Semi-automated pipetting aid
Contents
1. 12 CLC Volume information sent p wuelessly to ES pupeitor Fu y wireless transmitter REAR SH Bluetooth or Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 4 of 16 US 2006 0188406 A1 Clicking this button will allow the user to save the data in this worksheet into another file The default directory for saving a user file is C Program Clicking here will paste the data in the clipboard into cell A4 of this worksheet text only no formatting Using this button will prevent inadvertent formatting to be added to the Setup spreadsheet when copying information from other spreadsheets Files WellAware User Files Click here to Run Main Clicking here will clear WellAware Program all data on the form Bm Microsoft Excel Wellaware 11012004 xls E button opens a ws PIPETTING AID This button t the ap PATA by the Multi channel Pipet Sync field This allows the person setting up a multi channel pipetting operation to sort the sync field in order to get the pipetting operations in the correct order of Optional i Footswitch This button shows the This button plays This button opens a Excel toolbars and the the WellAware common pipetting Windows taskbar in the walkthrough video program and puts the event a macro does not data in the Setup fully finish This button opens the WellAware p2. This column contains the Plate number or barcode for the eee EH TE Source In the case of sss a vial it should contain lH i 3 a unique barcode for the vial This column contains the Source well row information This column contains the Source well column information This column contains the Source volume to be pipetted WellAware Setup Data Entry Descriptions Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 9 16 US 2006 0188406 1 The Source number or barcode will be visible here If the font is red it This cell indicates how many pipetting ee actions are required indicates a plate or vial change from the previous pipetting action to complete the current Target plate BC CNN AUTOMATION Source ree CONES M excel C ONDE WellAware The Target plate number or bar code PIPETTING AID will be visible here if the font is red it Hit Enter for next indicates a plate Sample or Esc to Exit change the main program Foot Switch Zoom ie b em Pate t Barcoded Sample Containe Template for a bar Template for a 384 coded vial or bottle z well plate lo DOZE Figure 9 View of Main Program running a Bar coded Source US 2006 018
3. WellAware PIPETTING AID 6 Hit enter again and the next record is a bar coded source This box comes up in preparation for a scanned bar code value as i Barcoded Sample Containe Figure 11A Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 13 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 8 Hit Enter after pipetting the bar coded source This is a Target plate dilution both the Source and Target are in the Target plate The source is blue and is pipetted into the pink well ee E SEES 3 WellAware PIPETTING AID WellAware PIPETYING AIC 90 ater gp zx Non Barcoded Sample Container 10 After hitting Enter a 1sec Wait command is used to alert operator to mix the dilution 11 Next a Source and Target plate s witch WellAware FIPETTING AID 25 0 ul dna Figure 11B Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 14 of 16 US 2006 0188406 A1 12 Enter and another plate switch eT meum 1 of 1 this Target plate fn fend fnd COO sj PIPETTING AIO 13 After hitting enter there is another Source and Target plate switch This is an example of how to do multi channel pipetting with WellAware WellAware PIPETTING AID 14 Hit enter five more times and you are at the end of the multi channel pipetting example Note the ability to color code the wells to ensure correct orientation of the multi channel pipette 7
4. a series of buttons that will allow the user to custom configure the WellA ware program to any computer screen FIG 6 If the screen is not properly formatted once you start one of the pipetting programs on the Programs tab of WellA ware simply hit the ESC to exit out of the program Then hit the Hide button on the Pipetting Tab Next place your plates on the screen and use the Source and Target Left Right buttons the Plate Up Down buttons and the Zoom In Out buttons to configure the screen for your computer Once the plate wells are aligned with the wells on the PC s screen hit the Save button Your settings are now saved and you can continue with your pipetting The next time you open WellAware your changes will still be in effect Detailed instructions for aligning the screen are provided in FIG 7 of this manual 0037 Accessories 0038 Monitor amp Screen cover Bio TX has a 180 degree tilt modified fourteen inch LCD screen which comes with a disposable chemical resistant screen cover The covers are made of PET plastic and are resistant to most solvents acids and bases plastic soft drink bottles are made out of PET The screen and the covers are available for purchase with or without the WellAware software 0039 Foot switch A three button USB foot switch is available for the hands free operation of the WellAware programs The Left button is the ESC key the middle button is the Enter key and the right button is the
