Pipette-fillable cartridge

Abstract

A pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body. The fluid reservoir body includes two or more discrete fluid chambers therein. At least one of the fluid chambers contains a pressure compensation device and at least another one of the fluid chambers is devoid of a pressure compensation device. Each of the fluid chambers is in fluid flow communication with a fluid supply via, and each of the fluid chambers have sidewalls and a bottom wall attached to the side walls, wherein the bottom wall slopes toward the fluid supply via. The fluid reservoir body also includes an ejection head support face in fluid flow communication with the fluid chambers for attachment of a fluid ejection device to the ejection head support face for ejecting fluid from the fluid chambers.

Claims

1. A pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body to which a fluid ejection head substrate is attached, the fluid reservoir body comprising: two or more discrete fluid chambers therein, wherein at least one of the two or more discrete fluid chambers contains a pressure compensation device selected from the group consisting of a melamine foam and a felt; two or more discrete fluid chambers therein, wherein at least one of the two or more discrete fluid chambers contains a pressure compensation device selected from the group consisting of a melamine foam and a felt and a cover permanently attached only to the portion of the fluid reservoir body containing the fluid chambers containing the pressure compensation device; and wherein at least another one of the two or more discrete fluid chambers is devoid of a pressure compensation device and is configured to hold fluid obtained from a fluid filled pipette, wherein each of the two or more discrete fluid chambers is in fluid flow communication with a fluid supply via, and wherein each of the two or more discrete fluid chambers have sidewalls and a bottom wall attached to the side walls, wherein the bottom wall slopes toward the fluid supply via; and an ejection head support face in fluid flow communication with two or more discrete fluid chambers for attachment of a fluid ejection device to the ejection head support face for ejecting fluid from the two or more discrete fluid chambers.

2. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein the sloped bottom wall has an angle ranging from about 6 to about 12 degrees relative to a plane orthogonal to the sidewalls.

3. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, comprising four fluid chambers therein, wherein the four fluid chambers are separated from one another by dividing walls therebetween.

4. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir body comprises a transparent fluid reservoir body.

5. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 4, wherein the fluid reservoir body further comprises indicia thereon for indicating a maximum fluid fill volume for each of the fluid chambers devoid of a pressure compensation device.

6. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein a hinged cover section is disposed over one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of a pressure compensation device.

7. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein the cover permanently attached to the fluid reservoir body adjacent to the fluid chambers containing the pressure compensation device further comprises air vent channels therein.

8. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, further comprising a removable tape configured for covering the one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of the pressure compensation device.

9. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of the pressure compensation device has a fluid volume ranging from about 200 microliters to about 1 milliliter.

10. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of the pressure compensation device further comprises a shelf for indicating a fluid fill volume limit.

11. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more discrete fluid chambers containing the pressure compensation device further comprises a fluid filter disposed between the pressure compensation device and the fluid supply via.

12. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir body comprises a semi-transparent molded fluid reservoir body adjacent to the one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of the pressure compensation device.

13. The pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 12, wherein the fluid reservoir body further comprises indicia thereon in a transparent area of the fluid reservoir body for indicating a maximum fluid fill volume of the one or more discrete fluid chambers devoid of the pressure compensation device.

14. A digital fluid dispense system comprising the pipette-fillable fluid reservoir body of claim 1, wherein the pressure compensation device prevents drooling of fluid from the fluid ejection device during operation of the digital dispense system thereby improving accuracy of fluid dispensed into wells of a micro-well plate or onto glass slides.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view, not to scale, of a digital dispense system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view, not to scale, of adapters for slides and microwell plates for use with the digital dispense system of FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view, not to scale, of a pipette fillable cartridge according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(4) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3.

(5) FIG. 5 is a top plan view, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 showing filter towers therein.

(6) FIG. 6 is a top plan view, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 with a cover attached over pressure-compensated chambers of the cartridge.

(7) FIG. 7 is a top plan view, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 showing fluid vias in fluid chambers of the cartridge.

(8) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional, elevational view, not to scale of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 showing slanted bottom walls of fluid chambers.

(9) FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 showing removable tapes thereon.

