Pipette tip holder

Abstract

A pipette tip holder is provided for holding a plurality of pipette tips in an automated pipette machine. The pipette tip holder includes a container that defines a cavity. There is at least one vertical divider in the cavity that divides the cavity into a plurality of segregated compartments. The pipette tip holder further includes a tip support member. The tip support member is connected to the container, The tip support member defines a plurality of apertures. The apertures are sized to receive and suspend said pipette tips in the cavity. Each aperture is generally aligned with one of said compartments. The at least one vertical divider is sized and positioned to inhibit contact between bottom portions of adjacent pipette tips.

1 . A pipette tip holder for use with automated pipette machines comprising: 
 a first container having a bottom and sides to define a first cavity and a top edge portion defining an opening to said first cavity;    a plurality of vertical dividers within the first cavity for dividing the first cavity into segregated compartments; and    a tip support member connected to the first container and being adapted to suspend a plurality of pipette tips within the first cavity in a manner so that at least a bottom portion of each pipette tip is within an individual segregated compartment.    
     
     
         2 . A pipette tip holder for use with automated pipette machines comprising: 
 a first container having a bottom and sides to define a first cavity and a top edge portion defining an opening to said first cavity;    a plurality of vertical dividers within the first cavity connected to the bottom and the sides of the first container for dividing the first cavity into segregated reservoirs for preventing the flow of fluid between said reservoirs when the first container is upright; and    a tip support member connected to the first container and being adapted to suspend a plurality of pipette tips within the first cavity in a manner so that at least a bottom portion of each pipette tip is within an individual reservoir, thereby segregating the pipette tips to reduce the possibility of fluid from one tip contacting another tip in the pipette tip holder.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims  1  and  2 , wherein the tip support member comprises a lid member over the opening of the first container, the lid member defining a plurality of apertures for receiving the pipette tips, each aperture being approximately aligned with a reservoir or segregated compartment, and being adapted to suspend a pipette tip within said reservoir or segregated compartment.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as in  claim 3  wherein the lid member is removable from the first container.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the lid member comprises a planar top in which the apertures are defined connected to sides to form an inverted second container defining a second cavity, and having a bottom edge portion defining an opening to the second cavity, the bottom edge portion being adapted for a close releasable connection to the top edge portion of the first container in a manner so that the second cavity merges with the first cavity when the lid member is connected to the first container.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as in  claim 5  wherein the lid member includes a plurality of vertical dividers within the second cavity connected to the planar top and the sides of the second container for dividing the second cavity into segregated compartments that approximately align with the reservoirs or segregated compartments of the first container when the lid member is connected to the first container.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as in  claim 6  wherein the first container includes a first connecting portion on the top edge portion, and the lid member includes a second connecting portion on the bottom edge portion that is adapted to closely fit into the first connecting portion.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as in  claim 7  wherein the first connecting portion further includes an inward facing groove, and the second connecting portion further includes an outward facing ridge that is complimentary to the groove such that the ridge closely fits into the groove to provide a snap fit engagement between the lid member and the first container.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as in  claim 8  further comprising a cap adapted for a close releasable connection over the lid member to provide a cover for pipette tips being supported by the lid member.  
     
     
         10 . A pipette tip holder for use with automated pipette machines comprising: 
 a first container having a bottom and sides to define a first cavity, and a top edge portion defining an opening to said first cavity;    a plurality of vertical dividers within the first cavity for dividing the first cavity into segregated compartments; and    a tip support member connected to the first container and being adapted to suspend a plurality of pipette tips of more than one size within the first cavity in a manner so that at least a bottom portion of each pipette tip is within an individual segregated compartment.    
     
