Dispensing apparatus having improved dynamic range
First Claim
1. An apparatus for dispensing predetermined quantities of liquid onto a substrate, comprising:
- a dispenser having an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to form droplets of said liquid having a size in the range of about 1-4 nanoliters to one microliter which are deposited onto said substrate; and
a metering pump hydraulically arranged in series with the inlet of said dispenser for metering predetermined quantities of said liquid to said dispenser;
whereby the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by said dispenser is metered substantially independently of operating parameters of the dispenser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for dispensing precise quantities of reagents is disclosed including a positive displacement syringe pump in series with a dispenser, such as an aerosol dispenser or solenoid valve dispenser. The pump is controlled by a stepper motor or the like to provide an incremental quantity or continuous flow of reagent to the dispenser. The pump and dispenser are operated in cooperation with one another such that the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by the dispenser can be precisely metered substantially independently of the particular operating parameters of said dispenser to attain a desired flow rate, droplet size or mist quality, droplet frequency and/or droplet velocity.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dispensing predetermined quantities of liquid onto a substrate, comprising:
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a dispenser having an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to form droplets of said liquid having a size in the range of about 1-4 nanoliters to one microliter which are deposited onto said substrate; and a metering pump hydraulically arranged in series with the inlet of said dispenser for metering predetermined quantities of said liquid to said dispenser; whereby the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by said dispenser is metered substantially independently of operating parameters of the dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 36, 53)
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26. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, comprising:
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a dispenser having an inlet and an outlet and a valve adapted to be opened and closed at a predetermined frequency and duty cycle to form droplets of said liquid which are deposited onto said substrate; and a positive displacement pump hydraulically arranged in series with the inlet of said dispenser for metering predetermined quantities of said liquid to said dispenser; whereby the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by said dispenser can be precisely metered substantially independently of the particular operating parameters of said dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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37. An apparatus for dispensing predetermined quantities of liquid onto a substrate, comprising:
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a dispenser having an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to form droplets of said liquid having a size in the range of about 1-4 nanoliters to one microliter which are deposited onto said substrate; and a pump hydraulically arranged in series with the inlet of said dispenser for metering predetermined quantities of said liquid to said dispenser; said dispenser and pump being selected and configured so as to provide a range of selectable droplet sizes attainable for stable operation varying by a factor of greater than about 250 and whereby the quantity and/or flow rate of liquid dispensed by said dispenser is metered substantially independently of the operating parameters of the dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification