초록 ▼

This invention relates to 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 cyli

This invention relates to 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 may be 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 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.

대표청구항 ▼

A diagnostic analyzing system comprising: means for positioning and containing at least one of (1) a diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) a sample; and means for precisely metering and dispensing the other one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample to interact with the positioned one of the

A diagnostic analyzing system comprising: means for positioning and containing at least one of (1) a diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) a sample; and means for precisely metering and dispensing the other one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample to interact with the positioned one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample, the metering and dispensing means comprising: a jetting chamber defining a volume and comprising a first and second aperture, the first aperture adapted to receive the other one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample, 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 propel a reproducibly sized droplet of the other one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample from the orifice; means for generating a number of electrical pulses sufficient to cause a precise quantity of the other one of the (1) diagnostic reagent fluid and (2) sample to be dispensed; and means for detecting reaction results produced by the interaction of the diagnostic reagent fluid and sample.