U.S. patent application number 10/929656 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-10 for fluid dispenser and dispensing methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to AURORA DISCOVERY, INC.. Invention is credited to Sasaki, Glenn C..
Application Number | 20050032242 10/929656 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22782204 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050032242 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sasaki, Glenn C. |
February 10, 2005 |
Fluid dispenser and dispensing methods
Abstract
A fluid dispenser comprises a fluid chamber having two actuators
coupled thereto. One of the actuators damps a fluid response of the
other. The fluid chamber may comprises a cylindrical capillary, and
the actuators may comprise spaced cylindrical piezoelectric
elements.
Inventors: |
Sasaki, Glenn C.; (Santa Fe,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GRAY CARY WARE & FREIDENRICH LLP
4365 EXECUTIVE DRIVE
SUITE 1100
SAN DIEGO
CA
92121-2133
US
|
Assignee: |
AURORA DISCOVERY, INC.
SAN DIEGO
CA
|
Family ID: |
22782204 |
Appl. No.: |
10/929656 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10929656 |
Aug 30, 2004 |
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09930590 |
Aug 15, 2001 |
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09930590 |
Aug 15, 2001 |
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09210260 |
Dec 10, 1998 |
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6296811 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
436/180 ;
422/400 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 2035/00237
20130101; B01L 3/0268 20130101; Y10T 436/2575 20150115; G01N 35/10
20130101; G01N 35/1065 20130101; G01N 2035/1034 20130101; B01L
2400/0433 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
436/180 ;
422/100 |
International
Class: |
B01L 003/02 |
Claims
1-3. (Canceled)
4. An apparatus for dispensing droplets of fluid comprising: a
fluid chamber having an opening therein for droplet dispensing; a
first actuator mechanically coupled to said fluid chamber and
configured to alter the volume thereof; a second actuator
mechanically coupled to said fluid chamber and configured to alter
the volume thereof; and a driver connected to actuate said first
and said second actuators so as to alter the volume of said fluid
chamber, whereby a fluid response produced by said first actuator
is damped by said second actuator.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said driver is connected to
actuate said first and said second actuators substantially
simultaneously.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said driver is connected to
actuate said second actuator prior to actuating said first
actuator.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said first and said second
actuators comprise piezoelectric material.
8-13. (Canceled)
14. A method of droplet deposition comprising: altering the volume
of a fluid chamber with a first actuator; damping a fluid response
to said volume alteration with a second actuator.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said altering comprises
compressing said fluid chamber.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said damping comprises
compressing said fluid chamber.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein said compressing is performed
substantially simultaneously.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said compressing is performed
sequentially.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein said altering comprises
electrically actuating a first piece of piezoelectric material, and
wherein said damping comprises electrically actuating a second
piece of piezoelectric material.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said actuating a first piece of
piezoelectric material and actuating a second piece of
piezoelectric material are performed substantially
simultaneously
21. A droplet dispensing apparatus comprising: a fluid chamber; a
first means for altering the volume of said fluid chamber; and a
second means for altering the volume of said fluid chamber, wherein
said second means additionally comprises means for damping a fluid
response to said first means.
22. The droplet dispenser of claim 21, wherein said first and said
second volume altering means comprise piezoelectric material.
23. The droplet dispensing apparatus of claim 22, additionally
comprising a driver circuit connected in parallel to said first and
said second piezoelectric means.
24-26. (Canceled)
27. A droplet dispensing apparatus comprising: a fluid chamber; a
first piezoelectric means for altering the volume of said fluid
chamber; and a second piezoelectric means for damping a fluid
response to said altering.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/210,260, filed on Dec. 10, 1998, by Sasaki,
and entitled "FLUID DISPENSER AND DISPENSING METHODS," the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention pertains to the controlled dispensing of small
volumes of fluid. The invention has particularly advantageous
application to automated and integrated systems and methods for
rapidly identifying chemicals with biological activity in liquid
samples, particularly automated screening of low volume samples for
new medicines, agrochemicals, or cosmetics
[0003] Introduction
[0004] The dispensing of small volumes of fluids is an important
aspect of several different technologies, from various printing
techniques to chemical screening apparatus for drug discovery.
