Patents Assigned to Eppendorf AG
  • Patent number: 11608484
    Abstract: The invention relates to a single-use connection device for insertion into a connection opening of a bioreactor, in particular in a connection opening of a top plate of a dimensionally-stable bioreactor or in a connection opening of a connection element of a pouch bioreactor. The single-use connection device is inserted in a connection opening of a top plate of a bioreactor and/or in a connection opening of a pouch reactor and is provided with multiple passages and an attachment section, wherein the single-use connection device is formed as a single piece and is made of plastic. The attachment section, on an outer peripheral surface, has an attachment structure for attaching the single-use connection device in the connection opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: EPPENDORF AG
    Inventors: Matthias Arnold, Sebastian Selzer, Sven Eikelmann, Jochen Beese
  • Patent number: 11602744
    Abstract: A pipette with an adjustable dosing volume comprises a housing connected to at least one seat configured to releasably hold a pipette tip. A displacement device is positioned within the housing and configured to aspirate and discharge liquid from the pipette tip. A stroke rod is coupled to the displacement element and configured to be longitudinally displaced relative to the housing to displace the displacement device. A catch sleeve is rotatably mounted within the housing and is connected to the stroke rod. An adjusting sleeve configured to engage a transducer shaft that is rotatably mounted within the housing and comprises a countershaft of a gearbox that is configured to be shifted between different shift stages. Each shift stage comprises different gear ratios between a rotational speed of the adjusting sleeve and a rotational speed of the catch sleeve. The different gear ratios enable coarse volume adjustment and fine volume adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Peter Molitor, Florian Tesch
  • Patent number: 11591560
    Abstract: A manual injector for cell manipulation comprising a displacement device for displacing a fluid, an injection tube connected to the displacement device, and a capillary holder connected to the injection tube for holding a microcapillary tube or a microcapillary tube connected to the injection tube, wherein the displacement device has the following: a disk-shaped main body that, on a first end face, has an hollow cylinder space which is concentric with its middle axis, a disk-shaped adjusting wheel, a helical gear, a hollow cylindrical plunger, a rotational decoupling that connects the adjusting wheel to the plunger, and a connection connected to the cylinder space to which the injection tube is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Christian Flucke
  • Patent number: 11577257
    Abstract: A centrifuge (10) and a method for preventing the ignition of combustible temperature control media in centrifuges (10) after a crash of the centrifuge rotor are presented. Ignition is prevented by the release of a protective gas in the event of a crash. More precisely, the released protective gas forms a flow that displaces the oxygen, distributes the escaping temperature control medium and fundamentally changes the momentary ratio of the concentration of oxygen to temperature control medium in such a manner that no ignition can take place either inside or outside the centrifuge (10). Thereby, combustible temperature control media can be used without safety concerns for controlling the temperature of centrifuges (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Heiko Müller
  • Patent number: 11554367
    Abstract: A pipette for use with a pipette tip includes a housing, a pin on the bottom end of the housing holding a pipette tip having first means for form-fit connection and a second means for form-fit connection which can be shoved onto the pin, constricting the pin, and/or expanding the tip before form-fit connection with the pin, a drive apparatus, at least one locking sleeve arranged concentric to the pin which is guided toward the pin in the housing, wherein the locking sleeve has a locked position having a pin in the inside constricted by shoving on a pipette tip, and/or is bordered on the outside by a tip shoved onto the pin, preventing a release from the pin, and the locking sleeve is upwardly displaceable out of the locked position so that the pin, and/or the tip is released, and the tip is removable from the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Martin Seippel, Matthias Kunsch, Burkhardt Reichmuth, Tobias David, Frank Horstmann, Jens Wilmer, Marc Wilth
  • Patent number: 11498083
    Abstract: A fixed-angle rotor for centrifuges includes stiffening ribs on the lower side of its rotor body. Its rotational energy is comparatively low during operation even at high speeds, whereby safety is noticeably increased without the need for a reinforced armored vessel in the centrifuge that is equipped therewith. At the same time, the drive power required to drive the fixed-angle rotor remains low. The fixed-angle rotor also withstands extreme loads over a long period of time. In addition, the fixed-angle rotor can be manufactured cost-effectively, because no additional components are required; rather, the stiffening ribs can also be manufactured during the manufacture of the rotor body. Finally, very thin rotor shells can also be used, which improves the temperature control of the samples, because the fixed-angle rotor has very good structural stability, especially in the main load directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Steffen Kühnert
  • Patent number: 11485946
