ES2274349T3 - PIPETED DEVICE INSURANCE AGAINST DRIPPING AND PROCEDURE FOR PIPETED INSURANCE AGAINST DRIPPING. - Google Patents

Abstract

Liquid dosing device comprises a control unit (30) for controlling a gas pressure changing device (14) during a control time section between a liquid feed and a liquid removal depending on acquired condition parameters so that the actual gas pressure in the gas pressure changing device during the control time section at a predetermined theoretical gas pressure. An independent claim is also included for a method for avoiding drop losses in a liquid dosing device.

Description

Pipetting device safe against dripping and Drip safe pipetting procedure.

The present invention concerns a device of liquid dosing, especially a device pipetting to aspirate and dispense liquids, where the device understands:

- a container filled at least partially with a gas, which has an opening through which it is collected liquid in the container or delivered from it, being enclosed the amount of gas, with the liquid collected, by means of container walls and by the liquid itself,

- a pressure variation device of the gas to vary the pressure of the gas in the container,

- a device for capturing quantities of state to capture at least one magnitude of state of the gas in the container and

- a control device that activates the gas pressure variation device depending on the magnitude of state captured by the capture device of status quantities.

Also, the present invention concerns a procedure to avoid loss of drops in devices liquid dosage.

A device of the class cited at the beginning It is known from DE 44 21 303 A1. It reveals there a pipetting device that aspirates a quantity of liquid into inside a segment of a pipetting tip or that makes it Get out of this one. This is done by varying the pressure of a gas enclosed between a piston, cylinder walls and the liquid.

In order to collect the amount of liquid with the As accurately as possible, the enclosed gas pressure and the prevailing ambient pressure. From the measured values, calculates a correction value taking into account the configuration Geometric cylinder and pipetting tip to obtain from as precisely as possible the path to be traveled by the piston as nominal value for the control of the movement of the piston. The system of control then induces a movement of the piston on the basis of the corrected nominal value.

Also, in accordance with the description of the Document DE 44 21 303 1, you can also consider monitoring the gas pressure between the piston and the amount of liquid during period of time between termination of collection of the liquid and the beginning of the delivery of the liquid to detect faults in the pipette or similar.

In addition, they are known from WO 97/02893 A1 a procedure and a device to correct an error Temperature dependent on the dosage of a liquid delivered by a pipette. The device comprises two cameras connected in series with each other by means of a gas passage, specifically a first chamber in the pipetting tip and a second chamber in the piston-cylinder system with the one that is connected to the pipetting tip. Pipetting tip provided with an opening it is immersed in the liquid to collect it. A wall of the container of the second chamber is formed by a mobile piston The second chamber is completely full of gas and The first chamber is at least partly filled with gas. The amount of gas is enclosed in the two chambers between the piston and the liquid.

To correct a conditioning error by the temperature in the volume of the aspirated liquid, WO 97/02893 A1 proposes to measure the temperature variation of the gas that circulates from the first to the second chamber when collecting the liquid to consequence of the movement of the piston and correct the variation of the volume caused by the movement of the piston in the second chamber based on the temperature variation measured during the liquid collection process. To this end, it is planned at least a temperature sensor The procedure known by the WO 97/02893 A1 serves only to correct the piston movement during liquid collection.

As an additional state of the art it is possible refer to document EP 0 747 689 B1. This shows a device and a procedure to extract a liquid from a container tightly closed. In addition to the liquid, the container Hermetically sealed contains a quantity of gas. While I know withdraw the liquid from the container the gas pressure in the inside the container by means of a pressure sensor. Previously, the gas pressure is carried inside the sealed vessel up to ambient pressure by drilling the gasket sealed by a hollow needle.

The present request is based on the problem next:

In containers in which it is delivered or collected an amount of liquid by varying the pressure of a gas enclosed by the walls of the container and by the liquid, it keeps the liquid partly for a considerable time in the container between a liquid collection process and a process of liquid delivery, for example to overcome paths of transport. During this time, the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure of the amount of gas enclosed as well as the friction and adhesion forces acting between the liquid and the moistened wall keep the liquid in the container. The pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure of the gas inside the container here represents the maximum proportion in the force that holds the liquid in the container.