Thus, systems and methods for controllably and accurately
dispensing liquid, especially small liquid samples, can benefit a
number of different fields. The agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and
cosmetic fields all have applications where large numbers of liquid
samples containing chemicals are processed. In some instances, the
processing of liquid samples, such as in pharmaceutical arts, which
usually demands complicated liquid processing for drug discovery,
can obtain throughput rates of approximately 10,000 samples per day
or greater.
[0005] A wide variety of designs for dispensers have been utilized.
In some applications, a piezoelectric actuator is coupled to a
fluid chamber that contains a nozzle for droplet ejection. When the
piezoelectric material is actuated, a droplet of fluid is ejected
through the nozzle. Such a system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.
4,877,745 to Hayes, et al., which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
[0006] This method of droplet ejection includes several
complications, however, such as the production of undesired fluid
responses to actuation which interfere with efficient droplet
ejection. One possible method of damping undesired fluid responses
in a piezoelectrically compressed fluid chamber involves placing
selected materials inside or around the rearward portion of the
fluid chamber that cushion or passively dampen the pressure wave in
the chamber. Some of these techniques are described, for example,
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,832,579 to Arndt, 4,233,610 to Fischbeck et
al., and 4,528,579 to Brescia. However, these passive systems are
relatively expensive to implement, and may need significant
alteration depending on the physical properties of the fluid being
dispensed.
[0007] Another proposed solution to undesired fluid responses,
illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,354 to Perduijn (which is hereby
incorporated into the present disclosure by reference), involves
placing a fluid flow restriction in a portion of the fluid chamber
rearward from the nozzle. A dispensing apparatus with a similar
functional constriction is commercially available from Packard
Instrument Company of Meridan, Connecticut as an accessory to the
MultiProbe 104. The presence of the restriction, however, produces
additional difficulties, such as inhibiting removal of particulate
matter that may become inadvertently introduced into the fluid
chamber. Once a particle gets inside the fluid chamber, it may
become trapped between the small diameter nozzle and small diameter
restriction, thereby clogging the device and interfering with the
proper operation of the dispenser.
[0008] A need therefore exists for efficient droplet dispensing
devices which do not suffer from the above mentioned drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention is directed to method and apparatus for fluid
dispensing. In one embodiment a fluid dispensing apparatus includes
a fluid chamber having an opening for droplet dispensing, a first
actuator mechanically coupled to and configured to alter the volume
of the fluid chamber, and a second actuator mechanically coupled to
and configured to alter the volume the fluid chamber. The apparatus
may also include a driver connected to actuate the first and second
actuators so as to alter the volume of the fluid chamber, whereby a
fluid response produced by the first actuator is damped by the
second actuator. The actuators may comprise piezoelectric actuators
which are actuated substantially simultaneously or
sequentially.
[0010] Methods of droplet dispensing may comprise altering the
volume of a fluid chamber with a first actuator and damping a fluid
response to the volume alteration with a second actuator. In one
specific embodiment, the altering comprises electrically actuating
a first piece of piezoelectric material, and wherein the damping
comprises electrically actuating a second piece of piezoelectric
material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a dispensing device in
accordance with the invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross section of a cylindrical droplet
dispensing device in accordance with the invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross section of a cylindrical drop dispensing
device illustrating one embodiment of the electrical connection
between piezoelectric actuators and a driver circuit.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a graphical illustration of one embodiment of a
voltage waveform suitable for actuating the piezoelectric actuators
of FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a fluid delivery
system into which the dispensers of FIGS. 2 and 3 may be
advantageously incorporated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with
reference to the accompanying Figures, wherein like numerals refer
to like elements throughout. The terminology used in the
description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in
any limited or restrictive manner, simply because it is being
utilized in conjunction with a detailed description of certain
specific embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, embodiments of
the invention may include several novel features, no single one of
which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or which
is essential to practicing the inventions herein described.
[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram representation of a
droplet dispensing device according to one embodiment of the
invention is shown. The device includes a fluid chamber 10. This
fluid chamber 10 includes an opening (not shown in FIG. 1) from
which fluid is ejected. The fluid chamber will also generally be
connected to a large volume source of solvent (not shown in FIG. 1)
for replenishing expelled fluid. The dispensing device may eject
fluid received form this fluid source. In many other instances,
however, the fluid ejected from the nozzle will have previously
been aspirated into the chamber 10 through the nozzle rather than
received from a large volume source.
