Patent ID: 9121551
Filing Date: 2015-09-01
Classification: B01L,F17D,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for collecting a droplet attached on an external surface of a needle into a capillary tube, the method comprising steps of: (a) preparing a substrate comprising: a capillary tube; a flexible thin film; a liquid-repellent film; and a hole, wherein the substrate comprises the capillary tube on the surface thereof or in the inside thereof, the longitudinal direction of the capillary tube is parallel to a surface of the substrate, the liquid-repellent film is formed on the flexible thin film, the liquid-repellent film and the flexible thin film have widths WA and WB, respectively, when viewed in a cross-sectional view which appears by cutting the substrate along a Z-direction, the Z-direction represents a normal direction of the surface of the substrate, the widths WA and WB satisfy the following relationship (I): the hole is formed in the Z-direction, an upper end of the hole is covered by the liquid-repellent film and the flexible thin film; and (b) moving the needle in the Z-direction in such a manner that the needle penetrates the liquid-repellent film and the flexible thin film in this order, so as to move the droplet from the external surface of the needle to the surface of the liquid-repellent film, wherein the droplet which has been disposed on the surface of the liquid-repellent film has a width WL in the cross-sectional view; and (c) allowing the droplet which has been disposed on the surface of the liquid-repellent film in the step (b) to arrive at an inlet of the capillary tube by moving the needle more in the Z-direction to continue to penetrate the liquid-repellent film and the flexible thin film with an increase of the width WL, so as to suck the droplet into the capillary tube by a capillary phenomenon.