Patent ID: 6083762
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: B01J,B01L,C40B,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A system for aspirating a sample liquid and ejecting subnanoliter droplets of the aspirated sample liquid, said system comprising:a resilient dispensing element having a passage therethrough, said passage having a volume and having a dispensing end and a system end, said dispensing end having a passage tip opening;a container for holding a system liquid;means for advancing the system liquid to fill said passage and for retracting said system liquid away from said passage tip opening to aspirate the sample liquid through the dispensing tip opening into said passage; and,means for continually resiliently deforming said resilient dispensing element so as to constrict the volume of said passage at a location and for a time period sufficient to create, in response to each such deforming, a controlled volume subnanoliter droplet of the sample liquid and to eject said subnanoliter droplet from said passage tip opening.