Patent ID: 6723569
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: B01L,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of transferring drops of liquid on to a substrate comprising dipping a dropping pin into a source of liquid to be transferred, removing the dropping pin from the source of liquid, and transferring drops of liquid from the dropping pin to one or more substrates, wherein a surface of the dropping pin for contact with the liquid has a first region comprising a capillary channel leading to a reservoir located within the dropping pin and exhibiting an affinity to the liquid to be transferred, and a second region located about the entrance to the capillary channel and exhibiting a lower affinity to the liquid to be transferred than the first region, the relative affinities of the first and second regions for the liquid to be transferred being selected such that when the dropping tool is dipped into and then removed from a source of the liquid to be transferred, the liquid adheres to the first region without substantially any adherence of the liquid to the second region.