Innovadyne Technologies, Inc.

Craig M Storms

Neil Robert Picha

James E Johnson

David A Martin

An apparatus and method for delivering repetitive, precision, low volume liquid dispensing from a dispensing orifice of a non-contact liquid dispensing apparatus. An elongated communication passageway of the dispensing apparatus is defined by interior walls having one end in fluid communication with a system fluid reservoir and an opposite end terminating at the dispensing orifice. A system fluid is placed in the communication passageway extending substantially continuously from the system fluid reservoir to the dispensing orifice. A relatively small volume of gaseous fluid is aspirated through the dispensing orifice, and into the communication passageway in a manner such that the gaseous fluid extends substantially continuously across the transverse cross-sectional dimension of the communication passageway. Subsequently, a dispensing liquid is aspirated through the dispensing orifice and into the communication passageway in a manner such that the relatively small volume of aspirated gaseous fluid forms a minute, unitary air gap fully enclosed between the interior walls of the communication passageway and a liquid interface between the system fluid and the dispensing liquid contained in the communication passageway. This minute air gap substantially prevents dispersion and dilution therebetween at the liquid interface. To effect dispensing, a rapid pressure pulse with a predetermined pulse width is applied to the system fluid upstream from the minute air gap, causing the pressure pulse to traverse the minute air gap to the dispensing liquid without substantial fluid compression of the minute air gap. This enables substantially accurate, relatively small volume, non-contact liquid dispensing of the dispensing liquid from the dispensing orifice.

Method of purging trapped gas from a system fluid contained in an actuation valve

A universal calibration apparatus and method to estimate the dispense output from a low volume, non-contact, liquid dispensing systems that may be applied for every hardware configuration (e.g., tube length, orifice diameter, tip design, etc), reagent solution property and environmental condition. This same calibration technique is applied to calibrate or tune these non-contact liquid dispensing systems to dispense desired volumes (in the range of about 0.050 &#x3bc;L to 50 &#x3bc;L), irrespective of the hardware configuration or the solution properties. That is, the calibration technique is not dependent on any variables, but the result (the actual dispense volume) is dependant on the variable mentioned. By actuating selected pulse widths, and measuring the resulting volume, a Calibration Profile can be generated correlating the liquid volume dispensed from the orifice to the respective pulse width of the dispensing valve thereof through calibration points. In particular, one is selected to deliver a first volume of liquid that is less than a lower base pulse width correlating to the lowest volume of the selected range of volumes of liquid, while a second pulse width is selected to deliver a second volume of liquid dispensed that is greater than an upper ceiling pulse width correlating to the highest volume of the selected range of volumes of liquid. Intermediary pulse widths are also applied, each selected to deliver a different, spaced-apart, respective intermediary low volumes of liquid dispensed from the dispensing orifice between the first volume and the second volume. Thus, applying the Calibration Profile, the pulse widths correlating to the one or more targeted discrete volumes for liquid dispensing can be extrapolated.

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Cotati, CA, United States of America

Craig M Storms