[0018] Droplets are dispensed from the fluid chamber by altering
the fluid chamber volume with actuators which are mechanically
coupled to the fluid chamber. This may be done by compressing the
chamber so as to squeeze out a droplet, and then letting the
chamber expand to its original volume. This may also be done by
first expanding the chamber so as to draw additional fluid from the
large volume source, and then letting the chamber contract to its
original volume so as to squeeze out a droplet.
[0019] In many prior art designs, when the fluid chamber is
compressed by actuation, the fluid will not only be forced in a
forward direction toward the nozzle, but will also be forced
backward away from the nozzle at the same time. This rearwardly
directed fluid response hinders the capacity of the nozzle directed
fluid response to overcome fluid surface tension at the nozzle.
Droplet ejection can be therefore inefficient and may even be
impossible.
[0020] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, however, the fluid chamber 10
is coupled to two actuators, referred to as a dispensing actuator
12, and a damping actuator 16 (as represented schematically by the
arrows pointing toward the fluid chamber 10). These two actuators
12, 16 together provide efficient droplet dispensing without the
drawbacks associated with prior art dispensing apparati. In some
embodiments, the dispensing actuator 12 may be more closely
associated with the ejection nozzle of the fluid chamber than the
damping actuator 16, and may thus be more directly associated with
droplet ejection. In these embodiments, the damping actuator 16 has
the principal function of damping a fluid response to actuation of
the dispensing actuator 12. The fluid response damped by the
damping actuator 16 may advantageously be a response that otherwise
reduces the efficiency of droplet ejection. It will be appreciated
by those of skill in the art, however, that the labels "dispensing"
and "damping" for the two actuators are not mutually exclusive. In
particular, it will be appreciated that both actuators 12 and 16
are involved in the dispensing function and that each may be
considered to perform a damping function with regard to a fluid
response produced by the other actuator. One beneficial aspect of
the dispensing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, however, is that
fluid responses which inhibit droplet ejection are predominantly
damped, thereby increasing the efficiency of droplet ejection in an
inexpensive manner which avoids problems with prior art
apparatus.
[0021] It will be appreciated by those in the art that a wide
variety of actuators and methods of coupling actuators to fluid
chambers have been devised and are known in the art. In most
instances, the actuators used are made of a piezoelectric material
which expands, bends, leans, or otherwise deforms in response to an
applied voltage. In some cases, the actuators are flexing planar
membranes. In others, the actuator undergoes a piston-like motion
to eject a droplet. In still other cases, the walls of the fluid
chamber are themselves made of a piezoelectric material. It will be
appreciated that each individual actuator 12, 16 and its coupling
to the fluid chamber 10 may be implemented using any actuation
technique which suits the desired dispensing application.
[0022] One specific embodiment of a dispensing apparatus which
utilizes the principles discussed with regard to FIG. 1 above is
illustrated in cross section in FIG. 2. This embodiment comprises a
substantially cylindrical capillary 20 made of any number of
suitable materials such as quartz or glass. The capillary 20 has a
tapered end 22 which terminates in an opening 24 which forms the
nozzle from which droplets of fluid 26 are dispensed.
[0023] Surrounding the capillary 20 are two cylindrical
piezoelectric actuators 28, 30. One of these actuators 28 is
positioned closer to the opening 24 than the other actuator 30. In
operation, the lower actuator 28 may be actuated so as to compress
the region of the capillary 20 inside the lower actuator 28. When
this occurs, pressure waves force fluid both downward toward the
nozzle 24 in the direction of the arrow 32 and upward away from the
nozzle 24 and toward the second actuator 30. The upper actuator 30
may also be actuated, producing pressure waves which force fluid
downward toward the first actuator 28 in the direction of arrow 36
as well as upward out of the second actuator 30 in the direction of
arrow 38.
[0024] The net effect of the actuation of both actuators 28 and 30
is that the fluid response to the first actuator 28 which is
directed upward and away from the nozzle is damped by the presence
of the downwardly directed fluid response produced by the second
actuator 30. This isolates the lower portion of the capillary 20,
prevents significant fluid flow away from the nozzle, and allows
the lower actuator 28 to efficiently produce a pressure pulse in
the region of the nozzle 24 which can overcome the surface tension
of the fluid and eject a droplet 26.