5. combination of the Ctrl Shift R the equivalent of hitting the Run button on the Setup tab of WellAware 0040 Barcode reader The main WellAware program can be used with bar coded vials or containers It is recommended that all bar coded vials be grouped together in the Setup spreadsheet before hitting the Run button and that all bar coded vials be processed at the same time When a bar coded record is encountered by the software an input box will pop up and ask the operator to scan the barcode When the barcode is scanned the correct record is found in the Setup spreadsheet and the correct Target well is illuminated This function is ideal for making master plates from vials filling holes in master plates cherry picking and combi chem type applications The software 15 may be used in conjunction with a computer network and with more than one computer Aug 24 2006 3 The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for protecting said computer monitor screen comprises a screen protector layer mounted on an outer surface of said computer monitor screen 4 The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said screen protector layer comprises a planar interior surface an adjoining sidewall and an adjoining raised peripheral sur face 5 The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said screen protector layer is made of polyethelene perephthalate 6 The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for protecting said computer m
6. o j Finished all sources Figure 11C Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 15 of 16 US 2006 0188406 A1 Figure 12 WellAware Programs with screen shots Transfer 1 Channel 24 to 96 xls Ema lo 384 xls Ine l i Channel sm 34 to 1 20 0 ul Source 120 0 ul Source 25 0 ul Source i eee bre bee Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 16 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 5 2 uu eo pk c T 8 7 i A 0 yd f A j 6 2 b Reesor ES ONS MIRREN Cred Seiko aA eA eL e CONVEN G2 Wo SON FIG Aug 24 2006 0011 FIG 6 is a view of a spreadsheet generated as a screen display including schematic instructional text 0012 FIG 7 is a view of a set up screen display for calibrating the LCD screen including schematic instruc tional text 0013 FIG 8 is a view of a data set up screen display including schematic instructional text 0014 FIG 9 is a view of a screen display for running a bar code scanner including schematic instructional text 0015 FIG 10 is a view of a screen display for running a target plate dilution including schematic instructional text 0016 FIG 11 is a view of several screen shots of screen displays taken while running the main computer program on data including schematic instru
7. panel computer monitor so long as it is functional for mounting well plates 22 over the outer surface 18a of screen 18 The outer surface 18a should lie in a horizontal plane or in a primarily horizontal plane so that the well plate s 22 and vials 20 will rest and stabilize over the screen 18 under the influence of gravity Preferably the computer monitor 12 has swivel joints 19 such that the outer surface 18a of screen 18 can be rotated to the horizontal or to a plane slightly sloped from the horizontal as desired by the user However those skilled in the art will realize that there are other ways to make the screen 18 horizontal or nearly horizontal and that there are many types of swivel joints 19 which may be used in the overall design of the system Also if the screen 18 lies in a plane which is nearly horizontal such would mean that the slope of the screen 18 from the horizontal would be sufficient for the vials 20 to be stable on top of the screen 18 US 2006 0188406 A1 SEMI AUTOMATED PIPETTING AID CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 This application is a continuation in part of U S Utility Patent Application Ser No 11 061 976 filed Feb 18 2005 and claims the benefit of same STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 0002 Not applicable REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 0003 Not applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Description of the Related Art 0004 In the past vi
8. the Target plate 6 Once you are happy with the adjustments to your pipetting template hit the Save button PIPETTING AiD E 3 amp 2 E Li b y b z 9 LI 6600000000000005l 06000000000000000 7 eocc0o00e00o00o0ooccecoocc Z eeoccoooccocoooccocoB 6 0 0 o 6 0o o o 0o o o o o o e o LM ESI 00000000009o0009000L 6060000000000025200L oco000000o0500000000bl 000006000006502000 90600600000000020090 o0 0 0 6 0 6 0o o 5 o o 0 0o o o LE us 0600000000000000 i 060000000000000900 00000000000000200 060000000000000020 06600000000000000 0660000000000065060 9000000000000000 06060000000000606020020 0006e600000000009020 960000000000000200 0000000000000000 oz Zrmx rommoos ceooocoocconococccocsli 0000000000000000 0000000000000202090L v000o000000600c0ce0Hl 9000000000000000ff o0o00o000000o05000o0e6208005l 090050000000000050L 0000000000000000 0000000000000240 M LLL LLL 00900000000000000 090000000000000 96900000090000200 9000000000000200 Figure 7 Suggested button order for calibrating the LCD screen US 2006 0188406 A1 This is the Target Plate Type to be used for the Target Use the pull down list to select the correct form the Plate number or barcode for the Target This column contains the Target well column information This column contains the Target well row information This column contains the Multi channel Pipet Sync informat