    Abstract: A device for storing, incubating or manipulating biological samples, in particular incubating device or shaking device, comprising a sample chamber, an irradiation chamber, and a holder with a UV light source, wherein a sidewall of the irradiation chamber comprises a first mounting member and wherein the holder comprises a second mounting member configured to interact with the first mounting member for pre-mounting the holder to the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Paul Czajkowski, Erik Zamirowski
  • Patent number: 11471897
    Abstract: A centrifuge rotor for sample vessels includes a seal between a lower part and a cover. The seal comprises a gasket, which is arranged in a first groove. The first groove is arranged on one of the elements constituted by the cover and the lower part. The first groove, in relation to the axis of rotation of the centrifuge rotor, is open axially toward the other of the elements constituted by the cover and the lower part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Steffen Kühnert
  • Patent number: 11426720
    Abstract: A pipette comprises a pipette housing comprising an upper end and a lower end, a nipple configured to contact and retain a pipette tip, a drive apparatus configured to aspirate a liquid specimen into the pipette tip and expel the liquid specimen from the pipette tip, and an ejection apparatus. The ejection apparatus comprises a curved support rotatably mounted within the pipette housing, an ejection rod, a first sensing element positioned on the ejection rod and configured to be guided on a first curve on a perimeter of the curved support, and an operating element coupled to the curved support and configured to rotate relative to the pipette housing. The ejection apparatus is configured to rotate the curved support out of a start position by rotating the operating element. The first curve displaces the first sensing element downward a the ejection rod moves the pipette tip off of the nipple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Florian Tesch
  • Publication number: 20220241793
    Abstract: A metering head for a metering machine having a carrier having parallel attachments for picking up pipette tips wherein each attachment has a tube having a supporting protrusion at the bottom end at least one sleeve which surrounds the tube and can be axially shifted on the tube, and at least one elastomer O-ring which surrounds the tube a pressure plate above the sleeves having a plurality of first holes through which the tubes extend, wherein the pressure plate can be shifted along the tubes from a release position into a clamping position where the sleeves are pressed, at the bottom ends, against the adjacent O-rings, and the O-rings are expanded to clamp pipette tips; and a first shifting apparatus connected to the pressure plate moving the pressure plate between the release position and clamping position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Jens Wilmer
  • Publication number: 20220241800
    Abstract: A centrifuge, in particular as a laboratory centrifuge, has a centrifuge container in which a centrifuge rotor can be accommodated, a centrifuge motor for driving the centrifuge rotor, and a housing with a base and lateral side walls. The centrifuge container, the centrifuge rotor and the centrifuge motor are accommodated in the housing. A temperature control device for controlling the temperature of the centrifuge rotor has air directing means which are adapted to suck in air into the centrifuge container in a lower region. Such temperature control of the centrifuge operates more effectively than before. At the same time, the cooling of heat-emitting centrifuge components, such as the centrifuge motor and electronic components, takes place. The temperature control also functions if a safety container is arranged around the centrifuge container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Danilo DRÖSE
  • Patent number: 11402139
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control apparatus for a refrigerator compressor having at least one two-phase AC asynchronous motor (K1, K2), having mains connection means (10) for connection to a preferably public voltage supply network which nominally provides a mains AC voltage of between 85 V and 264 V, in particular between 100 V and 230 V, first voltage converter means (14) which are connected downstream of the mains connection means and are intended to generate an intermediate voltage, in particular an intermediate DC voltage, from the mains AC voltage, second voltage converter means (16-1, 16-2) which are connected downstream of the first voltage converter means and are intended to generate an output signal which is independent of a level and a mains frequency of the mains AC voltage, in particular has a constant voltage and/or frequency in periods, and is intended to control the refrigerator compressor with an AC voltage of a plurality of differently predefinable voltage levels, wherein the mains connecti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: EPPENDORF AG
    Inventors: Rüdiger Uhlendorf, Gary Poole, George Mason, Ted Kao
  • Patent number: 11346593
    Abstract: A refrigerator fan device, comprising: a fan motor (10) which has a fan rotor (12) and which can be provided in an air duct between an air inlet (16), a refrigerator heat exchanger (15), and/or a refrigerator compressor (14) and an air outlet (18) on or in a refrigerator housing (20, 22), said fan motor (10) being connectable to a unit of the refrigerator, via electrical supply and/or control lines, wherein the fan motor (10) is realized as a brushless speed-controllable DC motor whose operating speed is or can be controlled as a function of an operating and/or used cooling space temperature signal of, the assigned or assignable refrigerator compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: EPPENDORF AG
    Inventors: Simon Clarke, George Mason, Rüdiger Uhlendorf
  • Publication number: 20220128583