[0025] Several advantages to the designs described herein over the
prior art are apparent. First, no constriction needs to be present
in the capillary 20 in the region upward from the nozzle 24. As
described above, a constriction may be designed to function to
isolate the lower region of the capillary to enhance the efficiency
of droplet ejection, but inhibits the ability to remove trapped
particulates from the system. Also, the constriction adds to the
cost of manufacturing the capillary. In addition, the "virtual
constriction" produced by the second actuator 30 improves
dispensing efficiency so that both actuators 28, 30 can be moved
farther away from the nozzle 24 and still controllably eject fluid
droplets. Moving the actuators further from the nozzle is
advantageous because the capillary 20 may extend further down into
sample wells during aspiration and fluid dispensing.
[0026] In one specific embodiment, the capillary 20 comprises a
quartz tube having an approximately 1 mm outer diameter and an
approximately 0.82 mm inner diameter, tapering down to a nozzle
with a diameter of approximately 70 microns. The actuators 28, 30
comprise approximately 12 mm long cylindrical shells of
piezoelectric material such as lead-zirconium-titanate (PZT) having
an approximately 1.14 mm inner diameter and a 2.13 mm outer
diameter. These dimensions may, of course, vary widely depending on
the desired drop volumes. The actuators may be mounted on the
capillary 20 such that the lowest extent of the lower actuator 28
is more than 10 mm away from the nozzle 24. In some embodiments,
the lowest extent of the lower actuator 28 is more than 20 mm away
from the nozzle 24, with approximately 16 mm away having been found
suitable in one specific embodiment. The actuators 28, 30 may be
separated by anywhere from 0 to 10 or more mm. In one embodiment,
approximately 3 mm has been found suitable. They may be held in
place on the capillary 20 with a small amount of epoxy or other
suitable adhesive.
[0027] Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, actuation of the piezoelectric
actuators 28, 30 will be described. As is well known in the art,
cylindrical piezoelectric actuators may be provided with two
electrodes, one on the inner surface, and one on the outer surface.
The material is polarized radially such that the application of a
voltage of the correct polarity produces a radial expansion of the
material. This expansion may be used to compress a fluid filled
capillary such as is illustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, another
cross section is set forth, again showing the piezoelectric
actuators 28, 30 which surround the capillary 20.
[0028] The actuators 28, 30 are each provided with an outer
electrode 42, 44 respectively and an inner electrode 46, 48
respectively. The electrodes may advantageously comprise a nickel
plating. For convenient access to the inner electrodes 46, 48, it
is common to wrap the inner electrode plating around one end of the
actuator to provide electrode portions 50, 52 which are on the
outer surface of the actuators 28, 30, but which are electrically
connected to the inner electrodes 46, 48. It will be appreciated
that in FIG. 3, the actuators 28, 30, and the electrodes 42, 44,
46, and 48 are shown much thicker than in reality for clarity of
illustration.
[0029] It has been found that simultaneous actuation of both
actuators 28, 30 produces the advantageous features of the dual
actuator configuration described above. Accordingly, and as
illustrated in FIG. 3, the actuators 28, 30 are connected to a
driver circuit in parallel. In particular, a first wire 54 is
soldered to the outer electrode 42 of the first actuator 28 and the
outer electrode 44 of the second actuator 30. In addition, a second
wire 56 is soldered to the inner electrode 46 of the first actuator
28 and the inner electrode 48 of the second actuator 30. The solder
connections to the inner electrode may advantageously be made to
the outer portions 50, 52 of the inner electrodes 46, 48. The wires
54, 56 are connected to a driver circuit which applies a voltage
pulse to the electrodes to compress the capillary 20 and eject the
droplets as described above in conjunction with FIG. 2.
[0030] One embodiment of a voltage waveform which has been found
suitable for use with the dispensing device of FIGS. 2 and 3 is
illustrated in FIG. 4. The pulse shown is applied such that the
positive electrode is on the inner surface of the actuators 28, 30,
and the ground electrode is on the outer surface of the actuators
28, 30. The height 62 of the waveform may be approximately 60 to
150 V with a rise time of about 70 microseconds or less. In
general, with a faster rise time, the height 62 of the pulse may be
reduced while still producing acceptable droplet formation. The
duration 64 of the pulse may be from 20 or 30 microseconds up to
one millisecond or more. 500 microseconds has been found suitable
in one specific embodiment. The pulse is preferably ramped downward
somewhat slowly from its peak value to help eliminate multiple
droplet ejection with a single pulse. In one embodiment, the
voltage drops approximately exponentially to essentially zero in
approximately 1 or more milliseconds, with approximately 2
milliseconds having been found suitable in one embodiment. This
decay can also be significantly shorter than 1 millisecond while
retaining the desired effect.