9. 8406 A1 This is the Target well Note the color matches the Target label at the top This is the Source well Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 10 of 16 8 of 9 this Target plate Hit Ents 3u have pipatted tha Hit Esc to a a WellAware IPETTING AID 334 x 10 0 ul dna S 27 Note the color matches the Source label at the lop Figure 10 View of Main Program running a Target Plate Dilution Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 11 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 Figure 11 Screen shots while running the WellAware main program on the data in the file C Program Files WellAware User Files SampleData xls ITI me to ee om fete pngWaguaa ua ea cias Bee hee Lc is Na a E EC dea aka Dene W m LM DK _ 1 81 ahaa EU 1 4 WellAware 2 PIPETTING Aip ESSE ad hi LN TURA PUR CAL X m A Hi at Jem tm ea es 2 jj ann 1 Cota fone E asa fm EAA j T a Seo LE iR CELEBS Neg EH i HEEL Ls sermo re ati 3 xls l fo ies SWellware 2 2 D Tur Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 12 of 16 US 2006 0188406 A1 4 After Enter Button is hit five more times a Source plate change
10. GS 0006 FIG 1 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a semi automated pipetting aid system 0007 FIG 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a screen protector 0008 FIG 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pipettor with a wireless port receiver 0009 FIG 4 is a view of a spreadsheet generated as a screen display including schematic instructional text 0010 FIG 5 is a view of a spreadsheet generated as a screen display including schematic instructional text Aug 24 2006 function described in detail in the Accessories section of this manual and FIG 11 If you want to save your pipetting data for future reference you may hit the Save button to save your data to a new spreadsheet You should note that you can t save data in WellAware other than through the Save button If you ever wish to redo a saved pipetting spread sheet click the User button select the file you want to redo and the program will put it in the Setup spreadsheet for you Alternatively the user can simply copy data from a saved worksheet cells A4 to L then switch over to the WellAware Setup tab and click the Paste button Before hitting Paste make sure the data is in the same order as the Setup spreadsheet or the program will not function properly The Paste button will paste the data into cell A4 and preserve the formatting in the WellAware Setup tab by performing a paste special text only It may then be necessary to re
11. US 20060188406A1 a2 Patent Application Publication co Pub No US 2006 0188406 A1 43 Pub Date Aug 24 2006 Publication Classification 51 Int CI BOIL 3 02 2006 01 2 RS CE oaa ntn 422 100 57 ABSTRACT A semi automated pipetting apparatus has a computer moni tor with a screen lying in at least a nearly horizontal plane A screen protector is mounted over the screen A processing unit runs a computer program and is in communication with the computer monitor to generate a screen display shown on the screen The screen display indicates at least one target location for the placement of a vial for pipetting or for sorting of items Ba as United States Frost III SEMI AUTOMATED PIPETTING AID James Dahle Frost 111 The Woodlands TX US Inventor Correspondence Address MARK A OATHOUT 3701 KIRBY DRIVE SUITE 960 HOUSTON TX 77098 US Appl No 11 189 456 Filed Jul 26 2005 Related U S Application Data Continuation in part of application No 11 061 976 filed on Feb 18 2005 52 Sii 56 l 7 7 l 7 78 PN COREE SEES G2 54 76 21 22 63 Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 1 of 16 US 2006 0188406 A1 Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 2 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 30 24 a P Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 3 16 US 2006 0188406 1 5O l
12. according to claim 22 further including the step of repeating the protocol at a later time 25 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of providing an audible cue for prompting an operator initiated response 26 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of placing a screen protector on top of the illumi nated surface 27 The method according to claim 17 wherein the step of indicating the target location for the vial on the screen display includes scanning a bar code label 28 The method according to claim 20 wherein said step of sending signals from the computer to the stand alone pipette header comprises sending a wireless signal 29 The method according to claim 20 wherein said step of sending signals from the computer to the stand alone pipette header comprises sending signals on a hard wired line 30 The method according to claim 17 further including generating a signal from a pipette and tracking a position of the pipette by the signal 31 The method according to claim 17 wherein said step of placing an illuminated surface comprises projecting a light pattern and detecting a position of a pipette by the light pattern 32 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of programming actions of a protocol for the sorting of items via the computer program US 2006 0188406 Al 17 A method for semi automating the filling of vials in a laboratory comprising t
