Apparatus for medical or pharmaceutical purposes - class A61;

Apparatus for industrial purposes or laboratory apparatus whose construction and performance are comparable to that of similar industrial apparatus. See the relevant classes for industrial apparatus, particularly subclasses of classes B01 or C12:

Atomisers - subclass B05B;

Sieves - subclass B07B;

Corks or bungs - subclass B65D;

Handling liquids in general - class B67;

Vacuum pumps - class F04;

Tubes or tube joints - subclass F16L;

Apparatus specially adapted for investigating or analysing materials - class G01, particularly subclass G01N; or

Electrical or optical apparatus - see the relevant classes in sections G or H.

The use of indexing codes in the range B01L 2200/00 - B01L 2400/00 with B01L main trunk groups is mandatory.

Documents classified in a group in B01L are often also classified in another group in B01L or in a group in another subclass. For example, a document that relates to sample containers might also be classified for sample taking in group A61B 10/0045, for sample storage, in group B01L 3/50, and for a specific analysis technique, in subclass G01N.

Chambers, enclosures, rooms and cupboards for laboratory use which have no specific application.

Air-pressure chambers.

Incubator or conditioning cabinet not otherwise provided for. Doors and bayonet designs.

Closed chambers that are without specific application and provide a defined environment such as temperature, pressure, humidity or other gas concentrations, climate chambers.

Enclosures or chambers for storing hazardous materials in the laboratory.

Simple fluid transfer means, such as tubes, valves or fittings.

Various containers, in particular for sample or reagent storage also comprising microfluidic structures.

Droppers comprising various fluid dispensing means such as pipettes, burettes and droplet dispensers.

Spatulas.

Due to the diversity of the subgroups in this group the head group is only rarely used to classify. It is preferred to use all relevant main groups instead.

Burettes, pipettes, pipette tips, droplet counters, droplet dispensers (droppers), and other laboratory devices to withdraw and discharge a liquid.

This class relates to generally to manually operated devices, but is not restricted to hand held devices. Automation of pipetting stations is classified in G01N 35/10.

Burettes, i.e. for withdrawing and redistributing liquids through different conduits.

Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids.

If used to fill standard multiwell plates use B01L 2300/0829.

This group covers accesories for (traditional) glass pipettes, such as safety devices to protect the user from inhaling hazardous fluids or pumps. This group also encompasses gun-type pipettors.

Piston or plunger-type pipettes.

Pipettes where a piston or plunger is moved within a capillary.

Pipettes having a capillary needle but no plunger within the capillary are not classified here, use Indexing Code B01L 2300/0838 in combination with appropriate group in B01L 3/02 instead.

Plunger pipettes with coaxial pistons. This group does NOT cover multiple parallel plungers.

Droplet counters, the constructional details of the dispensing portion of droplet dispensers or how droplets form and fall.

If drop formers or drop counters are used in conjunction with multi-well plates, classification must also be made in group B01L 2300/0829 as additional information.

Droplet dispensers using pins.

Use B01L 2400/02 for details of printing action.

In touch-off dispensers the liquid contacts the target surface while it still hangs at the dispenser thus leading to a bridge between the two bodies. Capillary forces draw the liquid subsequently, at least in part, to the target surface.

Pipette tips, note that the subgroup also covers ejection means for pipette tips.

Pipette tip ejectors.

Note that this is not restricted to the features of the tip itself but can also relate to the ejection mechanism of the pipette.

Apparatus for handling fluids, e.g. gas, beads or pulverised materials.

Liquid handling apparatus not provided for in B01L 3/02.

Often used in combination with classes in B01L 3/50.

If used as a sample container double classify with relevant class in B01L 3/50

Flasks used in the lab and not otherwise provided for. Flasks usually comprise an inlet which is smaller than the main body.

Retorts are simple distillation apparatuses. They often comprise round bases and turned down necks.

Simple containers that only store the sample and also more complex containers with integrated passive or active parts, which inter alia transport samples within them.

Containers for chemical synthesis, even if of small size, are classified in B01J.

Containers specific to a single analytical technique are usually classified in the respective field, e.g. in G01N, C12M. Documents are double classified in both places when, due to their constructional aspects, they are also relevant for other applications.

It is important to note that this group is restricted to sample containers and not to lab containers in general.

Sample container where fluid is transported during use between different parts of the container.

In addition to storage of the sample, these containers usually enable other functions as well, such as sample preparation or analysis. Double classification in subclass G01N is preferred.

Non-tubular centrifugal sample containers are classified in B01L 3/502.

Constructional details or flow shaping in sample containers where liquid is transported through an absorbent, e.g. lateral flow devices.

Analysis techniques, sensor details or chemistry of lateral flow devices are classified in subclass G01N, e.g. group G01N 33/543.

Porous microchannels in a substrate with an absorbent should be double classified in group B01L 3/5023 and group B01L 3/5027.

Sample containers with integrated microfluidic components, which are not restricted to capillary transport but are defined by their small size.

Microfluidic devices can be found in a number of different fields. Group B01L 3/5027 covers only those devices that are used to analyse a sample, while devices used for synthesis are classified in group B01J 19/0093. Lab-on-a-chip is classified in this place, but if the inventive portion is a micromixer, it is classified in group B01F 33/30. The focus of group B01L 3/5027 is on the sample handling per se in such devices, i.e. handling of fluids, beads and single molecules. The specifics of the analysis itself are, for example, classified in subclass G01N or subclass C12Q.

Capillary fluid transport in porous materials such as flow layers of sample containers, e.g. lateral flow devices, is classified in group B01L 3/5023.

Microfluidic devices characterised by the specific integrated thermal control, e.g. for PCR, should be classified in groups B01L 3/5027 and B01L 7/00.