[0031] Because material and manufacturing variations will affect
droplet size and efficiency of ejection, it can be advantageous to
separately calibrate each dispensing device such that a known
volume of fluid is dispensed with each pulse for each dispensing
device produced. This may be done by measuring drop volume as a
function of pulse height 62, and subsequently driving the device
during use with a pulse having a height determined to produce the
selected drop volume.
[0032] In reagent dispensing environments, for example, it is
usually advantageous to dispense less than approximately 2,000
nanoliters of liquid with each pulse. Preferably, nanoliter
dispensers as described herein can dispense less than approximately
500 nanoliters, more preferably less than approximately 100
nanoliters, and most preferably less than approximately 25
nanoliters. Preferred, minimal volumes dispensed are 5 nanoliters,
500 picoliters, 100 picoliters, 10 picoliters. It is understood
that dispensers capable of dispensing such minimal volumes are also
capable of dispensing greater volumes. The volume dispensed with
each pulse will be largely dependent on the pulse height, capillary
size, and actuator position. Maximum volumes dispensed are about
10.0 microliters, 1.0 microliters, and 200 nanoliters. In the
specific 1 mm outer diameter capillary embodiment described with
reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, dispensed volume will typically
range from approximately 50 to 400 picoliters. Duty cycle may range
from 10 pulses per second to 1000 or more pulses per second,
depending on the driving pulse width illustrated in FIG. 4. In one
specific embodiment, 100 droplet dispenses per second is
utilized.
[0033] Alternative actuator driving schemes may also be used in
addition to the substantially simultaneous driving described above.
For example, it may be desirable to independently drive the
piezoelectric actuators 28, 30. They may, for example, be driven
sequentially. In these embodiments, the upper actuator 30 may be
pulsed slightly ahead of the lower actuator so that the downwardly
directed fluid responses add together to enhance the efficiency of
droplet formation. This may be especially advantageous when more
viscous fluids are being ejected. Different pulse shapes may also
be used for the different actuators. Furthermore, configurations
having three or more simultaneously or sequentially driven
actuators may be utilized.
[0034] As mentioned above, the fluid dispensing apparatus described
with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 finds especially advantageous
application to high throughput chemical screening apparatus. An
example of such an application is presented in FIG. 5. The
dispensing apparatus described above may advantageously be
incorporated into a sample distribution module in a chemical
screening apparatus that can dispense or aspirate large numbers of
solutions, usually small volume solutions. In many instances, the
sample distribution module will hold large numbers of different
stock solutions of chemicals dissolved in aqueous or non-aqueous
solvents (e.g., water or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)) in addressable
chemical wells. To facilitate the rapid transfer of these stock
solutions, it is desirable for the sample distribution module to
aspirate a stock solution from an addressable well and dispense all
or a portion of that solution into an addressable sample well or
another addressable well. This sequence of events can be
progammably controlled to ensure that the stock solution is
aspirated from a pre-selected addressable chemical well and is
dispensed into a pre-selected addressable sample well. A chemical
screening system with these features is described in co-pending and
co-owned PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US98/09526, filed May 14,
1998 and entitled "Systems and Methods for Rapidly Identifying
Useful Chemicals in Liquid Samples" by Stylli et al. This screening
system may advantageously incorporate the droplet dispensing
apparatus described herein. The "Systems and Methods for Rapidly
Identifying Useful Chemicals in Liquid Samples" patent application
is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0035] In one embodiment, the system may comprise a plurality of
nanoliter dispensers that can individually dispense a predetermined
volume. Typically, dispensers are arranged in two-dimension array
to handle plates of different well densities (e.g., 96, 384, 864
and 3,456). In FIG. 5, a 96 dispenser array 70 is illustrated,
shown as 8 sets of 12 dispensers, with each set being designated by
a letter A through H. The dispensers are coupled to a set of feed
lines 71. This coupling may be performed in any number of ways well
known or devisable by those of skill in the art. In one embodiment,
the portion of the dispenser comprising the actuators and wiring
illustrated in FIG. 3 is placed in a hollow plastic casing which
contains integral terminals for the wires 54, 56, and an integral
stainless steel sleeve which has one end that slides snugly over
the end of the capillary 20 opposite the nozzle and has another end
that extends out of the plastic casing. The case is filled with
epoxy potting and cured to secure solder joints between the wires
and the terminals, and to seal the coupling between the quartz
capillary and the stainless steel tube. The feed lines 71 may then
be secured over the stainless steel tubes to provide a sealed fluid
coupling between each dispenser and a source of solvent.