While keeping the liquid in the vessel, the pressure of the gas enclosed in the can be varied container due to evaporation or due to processes of temperature compensation

If it evaporates, for example, collected liquid, then the gas pressure in the container increases. The pressure of the gas then generally increases to a greater extent than that in which decreases the strength of the liquid weight not yet evaporated.

If a hot liquid is collected in the container, it is cooled by giving heat to the gas enclosed in the container. This heating in turn leads to an increase in gas pressure locked.

The processes described can lead to a part of the amount of liquid collected is expelled in a manner not desired from the vessel due to the increased gas pressure In unwanted measure. The ejected liquid then leaves the container in the form of drops. As a consequence, despite quantities of liquid initially collected correctly, it they can deliver undesirably wrong amounts of liquid.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a technical teaching with which a liquid loaded in a container can be kept in the container for a long time without loss of drops. In this way, for example, ample transport paths can be traveled or the liquid dosing device can be kept standing without loss of dosed liquid after the collection of the liquid for important interventions necessary in the short term.
term.

This problem is resolved according to a first criterion by means of a liquid dosing device of the exposed gender in which the control device is a device of regulation that is designed to activate the device variation of gas pressure depending on the magnitude of state captured, at least during a regulation time segment between the collection of liquid and the delivery of liquid, in such a way that the actual gas pressure in the container is substantially maintained at a predetermined nominal gas pressure during the interval of regulation time

With "substantially" should remain insignificant deviations covered by this application, for example deviations conditioned by tolerances or Deviations attributable to the respective regulation procedure employee (for example, two-point regulation).

It is sufficient to regulate the gas pressure in the vessel at a predetermined nominal gas pressure only over a period of time and not for the entire time between the liquid collection and liquid delivery, since the processes of evaporation or temperature compensation proceed slowly. In addition, in both processes a status of equilibrium, so that the unregulated pressure variation of the gas by evaporation or temperature variation over time it is not done with constant speed, but with speed decreasing.

Preferably, the gas pressure is maintained. during a regulation time segment in a gas pressure predetermined nominal, whose regulation time interval it comprises a time interval in the first half, preferably in the first quarter, of the space of time located between the final moment of the liquid collection process and the Initial moment of the liquid delivery process. The processes of evaporation and temperature compensation are developed here with maximum speed and cause faster pressure variation of gas, compared to a later time segment between the Liquid collection and liquid delivery. Therefore for safely prevent a drip, it is also advantageous that the regulation time segment comprise the first quarter or in advantageously the first half of the time space located between the final moment of the liquid collection process and the initial moment of the liquid delivery process.

In the case of especially sensitive liquids maximum security can be achieved during the phase of retention between the liquid collection process and the process of liquid delivery when the regulation time segment understand all the time between the final moment of the liquid collection process and the final delivery time of liquid

Since it must be assumed that the correct amount of liquid, can be avoided easily a loss of liquid drops during the retention phase between the liquid collection process and the delivery process of liquid when the predetermined nominal gas pressure is lower or same as a gas pressure prevailing in the container at or near of the final moment of the liquid collection process.

However, it may be advantageous to let it first attenuate the dynamic effects on gas conditioned by the movement of the liquid and use as nominal gas pressure a subsequent gas pressure captured after the final instant of liquid collection process. The degree of temporal proximity between the gas pressure prevailing in the container, used as nominal gas pressure, at the final moment of the collection process  of liquid depends on the parameters present in the respective dosing process, for example a degree of saturation of the gas or a temperature difference between the gas and the liquid. However, one can start from the consideration that in the Most dosing processes can serve as pressure of nominal gas any gas pressure that occurs in the ten first seconds from the final moment of the process of collection of liquid in the container.

In principle, you can think of capturing any magnitude of state of the gas, for example temperature, volume of gas or gas pressure. By corresponding equations, such as the ideal gas equation or corresponding equations to describe variations of adiabatic or polytropic status and similar, the status quantities captured can be set to relationship with the pressure of gas prevailing in the container. Given the, as mentioned above, the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and gas pressure enclosed in the vessel contributes the main portion to the permanence of the liquid in the container, it is especially advantageous to capture the gas pressure in the container by means of a pressure sensing arrangement. This provides maximum regulation accuracy. Per sensor unit of pressure is understood within the meaning of the present application a equipment to measure the pressure or at least one pressure sensor.