(10) FIGS. 10-11 are top perspective views, not to scale, of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIG. 3 showing a hinged cover according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(11) FIGS. 12-13 are close-up perspective views, not to scale, the hinged cover of the pipette fillable cartridge of FIGS. 10 and 11.

(12) FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of an alternative pipette fillable cartridge according to the disclosure.

(13) FIGS. 15-20 are schematic illustrations of pipette fillable cartridges containing different fluids according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(14) With reference to FIGS. 1-2 there is shown a digital dispense device 10 for accurately dispensing an amount of one or more fluids onto a substrate. Unlike the high-end digital dispense devices, the device 10 of the present invention is based on an ejection head that moves back and forth in a first x direction and a tray 14 for moving a substrate that moves back and forth in a second y direction orthogonal to the first direction during the fluid dispense operation. The disclosed device 10 can accept open and closed dispense heads rather than just open dispense heads. The tray 14 is adaptable to a wide variety of substrates including, but not limited to, micro-well plates, glass slides, electronic circuit boards and the like. FIG. 2 illustrates a tray 14 for holding a micro-well plate 38 containing wells 42 therein for use with the digital dispense device 10 to dispense fluid into the wells 42 of the micro-well plate 38 or onto the glass slides. The tray 14 may include adapters for different size micro-well plates or for holding glass slides or other substrates for deposit of fluid thereon.

(15) The dispense head cartridge containing a fluid ejection head and a cartridge movement mechanism are contained in a rectangular prism-shaped box 18. An activation switch 20 is included on the box 18 for activating the device 10. A rear side of the box 18 includes an opening for movement of the tray 14 through the box 18 in the second direction to dispense fluid onto a substrate. A USB port is provided on the box 18 to connect the digital dispense system 10 to a computer or a digital display device. Power is provided to the system 10 through a power input port on the box 18.

(16) Fluid cartridges and components thereof for use with the digital dispense device 10 of FIG. 1 are illustrated in FIGS. 3-20. FIG. 3 is a perspective view, not to scale of a pipette-fillable fluid cartridge 50 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. An advantage of the pipette-Tillable fluid cartridge 50 described herein is that the cartridge 50 has substantially the same size dimensions as that of a conventional ink jet printer cartridge. Accordingly, the digital dispense device 10 described above, may include conventional ink jet printing hardware and software adapted for moving the tray 14 containing a micro-well plate 38 or glass slides through the device 10.

(17) As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 4, the cartridge 50 has a molded body 52 that provides two or more fluid chambers 54A, 54B, 54C, and 54D therein. At least one of the fluid chambers 54A-54D contains a pressure compensation device 56 such as a melamine foam or felt insert or a spring-assisted bladder (not shown). In the example shown in FIG. 4, each of the fluid chambers 54C and 54D contains a pressure compensation device 56. In some embodiments, fluid chambers 54C and 54D also contain a fluid filter 60 attached to a filter tower 62C-62D (FIG. 5) in fluid flow communication with the pressure compensation device 56 and fluid supply vias for providing filtered fluid to a fluid ejection head 84. In other embodiments, only one of the fluid chambers 54C or 54D contains the pressure compensation device 56. In other embodiments, there is a single fluid chamber 54C containing the pressure compensation device 56. In other embodiments, the cartridge contains three chambers containing the fluid compensation device 56 and one chamber that is devoid of the pressure compensation device. For simplicity purposes, the cartridge 50 having two chambers 54C and 54D containing pressure compensation devices and two chambers 54A and 54B devoid of a pressure compensation device will be described.

(18) In order to prevent fluid from leaking, drying out or spilling from the pressure compensated fluid chambers 54C and 54D, a cover 58 is fixedly or removably attached to the body 52 of the fluid cartridge 50. In some embodiments, the cover 58 may be a snap-fit or press-fit cover 58. In other embodiments, the cover 58 may be permanently attached to the molded body 52 after the chambers 54C and 54D are filled with fluid. Accordingly, fluid chambers 54C and 54D may be prefilled with a testing or buffer fluid such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or any other common biochemical test fluid. If the removable cover 58 is used, the chambers 54C and 54D may be filled by the user with the buffer or test fluid prior to use of the cartridge 50. One or more of the remaining fluid chambers 56A and 56B devoid of the pressure compensation device 56 may be filled and/or refilled with a fluid from a pipette at the time of use of the cartridge 50.