13. als containing various chemicals and or samples or empty vials awaiting pipetting have been manually organized into well plates in a laboratory or facility There is great opportunity for human error when attempting to organize numerous identical or nearly identi cal small vials into the tight space of a well plate or plates One attempt to improve upon the prior systems is a system with a mounting surface incorporating light emitting diodes LEDs into the mounting surface The LEDs are used to indicate the proper well in a plate for pipetting or vial handling This is accomplished by placing a vial rack or plate on top of the LED mounting surface and using software to illuminate the correct LED for pipetting or handling BRIEF SUMMARY 0005 A semi automated pipetting apparatus has a com puter monitor with a screen lying in at least a nearly horizontal plane A screen protector is mounted over the screen A processing unit runs a computer program and is in communication with the computer monitor to generate a screen display shown on the screen The screen display indicates at least one target location for the placement of a vial or for pipetting Another embodiment would project the computer display onto the top of the well plate or surface for directing a sorting process which might be used in a shipping department to direct the picking of items from a pick list or pipetting action BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWIN
14. coeoeaoo 000600000020000020 0000000000909090000 600o00000009090000090 9 These buttons allow the user to move the Sample and Target These buttons allow the user to zoom Ihe worksheet view In or Out plates Up or Down The big outside buttons move the plate templates a lot the inside smaller buttons move the templates a little If your plate templates are too big or too small use these buttons The big outside buttons zoom the view a lot amp the inside smaller buttons a little Figure 6 The Pipetting Tab Button Descriptions Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 7 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 Instructions for the WellAware LCD calibration 1 Click the WellAware Pipetting Tab and click the Edit button 2 Puta 384 well plate onto the LCD screen over one of the 384 well templates and adjust the zoom so that the yellow dots are centered under each well of the plate 3 Next put the 384 well plate along the bottom of the LCD screen and adjust the plates up or down until the bottom row of the 384 well template is centered on the bottom row of the 384 well plate 4 Now put the 384 well plate in the lower left corner of the LCD screen and adjust the Source plate template until all wells are centered 5 Move the 384 well plate to the lower right corner of the screen and do the same adjustment for
15. ctional text and sequence information 0017 FIG 12 is a view of fifteen example screen dis plays generated as a result of running the main computer program including schematic reference information 0018 FIG 13 is a schematic elevational view of one embodiment of an input device or pipette tip for a digitizer system DESCRIPTION of the EMBODIMENT S 0019 Referring to FIGS 1 2 the semi automated pipet ting aid 10 generally is used at workstation 11 and includes a computer monitor 12 a screen protector 30 mounted on the computer monitor 12 and one or more screen displays 16 shown on the computer monitor 12 A user performs a pipetting action or sorting action e g transfers an item such as a vial 20 to from the pipetting aid 10 by respectively pipetting to or placing vials 20 on the computer monitor 12 or in a vial rack or well plate 22 placed upon the screen 18 as respectively indicated by a target location 17 shown on the screen display 16 The well plate 22 may for example be a twenty four forty eight ninety six three hundred eighty four or fifteen hundred and thirty six transparent or semitransparent well plate In one working example the target location 17 may be represented by red lighted circle shown on the screen display 16 0020 The computer monitor 12 is preferably a flat panel computer monitor 13 in communication with a CPU 14 contained in computer 14a The computer monitor 12 may be other than a flat
