Patent ID: 11919001
Assignee: SPHERE FLUIDICS LIMITED
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A microfluidic droplet dispensing system, the system comprising:
a droplet feed line to carry droplets for dispensing;
a first dispensing line to carry dispensing fluid for dispensing the droplets;
a droplet outlet line coupled to a droplet outlet;
a spacing line to carry further dispensing fluid for spacing the droplets;
a flow restriction line;
a first pressure source to provide pressurized dispensing fluid to said dispensing line to eject droplets from said droplet outlet
a first junction where the flow restriction line, the dispensing line, and the droplet outlet line intersect, the first junction having a first input to receive a flow of droplets from the flow restriction line, having a second input to receive a flow of pressurized dispensing fluid from said dispensing line and having an output to said droplet outlet line, wherein the first junction is downstream of the first pressure source and the dispensing line;
a waste line intersecting said droplet outlet line at a waste line junction between said first junction and said droplet outlet, wherein the waste line junction is downstream of the first junction;
a droplet dispensing valve between said first pressure source and said dispensing line to control the ejection of droplets from said droplet outlet;
a second pressure source to provide pressurized dispensing fluid to the spacing line;
a second junction where the droplet feed line, the spacing line, and the flow restriction line intersect, the second junction having a first input to receive a flow of droplets from said droplet feed line, having, a second input to receive a flow of dispensing fluid from said spacing line, and having an output to the flow restriction line, wherein the second junction is downstream of the droplet feed line and the spacing line, and where the second junction is upstream of the flow restriction line and the first junction; and
wherein the flow restriction line extends between the output of said second junction and the first input of said first junction to restrict a volume flow from said second junction into said first junction.