(19) FIGS. 6 and 7 are top down views of the cartridge 50 with and without the cover 58 in place. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, there is a fluid supply via 64A, 64B, 64C, and 64D associated with each of the chambers 54A-54D. Fluid Supply vias 64C and 64D are in flow communication with the filter towers 62C and 62D as shown in FIG. 5. Dividing walls 66A and 66B separate the chambers 54A-54D from one another. Bottom walls of each of the chambers 54A-5D are sloped toward the fluid supply vias 64A-64D. FIG. 8 is a front end, cross-sectional view, of the cartridge 50 illustrating the slope of the bottom walls of chambers 54A and 54B. The slope of the bottom walls 70A and 70B relative to horizontal planes in the x and y directions may range from about 4 to about 20 degrees, such as from about 6 to about 12 degrees relative to planes in the x and y directions that are orthogonal to the dividing wall 66A.

(20) Referring again to FIG. 6, the cover 58 may also contain serpentine air-flow paths 72 to aid in venting air from the covered chambers 54C and 54D during storage and use of the cartridge to prevent over-pressurization of the chambers 54C and 54D. Air inlets 74C and 74D provide air flow communication between the chambers 54C and 5D and the air flow paths 72. The air flow paths are typically covered by a non-removable tape 76 (FIG. 4). A terminal end 78 of the air flow paths 72 is vented to the atmosphere.

(21) Referring again to FIG. 4, a pull tape 80 is removably attached to the cartridge 50 to cover the open fluid chambers 54A and 54B during shipping and storage of the cartridge 50. The pull tape 80 is attached to an ejection head protection tape 82 that covers the ejection head 84 prior to use of the cartridge 50. The ejection head 84 is attached to the cartridge body 52 adjacent the fluid supply vias 64A-64D and to a flexible circuit 86 that provides power to the ejection head 84. The flexible circuit 86 is also attached to a front side of the cartridge body 52. FIG. 9 provides a bottom view of the cartridge 50 with the pull tape 80, ejection head tape 82, ejection head 84, and flexible circuit 86 attached to the cartridge body 52.

(22) In another embodiments, illustrated in FIGS. 10-13, a cover 90 having a hinged portion 90A and a fixed portion 90B is attached to the body 52 of the cartridge 50 described above. The hinged portion 90A is configured to cover pipette chambers 54A and 54B to protect the chambers from dust and debris. If highly volatile fluids are inserted into chambers 54A or 54B, the hinged portion 90A may also prevent or reduce evaporation of the fluid from the chambers. The hinged portion 90A of the cover 90 may be snap-fit or press-fit to the body 52 of the cartridge 50. When the chambers 54A and 54B are sealed with the hinged portion 90A as shown in FIG. 12, the hinged portion 90A lies in the same plane as the fixed portion 90B of the cover 90. Accordingly, the cover portions 90A and 90B have substantially the same thickness. However, where the portion 90A joins the portion 90B, the cover material is thinned to provide hinges 92A and 92B as shown in FIG. 13. In other embodiments, a single wide hinge may be used rather than two hinges, as shown. Accordingly, the entire cover 90 may be molded from a single resilient plastic material. The fixed portion 90B of the cover may be welded or glued to the body 52 of the cartridge, or, in some embodiments, may be removably attached to the body 52 of the cartridge. During use, the hinged portion 90A may be flipped up so that fluid(s) can be pipetted into the chambers 54A and/or 54B.

(23) In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, the cartridge body 100 may be made of a transparent or translucent material so that a level of fluid in chambers 54A-54D may be determined when the chambers are covered by cover 90. Accordingly, indicia 102 may be etched or otherwise inscribed on an external sidewall of the cartridge body 100 so that the fluid level in chambers 54A-D may be readily determined.

