| US 7,467,751 B2 | ||
| Methods and apparata for precisely dispensing microvolumes of fluids | ||
| Bradley James Larson, Madison, Wis. (US); Chung Hoon Lee, Ithaca, N.Y. (US); Amit Lal, Ithaca, N.Y. (US); and Max G. Lagally, Madison, Wis. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, Wis. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 22, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/64,226. | ||
| Application 11/064226 is a continuation of application No. 10/271250, filed on Oct. 15, 2002, granted, now 6,874,699. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0156056 A1, Jul. 21, 2005 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. B05B 1/08 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 239—102.1 [239/102.2; 239/86; 239/589.1; 422/100; 422/930; 73/1.74; 73/863.01; 73/864.22; 347/46; 347/47] | 29 Claims |
| 1. A fluid dispensation apparatus comprising:
a. a nozzle which circumferentially surrounds an interior passage, the interior passage extending along a passage axis between
a dispensing end and an opposite end, and wherein the area of the interior passage at the dispensing end is smaller than the
area of the interior passage at the opposite end;
b. an ultrasonic actuator coupled to less than the entirety of the nozzle's outer circumference; wherein:
(1) no portion of the ultrasonic actuator extends about the entirety of the nozzle's circumference; and
(2) at the location where the ultrasonic actuator is coupled to the nozzle's outer circumference, the remainder of the nozzle's
outer circumference is not in contact with any structure, whereby no structure rests in contact with the nozzle's outer circumference
opposite the ultrasonic actuator;
c. a substrate mount situated adjacent to the dispensing end,
wherein upon activation of the ultrasonic actuator, fluid resting within the interior passage of the nozzle is ejected from
the nozzle's dispensing end toward the substrate mount.
|