Funai Electric Company Ltd.

Lexmark International, Inc.

Bruce Anthony DeBoard

Michael Anthony Marra, Iii

Lucas David Barkley

Brian Jones

Sam Norasak

John Glenn Edelen

John Booth Bates

Adam D Carrithers

Randall David Mayo

Bruce David Gibson

Thomas Jon Eade

Stephen Todd Olson

Bryan McKinley

Tommy Otis Lowe

Joseph Wade Luciano

Shingo Setono

Daniel Scott Powell

Kenneth W Linville

J Glenn Edelen

Raymond Joseph Fortuna, Ii

Robert W Milgate, Iii

Mark Alan Lafferty

John A Goodman

Yu Ito

James J Tocash

Michael A Marra Iii

Stephen T Olson

A priming device for a fluid cartridge, a fluid dispense device configured for priming the fluid cartridge, and a method for priming a fluid cartridge. The priming device includes an impact mechanism for a fluid cartridge, wherein the fluid cartridge is devoid of a backpressure device and has a fluid reservoir and an ejection head chip in fluid flow communication with the fluid reservoir.

Ejection head priming mechanism

A removable maintenance fluid holder for a digital dispense system, a digital dispense system containing the removable maintenance fluid holder, and a method of maintaining a fluid droplet dispense cartridge. The removable maintenance fluid holder includes a housing having a handle end and a fluid receptacle end distal from the handle end. The fluid receptable end includes a fluid receptacle for holding fluid dispensed from a fluid droplet ejection head of a fluid droplet cartridge in the digital dispense system. The removable maintenance fluid holder is configured to be inserted and removed from the digital dispense system on a periodic basis.

Removable maintenance fluid holder

A system and method for ejecting one or more fluids from a digital dispense device. The method includes selecting a) fixed target areas and total fluid volumes for the target areas of the substrate; b) a predetermined droplet volume for the target areas; c) calculating a required number of droplets for the target areas; d) determining a maximum number of droplets per pixel based on the target areas; e) calculating a number of droplets per pass of an ejection head over the target areas; f) modifying one or more dimension of the target areas to create modified target areas; g) selecting and centering the modified spot size target areas in the target areas; and h) depositing fluids in the modified target areas while scanning the ejection head over the modified target areas.

Dispense modes for multi-mode capable device

A pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body. The fluid reservoir body includes two or more discrete fluid chambers therein. At least one of the fluid chambers contains a pressure compensation device and at least another one of the fluid chambers is devoid of a pressure compensation device. Each of the fluid chambers is in fluid flow communication with a fluid supply via, and each of the fluid chambers have sidewalls and a bottom wall attached to the side walls, wherein the bottom wall slopes toward the fluid supply via. The fluid reservoir body also includes an ejection head support face in fluid flow communication with the fluid chambers for attachment of a fluid ejection device to the ejection head support face for ejecting fluid from the fluid chambers.

Pipette-fillable cartridge

A system and method for ejecting one or more fluids from a digital dispense device. The method includes a) inputting to a memory a volume per unit area for each of the one or more fluids to be ejected from the digital dispense device; b) matching the volume per unit area to a device resolution for the digital dispense device; c) formatting fluid ejectors for the digital dispense device for the device resolution; and d) ejecting fluid from the digital dispense device to provide the volume per area for each of the one or more fluids.

Volume data representation and processing for liquid dispensing devices

A digital dispense system for preparing and analyzing a plurality of samples. The system includes two or more fluid droplet ejection devices. Each fluid droplet ejection device contains a fluid droplet ejection cartridge containing at least one fluid to be dispensed. The fluid droplet ejection cartridge is attached to a translation mechanism for moving the fluid droplet ejection cartridge back and forth over a sample holder in an x direction. A sample tray translation mechanism is provided for moving a sample tray along a production path in a y direction orthogonal to the x direction through the two or more fluid droplet ejection devices.

Digital dispense system

A digital dispense device and method for ejecting one or more fluids into a target area of a substrate. The digital dispense device includes (A) a fluid ejection head for the digital dispense device having one or more arrays of fluid ejectors thereon; (B) a fluid ejection head translation device for moving the ejection head over the target area of the substrate in a first direction, wherein the one or more arrays of fluid ejectors on the fluid ejection head are oriented parallel to the first direction; and (C) a control device for activating one or more fluid ejectors in the one or more arrays of fluid ejectors as the one or more fluid ejectors intersect the target area of the substrate.