(24) Methods for using the pipette fillable cartridges described above are illustrated schematically in FIGS. 15-20. A side schematic view of a cartridge 104 containing at least one closed, pressure compensated chamber 106 is illustrated in FIG. 15. The pressure compensated chamber(s) 106 include a melamine foam or felt or a bladder to provide backpressure control of fluid in chamber 106. Chamber 106 is in direct flow communication with the ejection head 84 and is pre-filled or filled on site with fluid 107. A pipette 108 may be used to fill the open chamber 110 with a fluid 112 as shown. FIG. 16 is a top plan view of cartridge 104 showing pressure compensated chamber 106 containing fluid 107 and open chamber 110 containing pipetted fluid 112. Accordingly, cartridge 104 may be used when only two fluids are required for a particular analysis. It will be appreciated that chamber 106 may be two chambers rather than a single chamber, both containing a pressure compensation device as described above.

(25) In FIG. 17, the cartridge 200 has three fluid chambers. The cartridge 200 includes a single or dual closed chamber 202 containing a pressure compensation device and a pre-filled or user filled fluid 204, and open chambers 206 and 208 for pipetted fluids 210 and 212 from the pipette device 108.

(26) FIGS. 18-20 illustrate variations on the above cartridges, for ejecting 3 or 4 different fluids. Cartridge 300 contains closed, pressure compensated chambers 302 and 304 which may be prefilled or filled on site with different fluids 306 and 308 to from filter towers through fluid vias associated with chambers 302 and 304 as shown in FIG. 5. Chambers 310 and 312 may be filled from a pipette device 108 with fluids 314 and 316.

(27) FIG. 19 illustrates a cartridge 400 for ejecting three different fluids. Cartridge 400 contains closed, pressure compensated chambers 402 and 404 which may be prefilled or filled on site with fluids 406 and 408. Unlike the embodiment in FIG. 18, chamber 410 may also be a closed chamber with a filter tower and filter leading from the pressure compensated chamber 402 to dispense fluid 406. In that case, there is a single open chamber 412 for fluid 414 from pipette 108. Thus, the cover, 90 described above, may be modified to have a single hinged portion that is openable over chamber 412. In other embodiments, both chambers 410 and 412 are open chambers and fluid 406 is pipetted into chamber 410 at the time of use of the cartridge.

(28) FIG. 20 illustrates an alternate embodiment, for ejecting three different fluids from a pipette fillable cartridge 500. The cartridge 500 contains closed, pressure compensated chambers 502 and 504 which may be prefilled or filled on site with fluid 506. Open chambers 508 and 510 may be filled with fluids 512 and 514 from pipette 108 as described above. It will be appreciated that other variations of the pipette fillable cartridges, by those skilled in the art, may be contemplated within the scope of the foregoing descriptions.

(29) In some embodiments, the digital dispense system 10 containing the pipette fillable cartridges described above may be used to deposit fluid into microwell plates. Filling of microwell plates for experimentation can be a time-consuming manual task. It is desirable to be able to deposit fluid into multiple wells at the same time to decrease the time required to prepare the microwell plate. Conventional digital dispense systems exist, however the conventional systems have dispense heads arranged in a linear fashion along a single axis. The dispense head chips containing fluid ejectors are placed individually on such dispense heads. The present disclosure provides an improved fluid dispense system 10 by combining multiple arrays of fluid ejectors disposed in a two-dimensional matrix on a single ejection head chip 84. Such two-dimensional matrix enables the time to fill wells in the microwell plate to be significantly decreased. The two-dimensional matrix may also improve registration between the fluid ejectors and the microwell plate since the ejection head containing the two-dimensional array of fluid ejectors is formed through photolithography techniques rather than mechanically placing individual ejection heads onto an ejection head substrate.

(30) Accordingly, the digital dispense system 10 according to the disclosure can be used to deposit fluid into wells of a microwell plate, onto slides, onto circuit board substrates, or onto other substrates using the fluid cartridges described above. The ejection head chip 84 containing multiple arrays of fluid ejectors provides improved registration accuracy allowing for more precise filling of microwell plates, placement of droplets on a glass slide, or deposition of fluids on a circuit board substrate.

(31) While the foregoing embodiments particularly described fluid cartridges having one to six fluid chambers, it will be appreciated that each fluid cartridge may be configured to dispense a single fluid, or two or more different fluids.

(32) It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent. As used herein, the term “include” and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

(33) For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages or proportions, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

(34) While particular embodiments have been described, alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents that are or can be presently unforeseen can arise to applicants or others skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims as filed and as they can be amended are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents.