Measuring and testing – Sampler – sample handling – etc. – Capture device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-06-05
Noland, Thomas P. (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Sampler, sample handling, etc.
Capture device
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240791
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a user-replaceable grip for a pipette gun. More particularly, the invention relates to replaceable grips having identifying indicia on the outer gripping surface for identifying the pipette gun according to ownership, function, status, or the like. The invention also relates to replaceable grips having different sizes and contours for customizing the pipette gun handle to the hand size of a particular user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pipette guns, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,090,255, 4,624,147, 3,963,061, 3,834,240, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, are well known in the prior art. Prior art pipette guns comprise an elongate handle having a generally-rectangular cross section and a pair of pipetting triggers on one surface. A technician supports the pipette gun by grasping the handle proximate the pipetting triggers.
The dimensions of the handle of prior art pipette guns are selected based on the average hand size of a technician using the pipette gun. The handle size of prior art pipette guns is often designed based on the observation that a majority of technicians are women having small hands. As a result, repetitive use of the pipette gun by a technician with large hands can cause discomfort. Conversely, if the pipette gun handle is made larger, repetitive use by a technician with small hands can cause discomfort. Since a single pipette gun is used by many technicians, any fixed handle size is likely to cause discomfort to some group of technicians. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a pipette gun having means for adjusting the handle size to maximize comfort for any technician using the pipette gun.
A single pipette gun may be used to handle a wide variety of fluids including radioactive fluids, infectious fluids, and pure fluids. Therefore, it is important to clearly designate the pipette gun according to its current use so that contamination does not occur. In the prior art, technicians sometimes write on the pipette gun handle or apply an adhesive label to the pipette gun handle to designate its ownership, function, status, or the like. This method of identifying the pipette gun is inefficient and sloppy. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of identifying a pipette gun according to ownership, function, status, or the like using a neat and replaceable indicator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a user-replaceable grip for use on the handle of a pipette gun. The user-replaceable grip is easily and quickly applied to the pipette gun handle to selectively enlarge the outer gripping surface of the pipette gun handle so that a technician having a larger than average hand size can comfortably grasp the pipette gun for a long period of time. The grip is provided in various sizes so that the size of the handle may be enlarged to a size which comfortably fits any technician. If the technician using the pipette gun changes, the grip can be easily replaced with a substitute grip having a size which comfortably fits the new technician.
The replaceable grip is provided with identifying indicia on the outer surface so that the pipette gun can be identified according to ownership, function, status, or the like. If the identity, status, ownership, etc., of the grip changes, the grip can easily be replaced with a substitute grip which indicates the new identity of the pipette gun.
The user-replaceable grip comprises a thin, pliable handle wrap. The wrap is preferably a thin sheet of flexible material having a length, width, thickness, attachment surface, and gripping surface. The attachment surface of the wrap is planar so that it lies flatly in a recessed seat in the outer surface of the handle. The gripping surface of the wrap is preferably contoured for added user comfort.
The wrap has releasable fasteners fixed to and extending from its attachment surface for releasably fastening the wrap to the handle of the pipette gun without interfering with the pipette triggers. In a preferred embodiment, the releasable fasteners comprise a plurality of pliable buttons constructed and arranged to be inserted into a series of apertures in the handle of the pipette gun. The releasable fasteners are designed for releasably attaching the wrap to each outer surface of the handle except the trigger surface.
The wrap has means for folding the wrap around the intersections of adjacent outer surfaces of the handle, i.e., the corners of the handle. In a preferred embodiment, the folding means comprises lengthwise-extending, reduced-thickness portions of the wrap.
The wrap has identifying indicia on its outer gripping surface. The identifying indicia may comprise numbers, letters, specialized characters, or color. A technician is provided with a plurality of replaceable grips having a wide variety of identifying indicia contained thereon. Preferably, the identifying indicia are uniformly understood throughout the laboratory.
The present invention also provides a method of customizing the shape and size of a pipette gun handle to the hand size of different technicians. In the method in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the technician selects one of the above-described grips which most closely corresponds to the hand size of the technician. The technician then releasably fastens the grip to the handle of the pipette gun. Each different technician thereafter may remove the grip and substitute a new grip which comfortably fits the new technician.
The present invention also provides a method of identifying a pipette gun according to ownership, function, status, or the like. In the method according to this embodiment of the invention, a technician initially identifies the pipette gun according to ownership, function, status, or the like. The technician then selects one of the above-described grips with an identifying indicia which corresponds to the identity of the pipette gun. The technician then fastens the selected grip to the pipette gun. The grip is changed each time the identity of the pipette gun changes. Preferably, the identifying indicia are established on a reference key and conform to generally accepted scientific symbols.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5563356 (1996-10-01), Mussi et al.
patent: 5616871 (1997-04-01), Kenney
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