16. device such as line 64 A schematic of a typical input device or pipette tip 58 for a digitizer system is shown in FIG 13 0047 A detector by light projection device 70 may also be implemented into the system The light projection device 70 has a tower 72 a light e g laser projector 74 mounted in the tower 72 and a sensor system 76 mounted in the tower 72 to detect and feedback positional data with respect to the projected light 0048 In the use of the embodiment represented by FIG 13 the system software WellAware 15 can be used to direct many functions all of which may be used indepen dently or combined together in different combinations as desired by the user First the system may be used to direct aspiration and or dispensation of a substance to a well 22 or vial 20 to direct the location where such should occur and or capture where such has occurred Second the system may prevent block an actual pipetting aspiration or dispen sation action if the pipette tip 58 is not positioned over the correct well plate 22 and or vial 20 or if the pipette tip 58 is not properly aligned over a vial 20 Third the system may direct playback of prior actions taken and or the location of pipetting steps taken individually or in sequence allowing the user to verify or check for errors and to document the pipetting actions Fourth the detector by light projection device 70 may be used to project a lighted area 78 super imposed over the
17. ed to implement control signals and functionality for the pipette header 52 0045 The software 15 generated spreadsheet 16a FIGS 4 12 may be used to program in all actions of a protocol including wait pause and action steps This allows any operator ofthe software 15 to repeat a protocol at a later time with increased reproducibility In addition very complex protocols may be attempted whereas previously such com plex protocols would not normally be attempted due to the high probability of user error 0046 The end of the pipetting device or pipette tip 58 may be used for transmitting digital communications In this US 2006 0188406 A1 programs Programs include transposing using single and 8 channel pipettors with various plate configura tions WellAware also includes programs for transfers using single 8 12 amp 16 channel pipettors and 8 chan nel 9 mm to 4 5 mm variable span pipettors utilizing various plate configurations FIG 12 includes screen shots of the current list of common pipetting functions Bio TX will make new pipetting programs available on it s website as they become available To run these programs simply click the Programs button and select the program name that describes the activity you want to use and the data will be transferred to the Setup Tab for formatting and editing Once the data is ready hit the Run button to begin pipetting 0035 Customizable Screen 0036 On the Pipetting Tab there is
18. en 18 Such a screen protector 30 has a planar interior surface 32 with sidewalls 34 adjoining to a raised peripheral surface 36 In one example the interior surface 32 is approximately eleven inches by 8 25 inches the sidewalls 34 are about 7 of an inch high and the peripheral surface 36 is about from one half inch to one inch wide The screen protector 30 could include a template indicating a location for the proper placement of a well plate 22 and could also contain indexing points protuberances or markers 38 only a few are shown in FIG 2 to represent this feature schematically to prevent the improper orientation of a well plate 22 The screen protector 30 could be made in other manners such as for example a screen 18 with fluid tight joints 0022 The processing unit or CPU central processing unit 14 may be integral with or separate from the computer monitor 12 The CPU 14 will enable a computer program or software 15 to generate or create the screen display 16 In the current preferred embodiment MICROSOFT EXCEL soft ware is the software 15 used to create the screen displays 16 including spreadsheets 16a target locations 17 etc One skilled in the art may implement other software 15 0023 sample User Manual excerpt for using the soft ware 15 appears below and FIGS 4 12 are working examples of screen displays 16 generated by the software 15 including additional reference information to assist in describing the u
19. he steps of placing an illuminated surface such that the illuminated surface lies in a nearly horizontal plane wherein the illuminated surface is selected from the group of illu minated surfaces consisting of a computer monitor screen and a light projected area generated by a light projection device generating a screen display via a processing unit running a computer program in communication with the com puter monitor indicating at least one target location on the screen display for taking an action selected from the group of actions consisting of pipetting and sorting an item and taking an action selected from the group of actions consisting of pipetting and sorting an item on top of the screen display and the target location 18 The method according to claim 17 wherein said step of placing the computer monitor comprises adjusting an angle of the screen of the computer monitor 19 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of controlling the screen display by motion of foot 20 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the steps of sending signals from a computer to a stand alone pipette header and controlling a volume of liquid to be pipetted by the stand alone pipette header by means of said prior step 21 The method according to claim 20 further comprising the step of indicating completion of said controlling step by sending a communication signal back from the stand alone pipet heade