The container may comprise an arrangement piston-cylinder and a pipetting tip arranged therein, the sensor arrangement being then provided pressure in the piston-cylinder arrangement by cost reasons. Otherwise, each pipetting tip would have to be provided with a pressure sensing arrangement and the respective pressure sensor arrangement would have to be coupled with the regulation equipment after receiving the pipetting tip. This represents a considerable cost.

You can theoretically think about predicting how gas pressure variation device a turbine that blow gas into the container or discharge it from it. However, in In most cases, the pressure variation device of gas is a mechanical device with a drive and a component powered by it that forms a part of the wall of the container, so that a movement of the component leads to a increase or decrease in the volume of gas in the container and, by therefore, it is linked to a fall or an increase in gas pressure in the recipient. In this case, a direction of variation of the gas pressure, that is, increasing or decreasing, carries associated a direction of movement of the component. Frequently,  a slack of movement must be overcome when the direction is reversed of component movement.

The aforementioned movement clearance can be a It also causes inaccuracies in the amount of liquid collected or delivered, for example when the amount of liquid delivered or collection is calculated using the drive movement or other magnitudes captured related to the drive. In effect, due to the movement slack are present drive activities that don't really cause any variation of the gas pressure or, therefore, no variation of the amount of liquid in the container.

The inaccuracy that arises thus possibly in the amount of liquid collected in the container or delivered since it can be reduced or even eliminated in a way advantageous by building the regulating device to obtain the movement slack in such a way that this, after a first drive direction, drive the drive in a second opposite drive direction until the device capture of state quantities captures a variation of the minus a magnitude of state.

To allow gas pressure to be obtained as accurately as possible, the regulation device can be Built to activate the drive step by step during Obtaining movement slack. It is possible to let it attenuate dynamic effects before a pressure capture of the gas inside the container.

The advantage of a dosing device liquid constructed in this way also resides in that each liquid dosing device can get individually its slack movement immanent to the system. Preferably, the Dosing device comprises a memory device, of so that the individually obtained movement clearance can be filed in it and recovered if necessary. When The liquid dosing device is designed for use in varying ambient conditions, can be obtained movement gaps along with other magnitudes, which in the memory device movement gaps are stored obtained according to other magnitudes. So, the slack of movement can be archived based on different ambient temperatures or / and ambient pressures or / and durations of operation or / and component positions, etc. It is also advantageous first obtain the respective movement clearance before of a creative use of value with the help of a dosage of test liquids, such as water or the like, so that the movement clearance is then known during the actual dosing operation. This prevents a loss of possibly valuable liquids for slack determination of movement.

The aforementioned component, which It can be moved by the drive, it can be a mobile piston that forms a segment of the vessel wall. However, it can be also a wall of a bellows attached to the container.

According to another criterion, the problem mentioned above is also resolves through a procedure to avoid losses of drops in liquid dosing device, especially pipetting devices, which presents the following steps, the which are executed at least in a time segment of the space of time between the liquid collection process and the process Liquid delivery:

- capture of at least one magnitude of state of a gas that is substantially enclosed in a container of collection of liquid from the liquid dosing device between the walls of said container and the liquid, and

- gas pressure regulation according to the magnitude of state captured in such a way that the actual pressure of the gas substantially matches a nominal gas pressure default

Since the procedure is in close relationship with the device described above, it is done reference to the previous description of the device liquid dosage according to the invention to obtain a complementary explanation of the procedure and the advantages that They can be achieved with this one.

It is true that the regulation step to regulate the gas pressure bringing it to a known nominal gas pressure You can start beforehand before the end of the process liquid collection However, to avoid loss of drops between the collection of liquid and the delivery of liquid is important that the acquisition step and the regulation step are developed between the final moment of the liquid collection process and the Initial moment of the liquid delivery process. For the reasons above, the gas pressure can be regulated advantageously in a time segment comprising an interval of time in the first half, preferably in the first quarter of the space of time between the final moment of the process of liquid collection and the initial moment of the delivery process of liquid You get the maximum security possible when the step uptake and regulation step are executed throughout the space of time located between the mentioned moments.

When the liquid dosing device it is of the construction class described above, in which a component that forms a segment of the vessel wall can be set in motion by a drive and a movement of the component causes a variation of the gas pressure, the passage of regulation advantageously comprises in a specific execution a activation of the drive depending on the magnitude of state captured.

