Fluid dispenser

• US 6,945,128 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Druyor-Sanchez, Bobbi, Showalter, Wayne, Ford, Anthony, Richards, William, McGraw, Brian, Mead, Stephen, Heilman, Bronwen, McDaniel, Darin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gakh, Yelena G.
• Application Number:
  US09/896,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20020034456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/863.32, 422/864, 422/864.01, 422/864.11, 422/864.13, 422/864.16, 738/633.2, 738/64, 738/640.1, 738/641.1, 738/641.3
• US Class Current: 73/864.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/317 spraying liquids onto surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1034 Transferring microquantities of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7873 Ball valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an automated biological reaction system is provided. In the processing of a biological reaction system, there is a need for consistently placing an amount of fluid on a slide. In order to accomplish this, several methods are used including a consistency pulse and a volume adjust means. Moreover, in order to reliably operate an automated biological reaction system, the dispenser must be reliable, easy to assemble and accurate. Among other things, in order to accomplish this, the dispense chamber is substantially in line with the reservoir chamber, the reservoir chamber piston is removed, and the flow of fluid through the dispenser is simplified. Further, in order to operate the automated biological reaction system more reliably, the system is designed in modular pieces with higher functions performed by a host device and the execution of the staining operations performed by remote devices. Also, to reliably catalog data which is used by the automated biological reaction system, data is loaded to a memory device, which in turn is used by the operator to update the operator'"'"'s databases. The generation of the sequence of steps for the automated biological reaction device based on data loaded by the operator, including checks to determine the ability to complete the run, is provided.

Claims

1. A fluid dispenser comprising:

a barrel having a reservoir chamber, a valve and a piston, the reservoir chamber containing fluid, the valve at a lower portion of the reservoir chamber, the piston having a bottom portion and at least one side portion, the piston having at least one hole on the side portion; and

a coupler, the coupler having a dispense chamber, the piston moveable inside the coupler wherein the piston is moveable from a first position to a second position, and further comprising a seal associated with the at least one piston side portion, the seal abutting the at least one hole on the side portion in the first position.

2. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piston does not have a hole in the bottom portion.

3. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal an O-ring seal.

4. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal is a quad seal.

5. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piston has at least two holes on the side portion.

6. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piston is adjacent to the reservoir chamber.

7. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispense chamber is adjacent to the reservoir chamber.

8. The fluid dispenser as claimed 1, wherein the valve is between the resevoir chamber and the piston.

9. A fluid dispenser comprising:

a barrel having a piston, the piston having a bottom portion and at least one side portion, the piston having at least on hole on the side portion and having no hole in the bottom portion, the piston moveable from a first position to a second position;

a seal; and

a coupler, the coupler having a dispense chamber, the piston moving inside the coupler, wherein the seal abuts the at least one hole in the first position and wherein the seal does not abut the at least one hole in the second position.

10. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 9, wherein the barrel further includes a reservoir chamber and a valve, the reservoir chamber containing fluid.

11. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein the valve is at a lower portion of the reservoir chamber and at an upper portion of the piston.

12. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 11, wherein the valve is open when the piston is in the first position.

13. The fluid dispenser as claimed in claim 12, wherein fluid is dispensed when the piston is in the second position.