20. ion which This column contains allows multiple wells to be lit up at the same time All characters that are the same and are consecutive will be lit up at the same time This feature allows for multi channel pipetting This column contains the Source name and the volume to be displayed on Pipetting tab Aug 24 2006 Sheet 8 of 16 These columns contain the Source well row and column information Since the Pipetting Form selection is for a bar coded or non bar coded Sample the spreadsheet will format the cells red to alert the operator that itis a vial and not a plate eel ll me SSS E This is the Source Plate Type to be used for the Source plate Use the pull down list to select the correct form Figure 9 Source Pato Display Name aoe Nous fot Source Ae dna ana ET 410 BE 2 88 8 8 8278 88 8 98 8 8 88 Patent Application Publication This column contains a Time stamp that is recorded into this field by the Main program A time stamp is recorded automatically every time the operator acknowledges a pipetting action The user should leave this blank or the main program will skip that record View Figure 6 to see this record on the Pipetting tab while the main program is running View Figure 7 to see this record on the Pipetting tab while the main program is running A z 5
21. move the old timestamp data and add user specified color format ting for the Background Target and Source before hitting the Run button To clear the data and formatting from the Setup spreadsheet use the Clear button The Manual button and Video buttons are conveniently located on the Setup tab and provide easy access to this manual and instructional video 0026 Pipetting Options 0027 The pipetting options are available for selection under the Source Plate Type and Target Plate Type list boxes on the Setup tab of WellAware Please note that not all pipetting options are available under the Pipet ting From list box 0028 Wait This command is used to time a step in your protocol and or alert the operator to do something with a message box If you put a time in the program will wait the specified number of seconds say the text message and finally display the message text in a message box This selection is only available on the Source plate type pull down list FIG 11 24 Well The 4x6 grid pattern may be used for vials or a 24 well plate This selection is available on the Source and Target plate type pull down list 384 Well The 384 well plate selection is available on the Source and Target plate type pull down list 0029 48 Well The 48 well plate selection is available on the Source and Target plate type pull down list 0030 96 Well The 96 well plate selection is available on the Source and Target plate type pull do
22. ncluding a pipetting device having an electronic means for trans mitting electromagnetic communications mounted thereon a sensor grid located behind the screen a controller chipset connected to the sensor grid for processing information about a position of the pipetting device and a means for communicating between the controller chipset and the computer program 16 The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the light projected area generated by a light projection device further includes said light projection device mounted proximate said com puter monitor wherein said light projection device has a light projector and a light sensor mounted thereon the light projected area generated by said light projector proximate said computer monitor and a means for communicating between said light projection device and the processing unit US 2006 0188406 Al option the pipette tip 58 functions as an input device and contains electronics circuitry e g such as a stylus with a MICROSOFT Tablet PC thereby being external to the outer surface 18a of the screen 18 In this embodiment the pipette tip 58 uses electromagnetic technology to transmit informa tion about the pipette header s 52 location or position via the pipette tip 58 to the sensor grid 60 located behind the screen liquid crystal display 18 The controller s chipset 62 uses this information to create digital data used by the computer 14a as communicated by a
23. nd then will light up the next source to be pipetted There is also a bar code Aug 24 2006 monitor For example a user may desire to make data entries while viewing a display 26 on a second com puter monitor 24 whilst the computer monitor 12 is used for the organized placement and arrangement of vials 20 0041 The screen display 16 works in conjunction with is generated by the CPU 14 and software 15 to indicate a target location 17 for each vial 20 on the screen display 16 The target location 17 is principally represented by a visual cue such as by way of example a red light appearing within what was previously a white circle appearing against a black background Other cues such as an audible cue or text to speech voice prompting may be used as well For example an audible cue may be used to inform the operator that the screen display 16 is ready for placement of a vial 20 which was just bar code scanned by a linked scanner 28 into the system 0042 In another example the screen protector 30 is mounted over outer surface 18a on the computer monitor 16 A semi transparent well plate 22 is placed on the screen protector 30 in a location indicated by lights on the screen display 16 The screen display 16 then lights up a red light which can be seen through the semi transparent well plate 22 to indicate to the operator where a vial 20 should be transferred and placed within the well plate 22 The CPU 14 will process data so tha
