Lexmark International, Inc.

Funai Electric Company Ltd.

The Procter Gamble Company

University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.

John Glenn Edelen

George Keith Parish

Kristi Maggard Rowe

Michael Anthony Marra, Iii

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

Steven Wayne Bergstedt

Michael Marra

Steve Bergstedt

Sam Norasak

Paul W Graf

Nicole Semler

Bruce Anthony DeBoard

Hideo Oi

Carson A Fischer

Manish Giri

Stephan Gary Bush

William Paul Cook

Adam Jude Ahne

James Harold Powers

Yimin Guan

Carl Edmond Sullivan

David Golman King

Byron Vencent Bell

John F Naber

Robert S Keynton

Kevin M Walsh

Douglas J Jackson

Thomas J Roussel, Jr

Prabuddha Jyotindra Mehta

Mark Crain

David Craig Stevenson

Richard P Baldwin

Nicole Marie Rodriguez

Robert Edward Miller, Jr

Susan Marie Zearfoss

Viren N Patel

Bruce A DeBoard

Rick L Hubert

Krisit M Rowe

Michael Anthony Iii Marra

Michael A Marra Iii

James D Anderson Jr

A digital dispense system and methods for preparing samples for analysis. The digital dispense system includes a fluid droplet ejection system housed in a housing unit. The fluid droplet ejection system contains a fluid droplet ejection head and fluid cartridge containing one or more fluids to be dispensed. A cartridge translation mechanism is provided for moving the fluid droplet ejection head and fluid cartridge back and forth over a sample holder in an x direction. A sample tray translation mechanism moves a sample tray back and forth beneath the fluid droplet ejection head and fluid cartridge in a y direction orthogonal to the x direction.

Digital dispense system

An open fluid droplet ejection cartridge containing one or more fluids to be dispensed by digital fluid dispense system and a method for digitally dispensing fluids. The open fluid droplet ejection cartridge includes a cover having one or more openings therein, fluid funnels pending from each of the one or more openings in the cover, a chamber separator attached to the fluid funnels for directing fluid to one or more fluid chambers, a fluid overflow chamber for fluid overflow from the one or more fluid chambers, fluid vias associated with each of the one or more fluid chambers, and a plurality of fluid ejection devices adjacent to the fluid vias on a single semiconductor substrate in fluid flow communication with the fluid vias.

Digital dispense system cartridge

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.

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 control circuit for a thermally-activated microfluidic ejection element and a method of dispensing a fluid composition from the same is provided. The thermally-activated microfluidic ejection element includes a plurality of nozzles and a thermal actuator associated with each nozzle, and a control circuit that includes: a logic circuit that increments through a pre-determined sequence, wherein the sequence is defined by the physical layout of the thermally-activated microfluidic ejection element; a first input in electrical communication with the logic circuit; a second input in electrical communication with each thermal actuator, wherein the first input and second input are used to select and energize each thermal actuator on the thermally-activated microfluidic ejection element.

Microfluidic ejection element and method of operation of a microfluidic ejection element having a simplified interface

A vaporization heater for a fluid vaporization device and a method for vaporizing fluid are provided. The vaporization heater includes at least two fluid reservoirs and heating elements made of an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of a conductive mesh and an interwoven wire located within each of the at least two fluid reservoirs. The at least two fluid reservoirs and the heating elements therefor define a fluid volume sufficient to capture and retain a fixed volume of fluid that is ejected from an ejection head associated with a fluid supply cartridge in the fluid vaporization device. The fluid supply cartridge contains at least two different fluids. Application of electrical energy to the heating elements vaporizes the fixed volume of fluid in the at least two fluid reservoirs.

Heater for a vaporization device

A fluid printhead including at least one fluid ejection element. The fluid ejection element includes a fluid chamber, a throat portion through which fluid is provided to the fluid chamber, and a heater element disposed within the fluid chamber. The fluid ejection element also includes a printhead condition detection system. The printhead condition detection system includes a first electrode at least a portion of which is disposed within the fluid chamber, the first electrode configured to receive a step voltage, a second electrode disposed within the throat portion, and a sense circuit electrically connected to the second electrode that generates an output based on the application of the step voltage to the first electrode as an indication of printhead condition.

Printhead condition detection system

A microfluidic pump having a firing mechanism for ejecting fluid out of a firing chamber during a firing sequence, which includes a firing step followed by a wait step. A power circuit activates and deactivates the firing mechanism in response to a control signal, which controls the timing of each step and is provided by a logic circuit. The control signal controls the firing step and is dependent on a predetermined fixed frequency signal provided by a first oscillator. The control signal controls the wait step and is dependent on a variable frequency signal provided by a second oscillator. A first input provides a variable input signal to the second oscillator. The second oscillator varies the variable frequency signal according to the variable input signal. The logic circuit also varies the control signal based on the variable frequency signal to vary the length of the wait step.

Analog flow control

A printhead including a fluid ejector chip having an electrical interface. The electrical interface includes one or more inputs for receiving respective primitive address data and heater address data corresponding to each of one or more address cycles, at least one of the one or more inputs being switchable to a deactivated state, and one or more shift registers, a total number of shift registers being adjustable so that each of the one or more shift registers corresponds to a respective one of the one or more inputs that is not in a deactivated state, the one or more shift registers receiving the respective primitive address data and heater address data from the one or more inputs that are not in a deactivated state to allow for selective application of electrical signals to the heating elements so that fluid is ejected from the fluid ejector chip in accordance with image data.

Printhead and an inkjet printer

A fluid printhead including a plurality of heater elements that are driven to nucleate bubbles in fluid so that the fluid is ejected from the printhead in the form of drops, a plurality of drive elements, each drive element selectively driving a corresponding one of the plurality of heater elements in accordance with a printer controller, and a drop detection system that includes a plurality of drop detection cells, each drop detection cell detecting a change in electrical resistance of a corresponding one of the plurality of heater elements that occurs upon drop formation.

Fluid printhead

A method of printing, including providing a fluid ejection device that includes a substrate, a plurality of drive units formed on the substrate, each drive unit including at least two drive elements electrically coupled in parallel, and a plurality of fluid ejection elements disposed on the substrate, each fluid ejection element of the plurality of fluid ejection elements electrically coupled with a single respective drive unit. Electrical power is selectively supplied via the plurality of drive units to the plurality of fluid ejection elements to cause fluid to be expelled from the fluid ejection device based on image data.

Chip layout to enable multiple heater chip vertical resolutions

A printhead including one or more fluid vias in fluid communication with a fluid supply, each of the one or more fluid vias being associated with a first number of heating elements, the heating elements being divided into groups of a second number of heating elements so as to form a number of primitive groups, and an electrical interface having at least one shift register that receives primitive address data to allow for selective application of electrical signals to the heating elements so that fluid is ejected from the printhead in accordance with image data, the number of primitive groups being dependent on the print resolution of the printhead so that a number of bits required for the at least one shift register to address each heater is independent of the print resolution of the printhead.

Address architecture for fluid ejection chip

Growing community of inventors

Versailles, KY, United States of America

John Glenn Edelen