With the aid of the method according to the invention a movement slack can be determined previously described doing so that, after a first address of drive, the drive is activated in a second opposite drive direction until the device capture of state quantities captures a variation of the less a variation of state. To avoid dynamic effects possibly disturbing during the capture of the at least one magnitude of state, activation of the drive in the second drive direction can be performed step by step, being associated with each activation step a capture of the at least one magnitude of state, preferably the uptake of the at least one magnitude of state after activation of the drive.

The highest accuracy can be achieved possible during the determination of the movement clearance capturing other quantities during the determination of the clearance of movement, such as the position of the component with relation to the container or / and a temperature, especially the ambient temperature, or / and ambient pressure.

Advantageously, the at least one is archived movement clearance obtained, eventually together with the others previously mentioned magnitudes associated with the respective clearance of movement to be filed. If necessary, you can recover from memory after the movement slack, possibly depending on operating parameters currently present, and such slack can be taken into account to drive activation.

For the reasons mentioned above, for a Gas pressure regulation is of particular advantage the direct capture of it without detours through others status quantities.

In addition, it should not be excluded that, for a redundant collection of gas pressure, others are captured status quantities, such as temperature or volume of gas, and that the liquid dosing device is provided with corresponding sensors. This allows a check reciprocal of the functional aptitude of the sensors used, especially of the pressure sensing arrangement.

In the following, this is explained invention in more detail with reference to the drawings attached. They represent:

Figure 1, a schematic representation of a liquid dosing device according to the invention,

Figures 2a and b, a schematic development of a regulation of the prevailing gas pressure in the container according to the present invention and

Figures 3a and b, graphs showing the relative pressure of a gas enclosed in a container depending on the position of a mobile component that influences the pressure of the gas, during the determination of a movement slack.

In Figure 1 it has been designated in general with 10 a liquid dosing device according to the invention. He liquid dosing device 10 comprises a system 12 of piston-cylinder with a piston 14 that is guided by movable shape in a cylinder 16 in the direction of the double arrow K.

A tip of replaceable pipetting 18 in which a liquid 20 is present. pipetting tip 18 forms together with cylinder 16 and piston 14 a liquid collection container 20.

At the longitudinal end 18a away from the cylinder pipetting tip 18 has an opening 22 through from which the liquid 20 has been collected in the pipetting tip 18 and can be delivered again from it.

The piston 14 is applied substantially gas-tight to the inner wall 16a of the cylinder 16. The surface 14a of the piston facing the pipetting tip 18 It forms a wall limiting the container.

Between the surface 20 of the liquid, the surface 14a of the piston, the inner wall 16a of the cylinder and the inner wall 18b of the pipetting tip is enclosed a gas 24, for example air. Instead of air, you can also use another any gas, for example nitrogen or a noble gas, in case of that, under any circumstances, reactions with the liquid 20 to be collected.

The liquid 20 has been sucked in a manner in itself. known to pipetting tip 18 through opening 22 by immersing said opening 22 in a liquid reservoir and movement of the piston 14 while the opening is submerged, of such that the volume of the gas enclosed is enlarged 24. The tip pipetting 18 of Figure 1, as well as Figures 2a and b, The liquid collection has been completed and is not already submerged in the liquid reserve.

With the interior space of the container is attached a pressure sensor 26 to capture the gas pressure locked up 24. It is true that in principle one can think of foreseeing a pressure sensor on the pipetting tip, but, for reasons of cost, it is more advantageous to provide the pressure sensor 26 in the 16-cylinder not changeable in contrast to the pipetting tip 18- and make said sensor work permanently.

Pressure sensor 26 captures gas pressure 24 and supplies on line 28 a signal representative of the gas pressure to a regulating device 30 that is designed to make a drive 32 work to move the piston 14 in the direction of the double arrow K as a function of a signal supplied by the pressure sensor 26.

Pressure sensor 26 can supply then to the regulating equipment 30 an absolute value of the pressure of the gas 24 or it can supply a relative value, for example referred to the ambient pressure. The pressure value captured by the pressure sensor 26 and supplied by regulator 30 is hinted by a needle 34.

