Apparatus And Method For Storing And Dispensing Material, Especially In Micro Quantities And In Combination With Limited Starting Amounts

Abstract

The invention is directed to a dispensing unit suitable to precise! dispense material in powder and/or granular form. The dispensing device comprises a gate valve opening sealingly closed by a blend. A control unit, which is interconnected to a scaling device, controls the opening of the gate valve opening by the position of the blend. The precise amount of the material is adjusted in relation to the signal of the scaling device.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A pipette for dispensing a solid material, comprising:
 a dispensing device comprising a housing having a compartment for storing a solid material, the compartment having an opening for dispensing the solid material; and   a cartridge holding device configured to be exchangeably connected to the dispensing device, the cartridge holding device having at least one interface for controlling a dispensing operation through a corresponding interface of the dispensing device.   
     
     
         24 . The pipette of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the cartridge holding device is operable to control the dispensing operation in accordance with a signal of a scaling device to control the amount of material dispensed.   
     
     
         25 . The pipette of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the dispensing device comprises a gate valve having a variable gate valve opening for dispensing the solid material.   
     
     
         26 . The pipette of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the compartment has a tapered lower section and the gate valve opening is arranged at an apex of the tapered lower section.   
     
     
         27 . The pipette of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the gate valve opening is closed by a shutter supported by a rim of the gate valve opening.   
     
     
         28 . The pipette of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the shutter is guided in a notch extending radially with respect to the gate valve opening.   
     
     
         29 . The pipette of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the scaling device is integrated in the pipette.   
     
     
         30 . The pipette of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 an agitator to agitate the material stored in the compartment and/or a conveyor to convey the material from the compartment.   
     
     
         31 . The pipette of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a sensor for retrieving information about a condition of the material stored in the compartment.   
     
     
         32 . The pipette of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a control unit for controlling the dispensing operation in response to the signal of the scaling device.   
     
     
         33 . The pipette of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the control unit is operable to receive and process a set of instructions to automatically prepare predetermined amounts of materials or mixtures of materials.   
     
     
         34 . The pipette of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 a storage device for storing information about the material stored in the compartment.   
     
     
         35 . A system for dispensing a material, comprising:
 a scaling device configured to hold a receiving flask for receiving a material, the scaling device including a communications interface for transmitting a signal representing an amount of the material received in the receiving flask; and   a hand-held dispensing pipette, the pipette including a housing defining a compartment for storing a material and an opening for dispensing the material into a receiving flask positioned on the scaling device, the pipette also including a communications interface for receiving the signal transmitted by the scaling device, and a control unit for controlling the dispensing of the material through the opening in response to receipt of the signal.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the hand-held dispensing pipette comprises:
 a dispensing device comprising the housing and opening; and   a cartridge holding device configured to be exchangeably connected to the dispensing device, the cartridge holding device having at least one interface for controlling the dispensing through a corresponding interface of the dispensing device.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a sensor for retrieving information about a condition of the material stored in the compartment.   
     
     
         38 . The pipette of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the dispensing device comprises a gate valve for dispensing the material from the compartment through the opening.   
     
     
         39 . The pipette of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the control unit is operable to receive and process a set of instructions to automatically prepare predetermined amounts of materials or mixtures of materials.   
     
     
         40 . The pipette of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 a storage device for storing information about the material stored in the compartment.   
     
     
         41 . A method for dispensing a material, comprising:
 providing a hand-held dispensing pipette, the pipette including a housing defining a compartment storing a material and an opening for dispensing the material;   manually positioning the pipette opening proximate to a receiving vessel situated on a scaling device;   activating a dispense function of the dispensing pipette to begin dispensing of the material into the receiving vessel;   receiving in the pipette a signal representing an amount of the material dispensed or remaining to be dispensed into the receiving vessel; and   automatically adjusting the dispensing of the material from the pipette into the receiving vessel in response to the signal.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein:
 providing the hand-held dispensing pipette comprises interconnecting a dispensing device comprising the housing defining the compartment storing the material with a hand-held cartridge holding device comprising a control unit for controlling operation of a valve defining the opening.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein:
 automatically adjusting the dispensing of the material comprises automatically adjusting the valve opening as a function of a signal of the scaling device representing an amount of the material that has been dispensed.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein:
 automatically adjusting the dispensing of the material comprises automatically adjusting the valve opening to a fully closed position when a predetermined amount of the material has been dispensed.