| CPC B01L 3/0224 (2013.01) [B01L 2300/123 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
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1. A pipette for use with a pipette tip with an integrated tip plunger, the pipette comprising:
a pipette housing extending from a lower end to an upper end;
a neck extending from the lower end of the pipette housing and configured to hold a pipette tip;
a stroke rod comprising an upper end and a lower end and configured to displace a tip plunger in the pipette tip, wherein the stroke rod comprises a receiving means positioned at the lower end of the stroke rod and configured to one of: (i) receive an upper end of the tip plunger of the pipette tip that is held on the neck; (ii) or be inserted into the upper end of the tip plunger,
the stroke rod further comprises a first means for positive connection positioned on the lower end of the stroke rod,
the tip plunger includes an upper tip plunger end and a lower tip plunger end, the tip plunger comprises a second means for positive connection positioned on the upper tip plunger end,
a drive apparatus configured to displace the stroke rod to: (1) aspirate a liquid specimen into the pipette tip held on the neck; and (2) to eject the specimen from the pipette tip by means of a tip plunger positively connected to the stroke rod; and
at least one locking sleeve arranged coaxially with the stroke rod and configured to be displaceably guided toward the stroke rod in the pipette housing,
wherein the at least one locking sleeve is configured to be moved into a locked position in which the at least one locking sleeve borders, on an outside, one of: (1) a lower end of the stroke rod when the stroke rod is positively connected to the tip plunger; and (2) an upper end of the tip plunger when the stroke rod is positively connected to the tip plunger,
wherein the first means for positive connection is configured to positively connect the stroke rod to the second means for positive connection of the tip plunger,
wherein, prior to positive connection between the first means for positive connection and the second means for positive connection, one of: (i) the lower end of the stroke rod is configured to be elastically expanded when the tip plunger is inserted into the receiving means of the stroke rod; (ii) or the stroke rod is configured to be inserted into the receiving means of the tip plunger by the upper end of the tip plunger elastically expanding,
wherein, when the first means for positive connection and the second means for positive connection have entered the positive connection, the elastic expansion of one of: (i) the lower end of the stroke rod; and (ii) the upper end of the tip plunger is at least partly reversed,
wherein in the locked position, the locking sleeve is configured to inhibit release of a tip plunger from the stroke rod positively connected to the tip plunger,
wherein the locking sleeve is configured to be displaced upward out of the locked position so that one of: (1) the lower end of the stroke rod is at least partially released and can be elastically expanded; and (2) the upper end of the tip plunger is at least partially released and can be elastically expanded and the tip plunger is configured to be detached from the stroke rod,
wherein the first means for positively connecting the stroke rod to the tip plunger comprises one of: (1) a circumferential annular groove on the lower end of the stroke rod; and (2) an annular circumferential bead on the lower end of the stroke rod, and
wherein the second means for positively connecting the tip plunger comprises a circumferential annular groove on the upper end of the tip plunger when the first means for positively connecting the tip plunger comprises the annular circumferential bead, and wherein the second means for positively connecting the tip plunger comprises an annular circumferential bead on the upper end of the tip plunger when the first means for positively connecting the tip plunger comprises the annular groove.
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