Figure 2a suggests the way in which evaporate liquid particles V from surface 20a towards the space occupied by gas 24. In addition, liquid 20 gives heat W to gas 24. Thus increases the pressure of the gas 24 in the formed container by cylinder 16, piston 14 and pipetting tip 18. This pressure increase is captured by pressure sensor 26, such as it is suggested by the position of the needle 34 modified in comparison with figure 1. Without any regulatory intervention, this increase in pressure would lead to an expulsion of liquid 24 out of the opening 22.

The regulating equipment 30 moves the piston in the direction of arrow 36 in figure 2b as a function of the value of pressure supplied to said equipment by the pressure sensor a through line 28 and enlarge the volume of gas 24 in the container formed by elements 14, 16, 18 until it is reached a predetermined nominal gas pressure explained below. This increases the pressure increase due to evaporation and heat transmission The gas pressure 24 reaches again the value that, immediately after the collection of liquid 20 in pipetting tip 18 has reigned inside the container constituted by the piston 14, the cylinder 16 and the tip of pipetted 18. The original site where the wall was 14a of the piston before correction has been indicated with 14a '.

The nominal gas pressure is ideally used the pressure that reigns in the vessel at the moment of the end of liquid collection process. Since the pressure increase by evaporation or / and heat transmission does not commonly occur from sudden form, can be used in general as gas pressure nominal a gas pressure that reigns in a period of 10 seconds after the end of the liquid collection process in the container.

Experts will understand that, contrary to The above example, the piston can also move towards the opening 22 to increase the pressure of the gas 24, for example after of collecting especially cold liquids that subtract heat to the enclosed gas 24 and thus reduce the pressure thereof.

In figures 3a and 3b they have been represented Signal evolutions such as those provided by the sensor pressure 26 to the regulating equipment 30 through the data line 28 for the determination of a mechanical clearance of the drive 32 and piston 14. In this case, the pressure has been recorded relative of the gas 24 depending on the relative position of the drive 32 during movement of piston 14 in the direction  of the double arrow K. You can easily see that, instead of relative values, the absolute pressure can also be recorded of the gas 24 as a function of an absolute position of the drive 32. The relative pressure may refer, for example, to the pressure environment, which is captured with another sensor. Relative position may be referred to any position of the piston, by example a top or bottom dead center position.

The origin of coordinates of each representation of figures 3a and 3b marks the point of an inversion of the direction of movement of the piston. In figure 3a the piston is moves along the path U in the direction of the opening 22 of the tip 18 of the pipette until in the relative position U 0 it can capture an increase in the relative pressure of the gas 24 of the vessel submerged in a liquid or otherwise closed. This means that a movement of the drive 32 produces a movement of the piston 14 and, therefore, an increase in the pressure of the gas 24 from the moment in which the drive once performed the piston suction movement, has exceeded the U path when moving in the eject direction.

Figure 3b depicts obtaining the slack during an aspiration movement, that is, during a lifting the piston 14 away from the opening 22 of the tip of pipetted 18. In this case, drive 32, after push the piston 14 out of the opening 22, you have to first overcome the clearance path H until at one point H_ {0} the drive movement really also leads to piston movement, so that, after exceeding the slack path H, an additional actuation of the drive leads to a decrease in the pressure of the gas 24 in the container submerged or otherwise closed.

The clearance paths U and H that can be thus obtain individually for each dosing device 10 can be stored in the memory 34 of the regulation device 30. Drive control accuracy can be increased even obtaining movement gaps depending on other magnitudes and archiving them in memory 34 so that they can be recovered. For example, movement slacks may be deposited in memory 34 depending on the address or / and in function of the piston position or / and depending on the temperature or / and depending on the pressure, etc.

Claims (18)