Furthermore, the terminals provided with the plastic casing may be
connected to a driver circuit provided as part of the screening so
as to provide electrical actuation to the piezoelectric elements
inside.
[0036] The dispensers receive solvent such as water or DMSO from a
vented reservoir 72. The vented reservoir includes a liquid level
sensor 74. The height of the solvent in the reservoir 72 is
maintained at a level of approximately 12 to 25 mm below the level
of the nozzles of the dispensers in the array 70. This maintains a
slight negative pressure in the capillary, and results in an
advantageous slightly inwardly directed meniscus in the solvent at
the nozzle of each dispenser.
[0037] The fluid level in the vented reservoir 72 is maintained by
periodic refilling from a large solvent reservoir 76 which is
pressurized by, for example, a source of compressed air 78
regulated to 5 psi. If the level sensor 74 senses too low a level
of solvent in the vented reservoir 72, a valve 80 will route a
portion of the pressurized solvent to the vented reservoir 72.
[0038] Each dispenser in a set of 12 is connected via its
associated feed line 71 to a port on a commercially available
dispenser valve 82. This valve 82 includes a selected outlet 83 and
a common outlet 84. The valve 82 is configured to provide a fluid
coupling between the selected outlet 83 and a user selected port,
while connecting all other ports to the common outlet 84. In FIG.
5, port 85 is "selected", and the remainder are connected to the
"common". The common outlet 84 of the dispenser valve 82 is coupled
to the vented solvent reservoir 72 through a second valve 86. In
this embodiment, the 96 dispensers in the array 70 are fed from 8
separate 16 port dispenser valves, with each dispenser valve
coupled to 12 dispensers. Ports 13-16 of the dispenser valves 82 in
this embodiment are plugged off. The common outlet of each of the 8
dispenser valves is coupled to one of the ports of the 10 port
second valve 86. The selected outlet of each of the eight dispenser
valves is connected to a pressure sensor 87 and to respective
negative pressure devices 88. The eight negative pressure devices
may advantageously comprise syringe pumps.
[0039] As mentioned above, the apparatus preferably will both
aspirate reagent up into the capillaries, and dispense reagent from
the capillaries. Aspiration of 96 samples may be performed by first
selecting port 1 with each dispenser valve 82. With the dispenser
tips placed in the desired sample wells, a volume of fluid is drawn
into the eight capillaries connected to a port 1 of each dispenser
valve using the eight syringe pumps 88. Each syringe pump 88 outlet
is then switched toward a waste container 90, and the solvent taken
up into the syringe pumps 88 during aspiration is deposited
there.
[0040] Next, port 2 is selected with each dispenser valve 82. With
the dispenser tips still in the desired sample wells, a volume of
fluid is drawn into the next eight capillaries using the syringe
pumps 88, and the solvent taken up by the syringe pumps 88 during
aspiration is expelled into a waste container 90. This process is
repeated for ports 3-12 of the dispenser valves.
[0041] To dispense the 96 aspirated samples, the dispenser valves
82 are set to select port 13. This connects all 12 ports 1-12 to
the vented reservoir 72. With the pressure in the capillaries thus
equilibrated to the pressure in the vented reservoir 72, the
actuators are pulsed as described above, and 96 volumes of fluid
are simultaneously dispensed.
[0042] A forward flush process may be performed by sealing and
pressurizing the vented reservoir 72. Pressurization may be
performed by venting the solvent container 72 through a valve 92
which is coupled to both the ambient atmosphere and to the 5 psi
compressed air source 78. During this forward flush procedure, if
the all of the dispenser valves 82 are configured to select port
13, all 96 dispensers will be coupled to the previously vented (but
now pressurized) solvent reservoir 72. A reverse flush process may
be performed by repeating the aspiration technique described above
a desired number of times.
[0043] All publications and patent documents cited herein are
hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if they had
been individually incorporated by reference.
[0044] The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the
invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how
detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be
practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted
that the use of particular terminology when describing certain
features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply
that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to
including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects
of the invention with which that terminology is associated. The
scope of the invention should therefore be construed in accordance
with the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.
* * * * *