Liquid portioning method and device

• US 20060144331A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Hanafusa, Nobuhiro, Yamaguchi, Ryo, Miyamoto, Keisuke, Konoshita, Ryuh, Furuta, Masaru, Akinaga, Nobuyuki, Sugiyama, Kiyohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/712
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0832 cylindrical, tube shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0439 ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0275 Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1041 Ink-jet like dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1011 Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for dispensing samples or reagents onto a target object are provided. A dispensing position designating section (62) designates the dispensing position on the target object (50), such as a membrane, based on an image of the target object (50) displayed on a monitoring section (60). A dispensing control section (64) positions the target object and the dispensing device relative to each other so that the designated dispensing position on the target object is placed beneath the dispensing device (10) and controls the dispensing operation of the dispensing device (10). A dispensing position information creating section (68) creates dispensing position information about the dispensing position on the target object (50) which is designated by the dispensing position designating section (62) and to which the dispensing operation has been performed and outputs it to the outside.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising:

a dispensing mechanism including a dispensing device for dripping a sample or a reagent;

an image capturing device for capturing the downward area image;

a movable table capable of supporting, on its upper surface, a target object onto which the sample or reagent is to be dispensed and being moved on a horizontal plane surface for positioning the target object at least at a dispensing position beneath the dispensing device and at an image capturing position beneath the image capturing device;

a monitoring section for displaying the image captured by the image capturing device;

a dispensing position designating section for designating the dispensing position on the target object based on the image of the target object displayed on the monitoring section; and

a dispensing control section for positioning the target object and the dispensing device relative to each other so that the dispensing position on the target object designated by the dispensing position designating section is placed beneath the dispensing device of the dispensing mechanism and for controlling the dispensing operation of the dispensing mechanism.

2. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism includes a plurality of dispensing devices.

3. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising a dispensing position information creating section for creating dispensing position information about the dispensing position on the target object which is designated by the dispensing position designating section and for which the dispensing operation has been performed.

4. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the dispensing position information creating section is capable of outputting the created dispensing position information to the outside.

5. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the dispensing position designating section designates the dispensing position on the image of the target object displayed on the monitoring section.

6. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing device for photographing the tip end of the dispensing device.

7. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an image capturing device for photographing the tip end of the dispensing device performing the dispensing operation, out of the dispensing devices, wherein the image capturing device is supported on a moving mechanism so that it is capable of being moved in association with the switching of the dispensing device performing the dispensing operation.

30. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dispensing position information creating section is capable of outputting the created dispensing position information to the outside.

31. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dispensing position designating section designates the dispensing position on the image of the target object displayed on the monitoring section.

32. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the dispensing position designating section designates the dispensing position on the image of the target object displayed on the monitoring section.

8. A dispensing apparatus comprising:

a dispensing mechanism including a detachable dispensing device for dripping a sample or reagent;

an image capturing device for capturing downward area image;

a movable table capable of supporting, on its upper surface, a target object onto which the sample or reagent is to be dispensed and being moved on a horizontal plane surface for positioning the target object at least at a dispensing position beneath the dispensing device and at an image capturing position beneath the image capturing device; and

a calibrating section which, after liquid is dispensed onto a predetermined position on the movable table by the dispensing mechanism, detects the dispensing position based on the image captured by the image capturing device and calibrates the dispensing position based on base points serving as references on the movable table, the base points being captured concurrently with the image.

9. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the dispensing mechanism includes a plurality of dispensing devices and the calibrating section performs the calibration for the respective dispensing devices.

10. A position information capturing device comprising:

an image capturing device for capturing an image of a target object on a table; and

a position information creating section for creating, based on the image captured by the image capturing device, information about a position designated or detected in the image, based on a plurality of reference points serving as references on the target object.

11. A position information capturing device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a monitoring section for displaying the image captured by the image capturing device; and

a position designating section for designating a position on the target object based on the image of the target object displayed on the monitoring section;

wherein the position information creating section creates information about the position on the target object designated by the position designating section.

12. A position information capturing device according to claims 10 or 11, wherein

the image capturing device also captures an image of the table along with the image of the target object;

and

the position information creating section creates a position on the target object based on a plurality of base points serving as references on the table.

13. A position information capturing device according to claims 10 or 11, wherein the dispensing position information creating section is capable of outputting the created dispensing position information to the outside.

33. A position information capturing device according to claim 12, wherein the dispensing position information creating section is capable of outputting the created dispensing position information to the outside.

14. A sample plate comprising:

a plate-shaped member having a surface onto which a sample or reagent is to be dispensed,

the plate-shaped member being provided with, on the surface, a plurality of marks serving as positional references.

