one reaction container (88) of the reaction container device (18), wherein the metering device (62a) is designed for liquid transfer by means of the metering opening (188) through the input opening (104) of the at least one reaction container (88), and iii. a pressure changing device (62b), wherein the pressure changing device (62b) is designed to change a gas pressure difference between an internal gas pressure in at least one reaction vessel (88) of the reaction vessel device (18) and an external gas pressure outside the at least one reaction vessel (88), characterized in that the pressure changing device (62b) and the metering device (62a) form a combined charging device (62) which can be displaced together along a charging path (BP) and has at least one gas outlet opening (190) different from the metering opening (188) for discharging gas and has the at least one metering opening (188). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one gas outlet opening (190) and the at least one metering opening (188) are arranged offset from one another along an offset direction (VD) parallel to the feed path (BP). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the at least one gas outlet opening (190) and the at least one metering opening (188) are arranged at a distance from one another by at least half the opening width (OW) of the input opening (104) to be measured along the feed path (BP). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading device (62) can additionally be approached to the reaction container device (18) and removed from the reaction container device (18) along an approach path (WP) which is non-parallel to the loading path (BP). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging device (62) has a sealing arrangement (22), the sealing arrangement (22) having a sealing surface (22a) designed to bear against the reaction vessel arrangement (86), a gas outlet through the charging device (62) taking place within a region surrounded by the sealing surface (22a). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the at least one metering opening (188) is arranged outside the sealing surface (22a). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 5 or 6 , characterized in that the sealing arrangement (22) is arranged detachably on a seal receiving structure (193) of the feeding device (62). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 7 , characterized in that - when viewed in an operational state - one formation of seal receiving structure (193) and seal arrangement (22) has a receiving recess (192) running along an exchange path (BB) which is not parallel to the feed path (BP), and that the other formation of seal receiving structure (193) and seal arrangement (22) has a receiving projection (22b) which is movable in the receiving recess (192) relative to the seal receiving structure (193) along the exchange path. Automated liquid handling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction container device (18) is movable along a standby movement path (RB) which is non-parallel to the feed path (BP) between a setup position and a standby position. Automated liquid handling device (10) according to the Claims 8 and 9 , characterized in that the exchange path (BB) runs parallel to the standby movement path (RB). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 10 , thereby recognized characterized in that the reaction container device (18) has a holding formation (26) with which the sealing arrangement (22) inserted into the holding formation (26) can be brought into positive engagement with the loading device (62). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the sealing arrangement (22) can be introduced into the loading device (62) in positive engagement with the holding formation (26) by moving the reaction container device (18) along the standby movement path (RB). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feeding device (62) has a switchable gas valve arrangement (185) in order to block or allow a gas flow to the at least one gas outlet opening (190) depending on the switching state of the gas valve arrangement (185), and/or in that the feeding device (62) has a switchable metering valve arrangement (183) in order to block or allow a liquid flow to the at least one metering opening (188) depending on the switching state of the metering valve arrangement (183). Automated liquid handling device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid handling device (10) has a switchable switching valve device (187) in order to connect, depending on the switching state of the switching valve device (187), the at least one metering opening (188) to a gas supply (69) for the gas held in the gas supply (69) to flow through or to a liquid supply (34, 36) for the liquid held in the liquid supply (34, 36) to flow through.

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