초록

Liquid-transfer equipment and method for dispensing liquid reagents for chemical assays, which equipment and method provide time-controlled metering of the quantity of liquid dispensed even though the liquid supply reservoir is not pressurized.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for dispensing metered amounts of liquid comprising: providing a deformable pumping chamber containing a liquid to be dispensed; applying a positive pressure to the exterior surface of said deformable pumping chamber while blocking the flow of liquid from said pumping chamber to a dispenser

A method for dispensing metered amounts of liquid comprising: providing a deformable pumping chamber containing a liquid to be dispensed; applying a positive pressure to the exterior surface of said deformable pumping chamber while blocking the flow of liquid from said pumping chamber to a dispenser means; coupling the interior of said pumping chamber to said dispenser means for a predetermined period of time while maintaining the positive pressure to the exterior surface of said deformable pumping chamber, the positive pressure applied to the exterior surface of said pumping chamber causing said pumping chamber to contract resulting in a metered amount of liquid being dispensed from said pumping chamber to said dispenser means during said predetermined period of time; blockling the flow of said liquid from said pumping chamber to said dispenser means after said predetermined priod of time; and reducing the pressure applied to the exterior surface of said deformable pumping chamber to allow said pumping chamber to expand, the resulting reduced pressure within said expanded pumping chamber causing liquid within a supply means coupled to said pumping chamber to be withdrawn from said supply means into said pumping chamber for refilling said pumping chamber with said liquid.