15. A dispensing apparatus comprising:

a dispensing mechanism including a nozzle for dripping a sample or a reagent;

a movable table capable of supporting, on its upper surface, a target object onto which the sample or reagent is to be dispensed and being moved on a horizontal plane surface for positioning the target object beneath the nozzle; and

an image capturing device placed on a plane surface, within the range of movement of the movable table and mounted at a position above the movable table for preventing contact therewith, wherein the image capturing device photographs the tip end of the nozzle at an angle from above.

16. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a light source is placed at the position opposite to the image capturing device with respect to the tip end of the nozzle and the light source is oriented in such a direction that light emitted from it is reflected at the surface of the target object, then passes through the tip end of the nozzle and enters the image capturing device.

17. A dispensing apparatus according to claims 15 or 16, wherein the image capturing device photographs the shape of a liquid drop formed at the tip end of the nozzle as the image of the nozzle tip end.

18. A dispensing apparatus according to claims 15, wherein the image capturing device is set to capture an image of the surface of the target object beneath the nozzle along with the image of the tip end of the nozzle.

34. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the image capturing device is set to capture an image of the surface of the target object beneath the nozzle along with the image of the tip end of the nozzle.

19. A monitoring method comprising:

installing an image capturing device obliquely above a nozzle for dripping a sample or a reagent; and

photographing, with the image capturing device, the condition of a liquid drop dripped from the nozzle for monitoring the condition of dispensation.

20. A dispensing method using a dispensing unit;

the dispensing unit comprising a piezo chip having a downward opening portion at its discharging portion and being configured to discharge liquid drops from the discharging portion when liquid charged in a space communicated to the discharging portion is pushed by a driving section including a piezo device, a pressure control mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the liquid charged in the space, and an image capturing device for capturing an image of the discharging portion, the method comprising the steps of;

capturing and storing an image of the discharging portion before charging liquid in the space by the image capturing device;

after charging liquid in the space, capturing images of the discharging portion by the image capturing device, determining the differences between these images and the image captured before charging liquid and controlling the pressure control mechanism so that, when liquid exits from the discharging portion, the liquid is retracted until the differences between these images and the image captured before charging liquid is cancelled, in a preparation stage before the start of dispensation operation from the piezo chip.

21. A dispensing method according to claim 20, wherein the control of the pressure control mechanism is automatically performed based on images captured by the image capturing device.

22. A dispensing apparatus comprising:

a dispensing unit including a piezo chip having a downward opening portion at its discharging portion, the piezo chip being configured to discharge liquid from the discharging portion when liquid charged in a space communicated to the discharging portion is pushed by a driving section including a piezo device,

a pressure control mechanism for adjusting the pressure of the liquid charged in the space;

an image capturing device for capturing an image of the discharging portion;

a storing device for storing the image captured by the image capturing device; and

a control device which compares the image of the discharging portion captured before charging liquid in the space and stored in the storing device with images captured after charging liquid in the space and controls the pressure control mechanism so that, when liquid exits from the discharging portion, the liquid is retracted until the differences between the images and the image captured before charging liquid is cancelled.

23. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the image capturing device is installed so that it captures the image of the discharging portion along a horizontal direction.

24. A dispensing method utilizing a dispensing unit for discharging liquid drops from a discharging portion at its tip end;

the method comprising the steps of;

acquiring an image of a liquid drop discharged from the discharging portion;

determining the size of the liquid drop based on the captured image; and

adjusting parameters of control signals output to a discharging driving section of the dispensing unit, based on the determined size of the liquid drop, so that the amount of dispensed liquid drop becomes equal to a predetermined value.

25. A dispensing method according to claim 24, wherein the dispensing unit utilizes a piezo-dispensing system including a piezo head and the piezo head is configured to discharge the liquid drop from the discharging portion when liquid charged in a space communicated to the discharging portion at its tip end is pushed by a driving section including a piezo device.

26. A dispensing method according to claim 25, wherein the parameters of control signals include at least one of:

the amplitude of the voltage applied to the piezo device, the rising time of the applied voltage, the voltage application time period, and the descending time of the applied voltage.

27. A dispensing method according to claim 24, wherein the dispensing unit utilizes a syringe-pump dispensing system.

28. A dispensing method according to claim 27, wherein the parameters of control signals include at least one of:

the stroke, the speed and the acceleration of the plunger of the syringe pump.

29. A dispensing method according to claims 27 or 28, wherein the image for determining the size of the liquid drop are an image of ball-shaped liquid drop at the tip end of the discharging portion.