24. onitor screen includes at least one well plate marker 7 The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said computer monitor screen is a flat panel computer monitor 8 The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said computer monitor screen includes a stand and a swivel joint joining said stand to said computer monitor screen 9 The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a foot control in communication with the processing unit 10 The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a second computer monitor in communication with the processing unit 11 The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the second computer monitor has a display which is different than that shown on the screen display 12 The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a stand alone pipette header including a first transmitter and a first receiver having a means for controlling said stand alone pipette header and a second transmitter and a second receiver connected to a computer and in communication with the processing unit and with the first receiver and the first transmitter 13 The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the computer program is MICROSOFT EXCEL 14 The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a scanner in communication with the processing unit and at least one bar code label applied to a device selected from the group of devices consisting of a vial and a plate 15 The apparatus according to claim 1 further i
25. pipetting This butlon shows the Excel toolbars and the Windows taskbar once the user is finished formatting the screen after hitting the Hide Menus Button This button allows the user to save the screen formatting changes Bi 78 ew sme WellAware rd aS These buttons allow the user to move the Target plate right or left The outside buttons move the plate template a lot and the inside buttons move the template a little These buttons allow the user to move the Sample plate right or left The outside buttons move the plate template a lot and the inside buttons move the template a little PIPETTING AID M Lx B ocooo0oo0ooo ofa Foot Switch i Bl H g due pou LU sz TOZE X C mM OOD 12 060000000000c02020 og 1 8 E a O 00000000N OOOOOOO Op OO OO ON OOO Oo0000 004 Ooo000000 O OSO OTO OOO oke loo ool y E z o ceoconooocoocooocol E 5 9 0 0eco0o002090000000c0l 2 oo0oo0o00c0000000c 0o00000o0000o909000l 00060900o00000o00000 of cooococooococoocoocl 009000000009000090 60000o000000900000EL 9060000000060092009 ovrcooeve000000e0 00 ooooocooocoooooo of oooocoocoooococooo go 0000000000000002 7 eoooooos
26. r to the computer program 22 The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of programming actions of a protocol for the filling of vials via the computer program
27. roduct manual PDF file s SBSEBUBSRONARNOGMASERARATERESESBOSONRAARAARNASUuRARREPEPERAKRAARARARARRRARA These are the Excel Toolbars a eee e ia eem Windows taskbar Show Button i Hid sButton Active ov Active 11 18 111010 9 gt 111 7 Figure 4 WellAware Setup Spreadsheet Main Button Descriptions US 2006 0188406 A1 This record after hitting the Run Button Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 5 of 16 factivatesfalwizatdlttra wl 0 the Fie Minier Rom milh tho Peto Display amelinronrnationk ogag Helin fomationkogawnole wale poeta Null ibas EE Malla CIPETTING AiD Time stamp The fme you pipetted e We hati Di A the sample c Mae for Source a EUR a 0 This data p high _ o High volume highlighted iow volumes to be I 1 3 39 ull 8 8 highlighted Low volume highlighted m uu E oer Mired L its cisey calor f welts an the In Bipettingnabktnattarcaliargetqwellss 1 TA sss Mer Wil EES 0 0 a deir 7 Figure 5 WellAware Setup Spreadsheet Features Patent Application Publication Aug 24 2006 Sheet 6 of 16 US 2006 0188406 1 This button hides the Excel toolbars tabs and the Windows taskbar This allows the user to format their LCD screen for