Sample containers with integrated microfluidic components with specific manufacturing details.

Integrated microfluidic interfaces, i.e. the section of the interface which forms part of the container.

Fluidic interfaces comprise inlets and outlets.

Optical interfaces may comprise lenses, prisms, mirrors.

Mechanical interfaces may comprise aligning marks, guides.

Means to remove air or gases from a microfluidic sample container.

Also comprises documents where bubble formation is avoided.

Means or forces to move fluid in microfluidic sample containers, e.g. integrated pumps.

The kind of force or means to move the fluid must be classified in indexing code B01L 2400/04.

The constructional details of valves specific to microfluidic sample containers or valving schemes when they depend on integrated structures, e.g. cascades of capillary valves.

Details of valves must be classified in indexing code B01L 2400/06.

Controlling the flow resistance in a microfluidic sample container with neither valving, which stops the flow, nor pumping, which is the source of the force for the flow.

For example:

Flow control details are classified in indexing code B01L 2400/08.

Sample containers with integrated microfluidic components with bulk separation, such as filtration or centrifugation. In general, the flow direction of the bulk fluid is the same as the component that is separated. In a bulk separation a certain type of particle or fluid is usually separated from another type as a group, based on similarity of their properties. For example, centrifugation leads to classification of particle groups based on density.

A device that has the sole purpose of separation and that is not combined with sample storage, i.e. not integrated, should be classified in subclass B01D.

Group B01L 3/502753 covers bulk separation while group B01L 3/502761 covers separation of individual particles in a microfluidic device.

Handling of suspended solids or molecules independent from the bulk fluid flow. In general, the fluid flow direction of the bulk fluid is different from the flow direction of the component to be separated. Handling may comprise trapping, sorting, stretching or orientating particles or molecules.

Usually, particles or molecules are handled individually and thus can be selectively handled irrespective of whether more particles or molecules of the same type or class exist in the sample. For example, a single DNA molecule may be stretched in a nanochannel, although the sample comprises many more DNA molecules.

If a document teaches handling of particles in a device, it should be classified in subclass B01L. If it teaches the detection aspects of the particles, it should be classified in group G01N 15/00. If it teaches both, it should be classified in both areas.

Particles or molecules that are separated as part of a whole class (as bulk) are classified in group B01L 3/502753.

Additional details of handling of particles or molecules must be classified in indexing code B01L 2200/0647.

Sample containers with integrated microfluidic components having multiphase flow arrangements. Multiphase flow is meant to encompass flows where gas/liquid or liquid/liquid interfaces exist and kept during flow of the fluids. The fluids may be immiscible but under certain conditions this may not be necessary.

This group is only used in the rare event that none of the groups below are suitable.

Sample containers with integrated microfluidic components having laminated flow arrangements, e.g. sheath flow.

Droplets or plug flow in sample containers with integrated microfluidic components, e.g. digital microfluidics.

Moving droplets individually on a plate, for example by electrowetting.

The droplet may also be bordered by a cover plate in addition to a bottom plate. No side walls are present to guide the droplet.

If present, use Indexing Code for virtual walls B01L 2300/089

Sample containers comprising both fluid transport and swabs. The invention is usually directed to the handling of the swab within the container and not the swab itself.

Swabs as sample taking devices are found in G01N 1/02 and A61B 10/0045.

Flexible sample containers such as bags or foldable sample cards.

Folded sample cards.

Sample containers that have rigid walls and do not comprise any internal sample transport.

Sample containers having the form of tubes.

Test tube caps having additional chambers, e.g. for reagents, are also classified in B01L 3/502.

For details use B01L 2300/04.

Microarray sensors such as DNA-chips without any sample storage are classified elsewhere, e.g. in B01J 19/0046 or G01N 33/50.

Use B01L 2300/0829 for standard microtiter plate format.

Sample containers for thermal treatment of samples, e.g. PCR containers.

Constructional details of closures for multisample containers.

Details are classified in indexing code B01L 2300/04.

Multisample containers which can be assembled and/or disassembled during use but which form a single unit when they are assembled. These are typically assembled into a standard format using a frame.

Multiple parallel capillaries which hold a sample by surface tension at a specific location. The sample is not transported within the device except for filling or draining.

For multiple samples double classify with B01L 3/5085.

Reagent containers that are modular units that can be inserted into a sample container and are thus not an integral part of the sample container.

Sample containers with integrated reagent containers are classified in group B01L 3/50.

Sample containers having additional integrated compartments for reagents are not classfied in this group but in B01L 3/50 use mirror Indexing Codes B01L 3/52 instead or B01L 2200/16.

Labels, barcodes, RFIDs or other identification means used for labware.

Simple labware to transfer fluids, in particular traditional glassware and its accessories, such as connectors, valves, tubes, funnels.

Direct connection between only two containers.

Valves specifically used in connection with laboratory equipment.

Residual group for glassware not falling in any of the above groups, i.e. must by made of glass.

Thermostats for heating or cooling or heat insulation devices.

To specify the thermostating means, indexing code B01L 2300/18 is used.

Stand alone heat insulation device.

Thermocyclers or other thermostats where a sample is exposed to a defined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. the sequences used for polymerase chain reactions [PCR].

The specific analysis methods of PCRs are classified in group C12Q 1/68.

Other integrated means such as specific detectors, or means for automation are classified in subclass G01N.

Use double classification with microfluidic sample containers of group B01L 3/5027.

Thermostats creating a defined temperature gradient in space.

Holding frame constructions, trays for drying labware or holders for labware not provided for in a subgroup.

Indicating positions of wells or other receptacles by numbers, characters, grooves or other means.

Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers.