Liquid pipetting apparatus and micro array manufacturing apparatus

• US 7,160,511 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Seiya, Fukuoka, Morinao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon; Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US09/784,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/926, 422/919, 422/922, 436/180, 738/633.2, 738/633.3, 738/634.4, 738/635.2, 738/635.4, 738/64, 738/640.1, 738/641.1, 738/641.3, 738/641.6, 738/641.7, 738/642.5, 738/643.1
• US Class Current: 422/504
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00367 capillary
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00369 in multiple or parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00387 Applications using probes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0061 The surface being organic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00641 the porous medium being continuous, e.g. porous oxide substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00677 Ex-situ synthesis followed by deposition on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/021 non contact spotting by inertia, i.e. abrupt deceleration of the nozzle or pin
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0244 using pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0248 Prongs, quill pen type dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 : Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 : Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A liquid pipetting apparatus for dispensing liquid of minute volume for use in a survey instruments of a hemanalysis machine, a genetic screening, and a pharmaceutical screening, etc., is disclosed. The liquid pipetting apparatus comprises a liquid holding member for holding the liquid, and capable of dispensing the liquid from one end, and a driving member for moving the liquid holding member forward and backward along the dispensing direction, the liquid holding member being moved by the driving means, thereby dispensing the liquid held on the liquid holding member.

Claims

1. A liquid pipetting apparatus for dispensing a minute amount of liquid comprising:

at least one conduit member for holding the liquid therein and having a dispensing end;

a driving means;

an actuator associated with the at least one conduit member, and

a controller configured to supply voltage to the driving means to move the at least one conduit member and dispense the liquid from a dispensing end thereof when the at least one conduit member is moved in a dispensing direction by voltage applied to the actuator, temporarily stopped, and then moved in a direction opposite the dispensing direction of the liquid by a decrease in the voltage applied to the actuator, wherein dispensing substantially occurs while concurrently moving the conduit member in the direction opposite the dispensing direction.

2. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the driving means to accelerate the at least one conduit member in the dispensing direction at a first magnitude and in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction at a second magnitude.

3. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first magnitude of acceleration is less than the second magnitude of acceleration.

4. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein after being moved in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid, the controller is configured to actuate the driving means to move the at least one conduit member to a specific position in order to dispense the liquid held within the at least one conduit member from one end thereof.

5. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the driving means for the at least one conduit member to repeat the movement in the dispensing direction of the liquid and the movement in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid.

6. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid is held in the at least one conduit member before the controller actuates the driving means to move the at least one conduit member in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid.

7. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a washing means capable of washing the at least one conduit member.

8. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the washing means contains a pump for sending to the at least one conduit member a cleaning solution capable of washing the at least one conduit member.

9. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit member holds the liquid in the inside thereof and contains a dispensing vent at a distal end thereof to dispense the liquid held in the at least one conduit member through the dispensing end.

10. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein an inner portion of the at least one conduit member has a taper shape, of which the cross-sectional area becomes smaller as the inner portion approaches the dispensing vent.

11. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a piezoelectric element.

12. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit member is connected to the actuator detachably.

13. A liquid pipetting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit member comprises a plurality of conduit members.

14. A liquid dispensing method for dispensing a minute amount of liquid from one end of at least one conduit member for holding the liquid, comprising:

providing the liquid pipetting apparatus of claim 1;

holding the liquid in the at least one conduit member; and

dispensing the liquid held in the at least one conduit member from one end thereof, when the conduit member is moved in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid by the decrease in voltage applied to the actuator associated with the at least one conduit member.

15. A liquid dispensing method as claimed in claim 14, further including stopping the conduit member between moving the conduit member in a dispensing direction of the liquid and moving the conduit member in the direction opposite the dispensing direction of the liquid.

16. A liquid dispensing method as claimed in claim 14, further including moving the at least one conduit member in the dispensing direction of the liquid and wherein after being moved in the dispensing direction of the liquid, the at least one conduit member is moved in the opposite direction to the dispensing direction of the liquid.

17. A liquid dispensing method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at the time that the at least one conduit member moves in the dispensing direction of the liquid and at the time that the at least one conduit member moves in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid the acceleration of the at least one conduit member is different in magnitude.

18. A liquid dispensing method as claimed in claim 17, wherein an acceleration in the at least one conduit member at the time the at least one conduit member is moved in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid is larger than an acceleration at time the at least one conduit member is moved in the dispensing direction of the liquid.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising washing the at least one conduit member after the at least one conduit member is moved in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising washing the at least one conduit member after the at least one conduit member is moved in the direction opposite to the dispensing direction of the liquid.