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  Delivery of metered amounts of liquid materialsRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry: Analytical And Immunological Testing, Including Sample Preparation, Volumetric Liquid TransferDelivery of metered amounts of liquid materials description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060240566, Delivery of metered amounts of liquid materials. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional (and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 120) of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/184,502, filed Jun. 26, 2002. The disclosure of the prior application is considered part of (and is incorporated by reference in) the disclosure of this application. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This disclosure relates to delivery of metered amounts of liquid materials. BACKGROUND [0003] Precision delivery methods for fabrication of microarrays, including DNA and other nucleic acid microarrays, antibody and other protein microarrays and the like, utilize one of two different approaches. One approach, represented by the Gene Chip processing of Affymetrix, utilizes photochemical processing adapted from semiconductor technology. Wafer masking techniques are used for serial deposition of desired reagents at predetermined locations on a surface. Due to the spatial specificity of the manufacturing process, photochemical processing has a high degree of accuracy and reproducibility. However, the process tends to be both inflexible and expensive, making it not useful for innovative, small-scale laboratory research purposes. [0004] The other approach is printing, either impact printing or inkjet printing. While potentially offering flexibility and low cost, printing has serious drawbacks. For both impact and inkjet printing, minimum spot size and reliability are limitations. Only about 40,000 individual spots can be printed on a standard microscope slide, for example, with a spot size of 150 microns. Also, printing techniques tend to waste a large portion of material, generally more than seventy-five percent of the starting material. Further, impact printing requires frequent replacement of hollow pins which are used to draw up liquid and "print" the liquid on a slide. SUMMARY [0005] In one aspect, a liquid delivery apparatus is disclosed having a housing including a bore and a pin that includes a tip that is movably disposed within the bore. A reservoir having a port with an opening is adjacent to a side of the bore. The reservoir is for holding a liquid material for delivery to the opening of the pin. A first actuator is coupled to the reservoir to dispense a metered amount of the liquid material from the reservoir to the opening. A second actuator is coupled to the pin to provide controlled movement of the pin within the bore, such that during operation the dispensed liquid material adheres to the tip of the pin as the tip passes the opening. The second actuator provides for controlled vibration of the pin to separate the dispensed liquid material from the tip of the pin at a determined position. [0006] In the aforesaid apparatus, the first actuator and/or second actuator may comprise a piezoelectric-stack. The pin may comprise an optical fiber. A light sensor can be coupled to the pin which can, during its operation, measure light intensity transmitted through the pin. The light intensity that is measured by the light sensor may provide an indication of the position of the pin in the bore. [0007] A light sensor can be coupled to the pin. The sensor can comprise a beam splitter, a light source, and a first and second photodetector. During operation of light sensor, the first photodetector can detect light transmitted from the light source and reflected from the beam splitter and the second photodetector can detect light from the pin and reflected from the beam splitter. The apparatus also can include a means for indicating a position of the pin in the bore, the means is coupled to the pin. The apparatus also can include a means for indicating the amount of size of the dispensed liquid material. [0008] In light of the above techniques, the following advantages are possible. The techniques can use a pin, such as light transmissive pin, to deliver predetermined amounts of liquid materials onto a surface by means of integrated sensing and control. An example of a light transmissive pin can include an optical fiber. The techniques can be used for such purposes as the preparation of nucleic acid microarrays, for microscopic markers, for micro-surgery or for pharmaceutical processing and drug discovery manipulations, or other purposes. This is accomplished without having the pin come into contact with the target surface, thus avoiding the high cost of replacing impact pins. [0009] Moreover, the techniques may deliver precise metered liquids onto a surface with a controllable spot size. For example, using microstages to control the operation of the pin may allow the pin to be precisely position over the target surface. This may be accomplished at a low cost and with ease of operation. In addition, it may be possible to make efficient use of delivered liquids and avoid any waste of the liquid that is ejected from the reservoir. For example, the metered liquid sample adheres to the tip of the pin which is then delivered to the target surface. The use of a control system and position stages to control the operation of the liquid delivery apparatus may provide for a low cost, high yield, and flexible solution to the delivery of liquid onto a target surfaces. [0010] Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-section diagram of an embodiment of a liquid delivery system. [0012] FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate embodiments of a light sensor in the liquid delivery system. [0013] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system for the liquid delivery system. [0014] FIG. 4 is a table listing examples of light intensity values at different times during the operation of the liquid delivery system. [0015] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the operation of the liquid delivery system. [0016] FIGS. 6A-6G illustrate the operation of an embodiment of a liquid delivery system during different stages of operation. [0017] FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate embodiments of the pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0018] FIG. 1 shows a liquid delivery system 1 that includes a positioning stage 2 coupled to a liquid delivery apparatus 3. The liquid delivery apparatus 3 uses a sensing and delivery pin 7 in combination with a sensor 10 to deliver a liquid sample 23 from a reservoir 12 to a target area 11a on a target surface 11. An example of a pin can include a light transmissive pin such as a fiber optic. In one embodiment, the liquid delivery apparatus 3 can deliver liquid materials including nucleic acids, proteins, polypeptides, or other materials to precise areas such as the target spots on a microarray. Liquid materials may include, for example, pure liquid compounds, mixtures, solutions, emulsions or dispersions. The liquid delivery apparatus 3 is capable of depositing liquid materials onto the preselected areas without coming into contact with the target surface 11. Continue reading about Delivery of metered amounts of liquid materials... Full patent description for Delivery of metered amounts of liquid materials Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Delivery of metered amounts of liquid materials patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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