Tools – Receptacle closure remover – With additional receptacle-engaging means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-01-09
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Receptacle closure remover
With additional receptacle-engaging means
C081S003360, C220S740000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170359
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to means for opening microcentrifuge and test tubes (hereinafter referred to as “micro” tubes) and, more particularly, is concerned with a micro tube cap opening device having a tube holder for receiving and holding the tube and a slidable lifting bar on the tube holder for lifting the cap off the tube.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Micro tubes are small plastic tubes having a tube body capable of holding only a small amount of a liquid. Such tubes typically have a lid or cap which is attached to the tube body by a hinge strip and fits into an open upper end of the tube body by an interference fit. The interference fit of the cap with the upper end of the tube body tends to be quite snug in order to be liquid tight. The snug fit of the cap in the tube body upper end makes the cap difficult to remove therefrom and thus open in order to gain access to the contents inside the tube body.
A significant degree of risk of splashing or spilling the contents of a tube exists due to the force required to overcome the level of resistance created by the high coefficient of friction between the cap and the upper end of the tube body. This can be especially hazardous if the contents of the tube is toxic or infectious or has as part of the contents a radioactive isotope, such as one used as a marker for identification purposes. If the contents splashes or spills out of the tube, a person holding the tube is at risk of coming in contact with these substances.
Further, whenever radioactive materials are spilled, a substantial amount of paper work and reporting of the incident is required, irrespective of the level of radiation or of where the accident occurred. The health risk and extra work associated with spills are undesirable.
Also, some of the smallest tubes have volumes of two milliliters or less and are approximately one half inch in diameter and one half inch in length. The small size of these tubes makes them particularly difficult to handle. Manually opening the smallest tubes can be a fatiguing process, especially if the person must repeat the process many times over, as is often the case. Typically, the person employs both hands, one hand to hold the tube body and the other hand to open the cap of the tube. Yet, the person should have one hand available for pipetting liquids into and from the tube, while holding and opening or closing the tube. Efficient operation of a pipette is generally not achievable if the person must use both hands to manipulate the tube.
Devices have been developed for use in opening the caps of micro tubes. A representative example of a device is the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,782 and 4,858,502 to Warburg. The Warburg device is a hand-held opener having a handle and a base at one end of the handle with a recess shaped to accept a lip projection of the cap on the tube. The Warburg opener may be actuated by a free hand of the person to remove the cap from the tube body. However, the Warburg opener requires that the tube body be disposed in a well of a separate tube rack or held by the other hand of the user. Thus, while the Warburg opener may be satisfactory in use under the specific conditions for which it was designed to function, it does not seem to provide an optimum solution for the problems at hand.
Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which provides a more effective solution to the aforementioned problems in the prior art and without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a micro tube cap opening device which is designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The micro tube cap opening device of the present invention is ergometrically designed to allow a person to securely hold a micro tube in one hand and with the same hand open a cap of the micro tube in a safe and secure manner while pipetting with the other hand. The micro tube cap opening device also prevents or greatly reduces the possibility of the contents of the micro tube from splashing or spilling out in the process of opening the cap of the micro tube.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a micro tube cap opening device which comprises: (a) an elongated tubular holder having opposite first and second ends, a continuous sidewall with an exterior surface extending between the first and second ends and a well supported by the sidewall within and open at the first end of the holder for receiving therein a tube body of a micro tube, the sidewall of the holder providing a handle enabling a person with the same hand to grip the holder with the micro tube received in the well and to operate the device; (b) a lifting bar having opposite first and second ends; and (c) means provided on and along the exterior surface of the sidewall of the holder for slidably mounting the lifting bar on the sidewall to undergo movement between a retracted position and an extended position, the first end of the lifting bar in the retracted position being disposed adjacent to the first end of the holder and adjacent to a cap of the micro tube in a closed position interference fitted into the tube body of the micro tube when the tube body of the micro tube is disposed within the well of the holder, the first end of the lifting bar in the extended position being disposed outwardly from the first end of the holder such that the cap of the micro tube is forced into an open position in response to engagement of the lifting bar therewith upon movement of the lifting bar from the retracted position to the extended position.
More particularly, the tubular holder has a substantially cylindrical configuration. The well of the holder has a size and a configuration substantially conforming, respectively, to a size and a configuration of the tube body of the micro tube. The first end of the holder has an annular endwall disposed in a substantially transverse relationship to the sidewall of the holder and surrounding the well at the first end of the holder for receiving thereon in a substantially abutting juxtaposed relationship a flange formed on the tube body of the micro tube adjacent to an end of the tube body of the micro tube where the cap of the micro tube is located.
Further, the lifting bar has an actuation portion at the second end thereof for receiving a thumb of the person for pushing the lifting bar into the extended position from the retracted position and for pulling the lifting bar into the retracted position from the extended position. The actuation portion of the lifting bar has a substantially concave configuration substantially conforming to the shape of the thumb of the person gripping the holder. The actuation portion of the lifting bar can have a substantially textured gripping surface.
The means for slidably mounting the lifting bar is a mounting sleeve having opposite open first and second ends and being attached to the exterior surface of the sidewall of the holder. The lifting bar is slidably mounted to and disposed through the mounting sleeve such that the first and second ends of the lifting bar are disposed exteriorly of the mounting sleeve in each of the retracted and extended positions. The lifting bar has at least one stop element formed thereon which engages the mounting sleeve and frictionally retains the lifting bar in place within the mounting sleeve when the lifting bar is stationary and which deforms upon the lifting bar undergoing sliding movement so as to allow the lifting bar to move between the retracted and extended positions.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4683782 (1987-08-01), Warburg
patent: 4858502 (1989-08-01), Warburg
patent: 5253551 (1993-10-01), DeVaughn
patent: 5348181 (1994-09-01), Smith et al.
patent: 539294
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
Gerrity Stephen F.
Michael Hoffman
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