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a laboratory system comprising at least partially networked laboratory devices for processing samples by means of laboratory processes performed by the laboratory devices, the method comprising:-a process detection step (S1), in which samples to be processed and/or laboratory processes to be performed with the samples are detected via a detection unit (05);-a status determination step (S3), in which a response of networked laboratory devices regarding the current and/or future status and/or the termination of sample processing is obtained by the laboratory devices;-a task update step (S4), in which a task list, at least for the processing of certain samples by means of a certain laboratory device or a plurality of certain laboratory devices in a certain order, is created or updated by a task generation unit at least from the detected samples and/or laboratory processes and/or on the basis of the status of the laboratory devices, in particular by considering pr
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Rainer Treptow
  • Patent number: 11305292
    Abstract: A metering head for a metering machine having a carrier having parallel attachments for picking up pipette tips, wherein each attachment has: a tube having a supporting protrusion at the bottom end, at least one sleeve which surrounds the tube and can be axially shifted on the tube, and at least one elastomer O-ring which surrounds the tube, a pressure plate above the sleeves having a plurality of first holes through which the tubes extend, wherein the pressure plate can be shifted along the tubes from a release position into a clamping position where the sleeves are pressed, at the bottom ends, against the adjacent O-rings, and the O-rings are expanded to clamp pipette tips; and a first shifting apparatus connected to the pressure plate moving the pressure plate between the release position and clamping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Jens Wilmer
  • Patent number: 11298707
    Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring the rotational speed of an element are disclosed. The element may be part of a centrifuge, e.g. a motor, drive shaft, or rotor of a laboratory centrifuge. The rotational speed of the element is not determined directly, but rather clock cycles are counted while the element rotates by a predetermined rotational angle. Exceeding a predetermined rotational speed is determined by comparing a number of counted cycles with a predetermined value. The method and device can be implemented in hardware without requiring a microcontroller with corresponding software, thereby eliminating a need to software certification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Uwe Beukert, Thomas Sporn
  • Publication number: 20220097038
    Abstract: A pipetting head comprises a carrier, at least one attachment held on the carrier and configured to secure at least one pipette tip, and two O-rings retained on the at least one attachment and configured to contact the sealing seat of the at least one pipette tip. The inner diameter of the sealing seat of the at least one pipette tip is smaller than an outer diameter of a respective O-ring where the sealing seat contacts a respective O-ring. The respective O-ring is deformed while the pipette tip is slid onto the at least one attachment to securely clamp the at least one pipette tip. The sealing seat of the at least one pipette tip is dimensioned such that the at least one attachment exerts a force on the pipette tip to deform the at least one pipette tip when it is securely clamped on the at least one attachment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Jens Wilmer, Dominik Schneider
  • Patent number: 11280389
    Abstract: A spindle drive comprising a threaded spindle with an external thread, a spindle nut with an internal thread that is in engagement with the external thread of the threaded spindle, characterized in that the external thread of the threaded spindle has multiple threaded areas that are separated from each other by first flattenings on their circumference extending in the longitudinal direction, and the first flattenings have guide areas that abut the core diameter of the internal thread of the spindle nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Eppendorf AG
    Inventors: Burkhardt Reichmuth, Marc Wilth, Jörg Sattler
  • Publication number: 20220072566
    Abstract: A connection construction (10), between a centrifuge rotor (12) and a drive shaft (14) of a laboratory centrifuge (100), allows one-handed operation that does not require any additional tools. The connection construction (10) is designed such that the locking mechanism (16, 48) is constantly guaranteed, preventing the jamming or blocking of the locking elements (16, 48). In addition, the user receives a reliable indication of a locked state (16, 48) by a clearly noticeable click.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Steffen Kühnert
  • Publication number: 20220065885
    Abstract: Art automated laboratory system comprises a work area comprising a plurality of predefined workstations, wherein each of the plurality of predefined workstations occupies a footprint of a standardized microtiter plate. At least one movement device is configured to move tools above the work area and at least one transport tool is configured to be moved by the movement device in order to relocate laboratory items within the work area. At least one pipetting tool is configured to be moved by the movement device in order to pick up and release pipette tips. A holder for pipette tip carriers comprises at least one carrying apparatus defining a rectangular through-opening, and a support apparatus connected to the carrying apparatus. An electronic control apparatus is connected to the movement device and configured to control movements of the transport tool and at least one pipetting tool by the movement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: Eppendorf AG
    Inventor: Jens-Peter Kroog