1. Liquid dosing device, in particular pipetting device for aspirating and dispensing liquids (20), the device comprising: - a container (14, 16, 18) filled at least in part of a gas (24) and having an opening (22) through which liquid (20) is collected in the container (14, 16, 18) or delivery from it, the quantity (24) of the gas being enclosed by the walls (14a, 16a, 18b) of the container and by the liquid itself (20) when this liquid (20) has been collected, - a device (14, 32) for variation of the gas pressure to vary the gas pressure in the container (14, 16, 18), - a magnitude capture device (26) status to capture at least one magnitude of gas condition (24) in the container (14, 16, 18), and - a control device (30) that activates the device (14, 32) for varying the gas pressure as a function of the magnitude of state captured by the device (26) of state magnitude acquisition, characterized in that the control device (30) is a regulating device (30) that is designed to activate the gas pressure variation device (14, 32) as a function of the magnitude of state captured, at least during a segment of regulation time between the collection of liquid and the delivery of liquid, such that the actual pressure of the gas in the container (14, 16, 18) during the regulation time segment is substantially maintained at a nominal gas pressure pre-determined 2. Liquid dosing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulation time segment comprises a time interval in the first half, preferably in the first quarter, of the time space located between the final instant of the collection process of liquid and the initial moment of the liquid delivery process. 3. Liquid dosing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the regulation time segment comprises the first quarter, preferably the first half, of the time space between the final instant of the liquid collection process and the instant initial of the liquid delivery process, and especially preferably all the time between these instants. 4. Liquid dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predetermined nominal gas pressure is smaller than or equal to a gas pressure prevailing in the container at the final moment of the liquid collection process (14, 16 , 18) or temporarily near it. 5. Liquid dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (26) for collecting state quantities is a pressure sensing arrangement (26). 6. Liquid dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas pressure variation device (14, 32) is a mechanical device with a drive (32) and a component (14) actuated by it, which forms a part (14a) of the wall (14a, 16a, 18b) of the container, such that a variation of the gas pressure by movement of the component (14) is achieved, a direction of movement of the component being associated (14) to a direction of variation of the gas pressure and having to overcome a movement clearance when an inversion of the direction of movement of the component (14) occurs, characterized in that the regulating device (30) is designed to obtain the movement clearance such that it, after a first drive direction, drives the drive (32) in a second opposite drive direction until the pickup device (26) of m state agnitudes capture a variation of the at least one state magnitude. 7. Liquid dosing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the regulating device (30) is designed to activate the drive (32) step by step to obtain the movement clearance. 8. Liquid dosing device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises a memory device (34) that is designed to store the movement clearance obtained, especially together with other magnitudes associated with the respective movement clearance obtained. 9. Liquid dosing device according to claim 8, characterized in that it is designed to capture the position of the component (14), the memory device (34) being designed to store amounts of values of the movement clearance obtained and of a respective position of the component associated with it. 10. Liquid dosing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component (14) comprises a mobile piston (14) that forms a segment (14a) of the wall of the container or / and because the container (14, 16 , 18) comprises a pipetting tip (18), preferably changeable. 11. Procedure to avoid loss of drops in liquid dosing devices (10), especially pipetting devices (10), comprising the following steps, that run at least in a segment of time between the process Liquid collection and liquid delivery process: - capture of at least one magnitude of state of a gas (24) that is substantially enclosed in a container (14, 16, 18) -which collects a liquid (20) - from the device liquid dosage (14, 16, 18) between walls (14a, 16a, 18b) of the container and the liquid (20), - gas pressure regulation (24) in function of the magnitude of state captured in such a way that the actual gas pressure substantially coincides with a gas pressure nominal default. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the collection step and the regulation step are carried out during a regulation time segment comprising a time interval in the first half, preferably in the first quarter, of the time slot located between the final moment of the liquid collection process and the initial moment of the liquid delivery process, said time segment comprising in a particularly preferred manner all the time space located between these instants. 13. A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the liquid dosing device comprises a mechanical device with a drive and a component (14) actuated by it, which forms a segment (14a) of the vessel wall and which acts as a means (14, 30, 32) to vary the gas pressure, so that a variation of the gas pressure is achieved by movement of the component (14), characterized in that the regulation step comprises an activation of the drive (32) depending on the magnitude of the state captured. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a direction of movement of the component (14) is associated with a direction of variation of the gas pressure and in which a movement clearance must be overcome upon reversal of the direction of movement of the component (14), characterized in that, in order to determine the movement clearance, the drive (32) is activated after a first drive direction in a second opposite drive direction until the device (26) of capturing state quantities captures a variation of the at least one state quantity. 15. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the activation of the drive (32) in the second drive direction is carried out step by step, with a capture of the at least one magnitude of state being associated with each activation step. 16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that other quantities are captured during the movement clearance, such as the position of the component (14) in relation to the container (14, 16, 18) or / and a temperature, especially room temperature. 17. Method according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that it comprises an archiving step of the movement clearance obtained, possibly together with other magnitudes associated with the movement clearance. 18. Method according to one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that the magnitude of the state captured is the pressure of the enclosed gas (24).