     
         11 . A pipette tip holder for use with automated pipette machines comprising: 
 a first container having a bottom and sides to define a first cavity, and a top edge portion defining an opening to said first cavity;    a plurality of vertical dividers within the first cavity connected to the bottom and the sides of the first container for dividing the first cavity into segregated reservoirs for preventing the flow of fluid between said reservoirs when the first container is upright; and    a tip support member connected to the first container and being adapted to suspend a plurality of pipette tips of more than one size within the first cavity in a manner so that at least a bottom portion of each pipette tip is within an individual reservoir, thereby segregating the pipette tips to reduce the possibility of fluid from one tip contacting another tip in the pipette tip holder.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims  10  and  11 , wherein the tip support member comprises a lid member over the opening of the first container, the lid member defining a plurality of apertures of more than one size for receiving the pipette tips, each aperture being approximately aligned with a reservoir or segregated compartment, and being adapted to suspend a pipette tip of a certain size within said reservoir or segregated compartment.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein the lid member is removable from the first container.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as in  claim 13  wherein the lid member comprises a planar top in which the apertures are defined connected to sides to form an inverted second container defining a second cavity, and having a bottom edge portion defining an opening to the second cavity, the bottom edge portion being adapted for a close releasable connection to the top edge portion of the first container in a manner so that the second cavity merges with the first cavity when the lid member is connected to the first container.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as in  claim 14  wherein the lid member includes a plurality of vertical dividers within the second cavity connected to the planar top and the sides of the second container for dividing the second cavity into segregated compartments that approximately align with the reservoirs or segregated compartments of the first container when the lid member is connected to the first container.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as in  claim 15  wherein the first container includes a first connecting portion on the top edge portion, and the lid member includes a second connecting portion on the bottom edge portion that is adapted to closely fit into the first connecting portion.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as in  claim 16  wherein the first connecting portion further includes an inward facing groove, and the second connecting portion further includes an outward facing ridge that is complimentary to the groove such that the ridge closely fits into the groove to provide a snap fit engagement between the lid member and the first container.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus, as in  claim 17  further comprising a cap adapted for a close releasable connection over the lid member to provide a cover for pipette tips being supported by the lid member.  
     
     
         19 . A pipette tip holder for holding a plurality of pipette tips in an automated pipette machine, comprising: 
 a container that defines a cavity;    at least one vertical divider in the cavity, wherein said at least one vertical divider divides the cavity into a plurality of segregated compartments; and    a tip support member connected to the container, wherein the tip support member defines a plurality of apertures, wherein said apertures are sized to receive and suspend said pipette tips in the cavity, wherein each aperture is generally aligned with one of said compartments, wherein the at least one vertical divider is sized and positioned to inhibit contact between bottom portions of adjacent pipette tips.    
     
     
         20 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the cavity in the container is a first cavity and wherein the tip support member defines a second cavity, wherein the tip support member is connectable with the container such that the first and second cavities communicate with each other and together form an internal cavity for receiving the pipette tips.  
     
     
         21 . A pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the at least one vertical divider is sealingly connected to the container, wherein each compartment is sized to hold a volume of fluid and thereby inhibit a flow of fluid contained therein to any other of said compartments.  
     
     
         22 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of compartments in the container are a first plurality of compartments and wherein the tip support member includes at least one vertical divider in the second cavity for dividing the second cavity into a second plurality of segregated compartments that are aligned with the first compartments in the container when the tip support member is connected to the container.  
     
     
         23 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the at least one vertical divider in the second cavity is sealingly connected to the tip support member so that contact between pipette tips in adjacent compartments is substantially entirely prevented within the first and second cavities.  
     
     
         24 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in any of claims  19  and  20 , wherein the plurality of apertures includes at least a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein the second aperture is different from said first aperture in at least one of size and shape.  
     
     
         25 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the container has a top edge portion and wherein the top edge portion defines an opening into the first cavity and wherein the container has a first connecting portion proximate the top edge portion, and wherein the tip support member has a bottom edge portion and wherein the bottom edge portion defines an opening into the second cavity and wherein the tip support member has a second connecting portion proximate the bottom edge portion, wherein the second connecting portion is sized to closely fit removably into the first connecting portion.  
     
     
         26 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the first connecting portion further includes an inward facing groove, and the second connecting portion further includes an outward facing ridge that is complementary to the groove such that the ridge closely fits into the groove to provide a snap fit engagement between the tip support member and the container.  
     
     
         27 . The pipette tip holder as claimed in any of claims  19  and  20 , further comprising a cap, wherein the cap is connectable over the tip support member to cover any pipette tips supported by the tip support member.