28. screen 18 or well plate 22 to detect whether a pipette tip 58 has moved over and or entered a vial 20 or a well plate 22 and or to detect and record where a tip 58 is moving The light projected area 78 for example is a pattern matching the opening pattern of a well plate 22 The foot control 40 could be eliminated in the FIG 13 embodi ment s without loss of functionality What is claimed is 1 A semi automated pipetting apparatus comprising an illuminated surface lying in a nearly horizontal plane wherein said illuminated surface is selected from the group of illuminated surfaces consisting of a computer monitor screen and a light projected area generated by a light projection device a processing unit running a computer program in com munication with said illuminated surface a screen display generated by the processing unit and the computer program and shown on said illuminated surface and wherein the screen display indicates at least one target location for taking an action selected from the group of actions consisting of pipetting and sorting an item 2 The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a means for protecting said computer monitor located on said computer monitor screen Aug 24 2006 23 The method according to claim 22 wherein said step of programming actions of the protocol includes steps of pausing for the filling of vials and subsequently acting to fill at least one vial 24 The method
29. se and functionality of the software together in the semi automated pipetting aid 10 system 0024 The WellAware software has two tabs Setup and Pipetting The Setup tab contains a table of information that the user may modify to customize pipetting func tions see FIG 5 The user fills in the table with the Source name number volume units amp well location and the Target number well location vial or plate types and if multi channel pipetting a sync number 0025 The table may be filled out manually or the Add Plate wizards may be used to speed up data entry The Fill Color button in EXCEL is used to set the Sample Target and Background colors in WellAware Simply select the Source or Target Plate number that you want to set the color for click on the Fill Color button and select the color you want When the program is run the Source or Target well will be lit up with the selected color To change the Back ground color click on cell L2 on the Setup tab and select the Fill color you want Once the Setup spreadsheet is filled in the operator hits the right key on the footswitch or clicks the Run button see FIG 4 on the Setup spreadsheet The software will light up the appropriate wells for pipetting on the LCD screen see FIG 9 Once the operator has finished the pipetting of the first sample they hit the middle foot switch button or the enter key The program timestamps the pipetting action in the Setup spreadsheet a
30. t a record is kept of the placement location and contents of each individual vial 20 0043 A foot control 40 may be used with the semi automated pipetting aid 10 The foot control 40 can be used by the operator to for example cue the system that the operator has completed a specific or specified task to move on to the next transfer etc The foot control allows the operator s hands to be free to pipet liquids into vials 20 or plates 22 scan bar codes located on vials 20 apply bar code labels etc 0044 A wired or wireless or bluetooth system 50 can be added to the overall system The wireless or bluetooth system 50 other wireless communication protocols could be implemented into the wireless system 50 and ZIGBEE promoted by the ZigBee Alliance including Philips Elec tronics is presently one preferred wireless communication protocol option is used to automate volumetric dispensation from a stand alone pipette header 52 In such a system 50 the computer sends volumetric dispensation data to the pipette header 52 This will automate the volume of a liquid dispensed into a vial 20 e g 9 5 milliliters once the operator simply initiates the dispensation of the liquid into a vial 20 A bluetooth or wireless card 54 is mounted in the computer 14a and a bluetooth or wireless port receiver 56 is located in the pipette header 52 As known to one of ordinary skill in the art the wireless port receiver 56 can be us
31. wn list 0031 Barcoded Source Used for bar coded vials or containers This option is ideal for making or filling holes in master plates This selection is only available on the Source plate type pull down list FIGS 8 9 amp 11 Non barcoded Source This selection is used for bottles or reagent troughs TE water or a dilution solvent like DMSO This selection is only available on the Source plate type pull down list FIGS 8 amp 11 0032 Target Dilution This selection is used for doing serial or ratio dilutions in the Target plate Both the Source and Target wells are illuminated on the same Target plate This selection is only available on the Source plate type pull down list FIGS 8 10 amp 11 0033 Common Pipetting Programs 0034 The Programs button on the WellAware Setup tab provides access to a number of common pipetting US 2006 0188406 Al 0021 The screen protector or cover 30 is preferably used in the system to protect the computer monitor 12 from chemicals and or moisture Hence the screen protector 30 is preferably made of a chemically resistant transparent mate rial e g polyethelene perephthalate PET a polyester material The screen protector 30 may be a sheet or layer 30a mounted over outer surface 18a of screen 18 or it may be embedded in with the surface 18a In the preferred embodi ment the screen protector 30 is made to match the computer monitor 12 including the surface 18a of the scre
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