Patent ID: 6159188
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A process for consistently delivering units of essentially repeatably uniform and equal quantities of material in a preselected amount of from 1 nanogram to 1000 micrograms of powder or from 1 nanoliter to 100 microliters of liquid or a combination of both powder and liquid to a location of choice, which comprises in combination the steps of:a) selecting the quantity of material to be delivered in units of essentially equal quantities of material in any preselected amount of from 1 nanogram to 1000 micrograms of powder or from 1 nanoliter to 100 microliters of liquid or a combination of both powder and liquid;b) providing a conduit having a back end, a middle portion and a front end;c) providing a reservoir for said material containing an amount of at least the said quantity of material selected and being operatively connected to said middle portion;d) providing at said front end a source of a repeatable, measured amount of gas under from 1 to 1000 pounds per square inch pressure above atmospheric, wherein said gas being selected in a quantity having a relationship with said material quantity expressed as from about 0.003 to 300 parts of gas per every part of liquid by weight and 0.1 to 20,000 parts by weight for powder;e) providing an exit orifice for said back end;f) releasing said pressurized gas in a measured repeatable amount so as to be conveyed through said conduit and to exit through said orifice;g) reducing the pressure of said gas as it passes through said middle portion sufficiently to cause said unit quantity of material to exit said reservoir and be entrained by and mix with said gas in both the middle portion and back end of said conduit;h) expelling said entrained mixture of gas and material through said orifices; andi) conveying said entrained mixture to said location.