DEVICE FOR DETECTING LEADING END OF PIPETTE TIP, AND PROGRAM FOR DETECTING LEADING END OF PIPETTE TIP

摘要

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a device for detecting the leading end of a pipette tip which is capable of detecting, with excellent accuracy, a state in which the leading end of the pipette tip is in a position close to but not in contact with a reference surface. An AD conversion value of the pressure between a pipette tip 31 and a pump 33 detected by a pressure sensor 36, while a pipette nozzle 32 is being lowered towards a bottom surface 22 of an accommodation part 21 and air is being discharged from the leading end 311 of the pipette tip by the pump, is used to obtain a determination value. If the determination value is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value, it is detected that the leading end 311 of the pipette tip 31 is close to but not in contact with the bottom surface 22 of the accommodation part 21, i.e. a reference surface. The threshold value is set to a value greater than the maximum value of noise included in the determination value which occurs in the course of moving the leading end 311 of the pipette tip 31 towards the bottom surface 22 of the accommodation part 21.