NON-CONTACT MICRO DROPLET DISPENSER AND METHOD

• US 20160074857A1
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Li, Jay J., Desmarais, Normand P., Rasmussen, James E., Cowden, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 10,486,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1894 Cooling means; Cryo cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/02 Drop detachment mechanisms of single droplets from nozzles or pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/021 non contact spotting by inertia, i.e. abrupt deceleration of the nozzle or pin
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/06 Valves, specific forms thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/082 Active control of flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0241 Drop counters; Drop formers making arrays for combinatorial libraries B01J19/0046; automation of dispensing for analysis G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0265 using valves to interrupt or meter fluid flow, e.g. using solenoids or metering valves
• 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 7/50 Cryostats
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1034 Transferring microquantities of liquid

Abstract

A liquid deposition system comprises a liquid delivery assembly including a dispensing probe having a sidewall including a first end having a liquid port and a second end having a tip, and a flow path opening at the tip and fluidly connected with the liquid port. The system includes a gas injection assembly with a manifold having a gas nozzle, a nozzle opening, and a gas port, the gas nozzle configured to eject a substantially laminar gas stream so that the gas stream travels through a travel path, the tip of the dispensing probe extending into the travel path. The liquid port is fluidly connectable with a liquid source and the gas port is fluidly connectable with a pressurized gas source, so that a liquid micro droplet is formed at the tip. The laminar gas stream separates the micro droplet from the tip and carries it through the travel path.

Claims

1. A liquid deposition system, comprising:

a liquid delivery assembly including a dispensing probe having a sidewall including a first end having a liquid port and a second end having a tip, and a flow path opening at the tip and fluidly connected with the liquid port;

a gas injection assembly including a manifold having a gas nozzle, a nozzle opening, and a gas port, the gas nozzle configured to eject a substantially laminar gas stream through the nozzle opening so that the substantially laminar gas stream travels through a travel path, the manifold positioned so that the tip of the dispensing probe extends at least partially into the travel path; and

wherein the liquid port is fluidly connectable with a liquid source and the gas port is fluidly connectable with a pressurized gas source, so that at least one micro droplet is formed at the tip when a volume of liquid flows through the flow path, and so that the laminar gas stream separates the at least one micro droplet from the tip and carries the at least one micro droplet through the travel path.

2. The liquid deposition system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing probe extends at least partially through the gas nozzle and through the nozzle opening.

3. The liquid deposition system of claim 2, wherein the gas nozzle is substantially cylindrical, and wherein the dispensing probe extends through the gas nozzle substantially coaxially with the gas nozzle.

4. The liquid deposition system of claim 1, wherein the tip is positioned in the travel path such that the substantially laminar gas stream travels substantially parallel to the sidewall.

5. The liquid deposition system of claim 1, further comprising a cryogenically cooled target vessel having a target opening positioned at a distance below the tip so as to intersect the travel path.

7. The liquid deposition system of claim 5, wherein the at least one micro droplet separated from the tip is injected into the target opening by the laminar gas stream.

8. The liquid deposition system of claim 7, further comprising a support movably supporting the manifold such that the distance between the tip and the target opening is adjustable.

6. (canceled)

9. A non-contact micro-droplet dispenser, comprising:

a support;

a valve;

a gas injection assembly supported by the support, including;

a gas manifold having a gas nozzle and a nozzle opening configured to eject a gas stream so that the gas stream travels through a travel path;

a pressurized gas supply line fluidly connected with the gas nozzle and controlled by the valve;

a liquid delivery assembly including;

a liquid manifold supported by the support;

a dispensing probe having a tip positioned in the travel path;

a controller operably coupled with the valve;

a liquid pump operably coupled with the controller and fluidly connected with the dispensing probe, the liquid pump configured to deliver a volume of liquid thereto so that at least one micro droplet is formed at the tip; and

wherein the gas stream exerts downward force on the micro droplet associated with the tip so that the micro droplet separates from the tip and is carried through the travel path by the gas stream.

10. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 9, wherein the dispensing probe extending through the gas nozzle so that the tip extends a distance past the nozzle opening such that the tip is positioned in the travel path.

11. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 9, further comprising a target vessel positioned at a distance below the tip and having a target opening positioned so as to intersect the travel path, and wherein the micro droplet is injected into the target opening by the substantially laminar gas stream.

12. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 11, further comprising a temperature control system regulating a temperature within the target vessel to a predetermined temperature.

13. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 12, wherein the temperature control system regulates the temperature within the target vessel to at least one of above or below room temperature.

14. The non-contact micro-droplet of claim 11, wherein the target vessel is selected from a group consisting of a test tube, a vial, a cartridge, a well of a micro titer plate, and a microfluidic device.

15. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 11, wherein the distance between the tip and the target vessel is adjustable.

16. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 9, further comprising a target surface positioned at a distance below the tip and intersecting the travel path, and wherein the micro droplet is placed onto the target surface by the substantially laminar gas stream.

17. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 16, further comprising a temperature control system regulating the temperature of the target surface to a predetermined temperature.

18. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 17, wherein the temperature control system regulates the temperature of the target surface at least one of above or below room temperature.

20. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser of claim 16, wherein the distance between the tip and the target surface is adjustable.

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A non-contact micro-droplet dispenser, comprising:

a plurality of liquid deposition systems, at least two of the liquid deposition systems comprising;

a liquid pump assembly;

a valve assembly;

a liquid delivery assembly including one or more dispensing probes having a sidewall including a first end having a liquid port and a second end having a tip, and a flow path opening at the tip and fluidly connected with the liquid pump;

a gas injection assembly including one or more manifolds having a gas nozzle, a nozzle opening, and a gas port connected to the valve, the gas nozzle configured to eject a substantially laminar gas stream through the nozzle opening so that the substantially laminar gas stream travels through a travel path, the one or more manifold positioned so that the tip of the one or more dispensing probe extends at least partially into the travel path; and

a controller controlling the liquid pump assemblies and the valve assemblies of the at least two liquid deposition systems to enable the liquid pump to cause at least one micro droplet to be formed at the tip when a volume of liquid flows through the flow path, and control the valve to enable the laminar gas stream to separate the at least one micro droplet from the tip and carries the at least one micro droplet through the travel path.

23. The non-contact micro-droplet dispenser, of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to independently control the liquid pump and the valve of one of the at least two liquid deposition systems relative to the liquid pump and the valve of another one of the at least two liquid deposition systems.