Multi-array ejection head and method of use

A system tracks the fluid information in fluid cartridges used in digital dispense devices connected to a network. Each device stores a history of cartridges that have been used in the device. Each cartridge stores a fluid information value and/or an indicator that indicates whether the cartridge has been used before in any device. When a device receives a previously-used cartridge, the device broadcasts a request for information about that cartridge from the other devices. Each device having the matching cartridge identification value in its history reports over the network the latest fluid information value associated with the matching cartridge identification value. The requesting device chooses the most up-to-date response based on the latest value of fluid information. The requesting device then updates its memory using the latest value and begins incrementing the information from that latest information for subsequent fluid dispense jobs performed using the installed cartridge.

Apparatus and method for sharing information between digital dispense devices connected to a network

A controller for controlling a microfluidic device. A first computing device receives commands from a user interface in a relatively high level protocol using a standardized command language, converts the commands from the standardized command language into a relatively mid-level protocol, sends the commands in the relatively mid-level protocol, receiving data, converts the data into the standardized command language, and sends the data to the user interface according to the standardized command language. A second computing device receives the commands from the first computing device in the relatively mid-level protocol, converts the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to at least one relatively lower level protocol that is understood by a microfluidic device that is connected to the controller, receives data from the microfluidic device, and sends the data to the first computing device.

Fluidic device control

A location-based address adapter for use in a system to facilitate communication between a host computer and one peripheral device of a plurality of peripheral devices includes a body and an electrical circuit. The body is removably attached to one peripheral device at a time. The electrical circuit includes a communications interface circuit and an adapter memory circuit. The communications interface circuit has a respective pass-through wired connection between each of a plurality of input connectors and a plurality of output connectors to facilitate bi-directional communications between the host computer and the peripheral device. The adapter memory circuit stores a unique physical location address for association with a physical location associated with the peripheral device to which the body is attached. The unique physical location address is a non-network based address. The memory circuit has a memory connector to facilitate direct electrical communicative connection only with the respective peripheral device.

Location-based address adapter and system

A system tracks the exact amount of ink remaining in printhead cartridges used in printers connected to a network. Each printer stores a history of cartridges that have been used in the printer. Each cartridge stores a status indicator that indicates whether the cartridge has been used before in any printer. When a printer receives a previously-used cartridge, the printer broadcasts a request for information about that cartridge from the other printers. Each printer having the matching printhead identification number in its history reports over the network the last recorded ink dot count associated with the matching printhead identification number. The requesting printer chooses the most up-to-date response based on the highest dot count or the latest time-stamp. The requesting printer then updates its memory using the dot count from the most up-to-date response and begins counting dots from that updated count for subsequent print jobs performed using the installed cartridge.

Apparatus and method for sharing ink dot count information between inkjet printers connected to a network

A method of operating an ink jet printer with an included printer controller, where the ink jet printer prints using a replaceable print head that includes a nozzle plate and an ink reservoir. The printer controller tracks a usage of ink from the ink reservoir and a number of completed nozzle plate wiping operations. The print controller determines, prior to initiating each nozzle plate wiping operation, whether to initiate an inter-layer spitting operation instead of the nozzle plate wiping operation. The printer controller initiates the determined one of the wiping operation and the spitting operation.

Adaptive print head maintenance

A system for printing an image. A printer includes a controller for motion in an X axis, components for motion in the X axis, a print head for printing image data in a swath, and a communication module for receiving image data and communications indicating that printing the swath is authorized and that printing is completed. A substrate unit includes a controller for motion in a Y axis, components for motion in the Y axis, and a communication module for receiving image data from a source. The communication module sends at least a portion of the image data to the printer.

Imaging system controller coordination

A printer that includes a motor assembly for moving a print head relative to a medium, and a processor for receiving a data structure for a pixel to be printed on the medium. The data structure includes perception data and classification data for the pixel. The processor adjusts at least one printing parameter of the printer based upon the classification data.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Bruce Anthony DeBoard