EP0268237A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and process for reagent fluid dispensing and printing
Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
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Filing: 1987-11-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-11-16
Abstract
Abstract A system for printing and dispensing chemical reagents in precisely controlled volumes onto a medium at a precisely controlled location. A jetting tube, comprising an orifice at one end and a fluid receiving aperture at the other end. is concentrically mounted within a cylindrical piezo-electric transducer. The fluid receiving aperture is connected to a reservoir containing a selected reagent by means of a filter. The reservoir is pressurized by a regulated air supply. An electrical signal of short duration is applied to the transducer. The pulse causes the transducer and the volume defined by the jetting tube to expand, thereby drawing in a small quantity of reagent i fluid. The cessation of the pulse causes the transducer and the volume of the jetting tube to de-expand, thereby causing at least a substantially uniformly sized droplet of reagent fluid to be propelled through the orifice. The droplet may be directed to impact a printing medium or collected in a dispensing recepticle.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald J. Hayes
- 👤 David B. Wallace
- 👤 Donald J. Verlee
- 👤 Kenneth R. Houseman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:50
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/10; G01N35/1095; G01N1/00; G01N1/02; G01N1/10; B; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/0046; B01J4/00; B01J4/02; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/02; B01L3/0241; B01L3/0268; B82; B82Y; B82Y30/00; G01F; G01F11/00; G01F11/02; G01F11/08; G01F11/088; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/00274; B01J2219/00277; B01J2219/00351; B01J2219/00378; B01J2219/00583; B01J2219/00603; B01J2219/00659; B01J2219/00677; C; C40; C40B; C40B60/00; C40B60/14; G01N2035/1027; G01N2035/1034; G01N2035/1041
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A dispensing system for use in diagnostic instruments for precise metering of a desired diagnostic fluid, the system comprising: a jetting chamber defining a volume and comprising a first and second aperture, the first aperture adapted to receive diagnostic fluid. the second aperture defining an orifice: a transducer in mechanical communication with the jetting chamber, the transducer operative to alternately expand and de-expand the volume of the jetting chamber in response to a selected electrical pulse and thereby cause the jetting chamber to omit a substantially uniformly sized droplet of diagnostic fluid through the orifice; and means for generating a number of electrical pulses sufficient to cause a desired quantity of the diagnostic fluid to be dispensed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A dispensing system for use in diagnostic instruments for precise metering of a desired diagnostic fluid, the system comprising: a jetting chamber defining a volume and comprising a first and second aperture, the first aperture adapted to receive diagnostic fluid. the second aperture defining an orifice: a transducer in mechanical communication with the jetting chamber, the transducer operative to alternately expand and de-expand the volume of the jetting chamber in response to a selected electrical pulse and thereby cause the jetting chamber to omit a substantially uniformly sized droplet of diagnostic fluid through the orifice; and means for generating a number of electrical pulses sufficient to cause a desired quantity of the diagnostic fluid to be dispensed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the system further comprises: at least one additional jetting chamber in fluid communication with an additional diagnostic fluid; at least one additional transducer in mechanical communication with the additional jetting chamber; at least one additional means for applying an electrical pulse to the additional transducer; means for generating respective numbers of electrical pulses sufficient to cause precise quantities of the diagnostic fluids to be dispensed in a desired volumetric ratio; and a receptacle adapted for and positioned to receive the fluids.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the system further comprises: means for directing at least one of (1) the receptacle and (2) the emitted diagnostic fluid and the emitted addi-tional diagnostic fluid such that desired quantities of the fluids are dispensed into the receptacle in a predefined dispensing order.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein one of the diagnostic fluids comprises serum and wherein the jetting chambers cooperate such that the other diagnostic fluid is emitted in a manner to contact and mix with the serum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the jetting chamber comprises a cylindrical tube and wherein the trans-ducer is mounted concentrically about the cylindrical tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the jetting chamber is conically shaped.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the jetting chamber comprises at least one chamber wall which is integrally formed with the transducer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the transducer is one of (1) a piezo-electric transducer; (2) a magneto-strictive transducer; (3) an electro-strictive transducer; and (4) an electro-mechanical transducer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the jetting chamber is conically shaped; and wherein the transducer is disc shaped and forms the base of the conically shaped jetting chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the orifice comprises an end face and the end face is coated with a hydrophobic polymer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the transducer is cylindrically shaped and comprises a first electrode located on the inner wall of the cylinder and wraps around one end of the cylinder and wherein a second electrode is located substantially on the outer wall of the cylinder and is electrically isolated from the first electrode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the means for generating produces an electrical pulse of selected rise and fall time constants and of selected duration, voltage and polarity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the means for generating the electrical pulse comprises means for scaling the voltage of the pulse in response to a selectable digital value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of Claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for directing the emitted diagnostic fluid along a desired path.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of dispensing precise quantities of diagnostic fluids comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electrical pulse of predefined characteristics; (b) reducing the volume of a chamber containing the diagnostic fluid by electro-mechanical means in response to the electrical pulse such that a droplet of fluid of known volume is propelled tnrougn an orifice in the chamber; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a desired quantity of the diagnostic fluid has been dispensed
Claim 17
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of dispensing precise quantities of diagnostic fluids comprising the steps of: (a) generating an electrical pulse of predefined characteristics; (b) reducing the volume of a chamber containing the diagnostic fluid by electro-mechanical means in response to the electrical pulse such that a droplet of fluid of known volume is propelled tnrougn an orifice in the chamber; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a desired quantity of the diagnostic fluid has been dispensed
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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