MULTIPLE PIPET SAMPLE AND FILLING METHOD THEREOF

摘要

Multiple pipette cavities 14 are thermo-formed in a thin plastic sheet 12 to a half hour glass shape and their tips are cut off. A housing 18 is thermo-formed from a second thin sheet and is attached by dielectric heat sealing to the sheet 12 to define a manifold. Ribs 26 in the housing 18 strengthen the sheet 12 against deformation by presure changes in the manifold. A piston and cylinder actuator is attached to housing 18 to vary the pressure in the manifold, first reducing pressure to draw samples into the pipettes up to a convex stretched meniscus and then increasing the pressure to expel the samples. Features are described for accurate control of the volume of the samples.