Droplet dispensing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018272334-A1
Application number	US-201815891166-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a droplet dispensing apparatus include a droplet ejecting array having a plurality of nozzles from which solution can be ejected into a microplate on a baseplate, a sensor configured to detect a solution amount in the microplate, and a controller configured to detect that a nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning during a solution ejection process based on an initial solution amount in the microplate and a final solution amount in the microplate as detected by the sensor, and control a supplemental droplet dispensing operation in which an additional solution amount is ejected into the microplate based on the initial solution amount and the final solution amount in the microplate.

First claim

what is claimed is:

1 . A droplet dispensing apparatus comprising:
a droplet ejecting array having a plurality of nozzles from which solution can be ejected into a microplate on a baseplate; a sensor configured to detect a solution amount in the microplate; and a controller configured to:
detect that a nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning during a solution ejection process based on an initial solution amount in the microplate and a final solution amount in the microplate as detected by the sensor, and
control a supplemental droplet dispensing operation in which an additional solution amount is ejected into the microplate based on the initial solution amount and the final solution amount in the microplate.

2 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to calculate the additional solution amount as a difference between a predetermined solution amount and the solution amount as detected by the sensor.

3 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor is a scale configured to weigh the microplate on the baseplate to determine the solution in the microplate, and the controller is further configured to:
calculate an expected weight decrease due to drying during the solution ejection processing based on an initial weight of the microplate on the baseplate and a reference weight of the microplate on the baseplate as measured after a predetermined time after the initial weight is measured, and
signal at least one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning, when a final weight of the microplate is less than the initial weight plus any expected weight increase due to droplets ejected during the solution ejection processing minus the expected weight reduction due to drying.

4 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor is a scanner configured to measure a transparency of the microplate, and the controller is further configured to:
calculate an expected transparency change due to drying during the solution ejection processing based on an initial transparency of the microplate and a reference transparency of the microplate as after a predetermined time after the initial transparency is measured, and
signal that at least one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning, when a final transparency of the microplate is different from the initial transparency plus any expected transparency change due to droplets ejected during the solution ejection processing plus the expected transparency change due to drying.

5 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the plurality of nozzles is arranged in a x b rows and columns, a number of nozzles that are not discharging is n, an estimated amount of solution ejected from each nozzle during a one-droplet dispensing operation is t, a number of repetitions of the one-droplet dispensing operation is X 1 , and a number of repetitions of a supplemental droplet dispensing operation is X 2 , an amount of non-ejection during the solution ejection processing Y 1 is equal to t×n×X 1 , an amount of addition solution to be dropped during the supplemental droplet dispensing operation Y 2 is equal t×(a×b−n)×X 2 , and the controller is configured to select the number X 2 such that the difference between Y 1 and Y 2 is minimized.

6 . A droplet dispensing apparatus, comprising:
a baseplate on which a microplate can be disposed; a droplet ejection array having a plurality of nozzles from which droplets can be ejected into the microplate on the baseplate; a movement mechanism attached to baseplate and the droplet ejection array and configured to move the droplet ejection array such that droplets can be ejected into each well of the microplate; a droplet ejecting array having a plurality of nozzles from which solution can be ejected into a microplate on a baseplate; a sensor configured to detect a solution amount in the microplate; and a controller configured to:
detect that a nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning during a solution ejection process based on an initial solution amount in the microplate and a final solution amount in the microplate as detected by the sensor, and
control a supplemental droplet dispensing operation in which an additional solution amount is ejected into the microplate based on the initial solution amount and the final solution amount in the microplate

7 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the additional solution amount as a difference between a predetermined solution amount and the solution amount as detected by the sensor.

8 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the sensor is a scale configured to weigh the microplate on the baseplate to determine the solution in the microplate, and the controller is further configured to:
calculate an expected weight decrease due to drying during the solution ejection processing based on an initial weight of the microplate on the baseplate and a reference weight of the microplate on the baseplate as measured after a predetermined time after the initial weight is measured, and
signal at least one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning, when a final weight of the microplate is less than the initial weight plus any expected weight increase due to droplets ejected during the solution ejection processing minus the expected weight reduction due to drying.

9 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the sensor is a scanner configured to measure a transparency of the microplate, and the controller is further configured to:
calculate an expected transparency change due to drying during the solution ejection processing based on an initial transparency of the microplate and a reference transparency of the microplate as after a predetermined time after the initial transparency is measured, and
signal that at least one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles is malfunctioning, when a final transparency of the microplate is different from the initial transparency plus any expected transparency change due to droplets ejected during the solution ejection processing plus the expected transparency change due to drying.

10 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
when the plurality of nozzles is arranged in a x b rows and columns, a number of nozzles that are not discharging is n, an estimated amount of solution ejected from each nozzle during a one-droplet dispensing operation is t, a number of repetitions of the one-droplet dispensing operation is X 1 , and a number of repetitions of a supplemental droplet dispensing operation is X 2 , an amount of non-ejection during the solution ejection processing Y 1 is equal to t×n×X 1 , an amount of addition solution to be dropped during the supplemental droplet dispensing operation Y 2 is equal t×(a×b−n)×X 2 , and the controller is configured to select the number X 2 such that the difference between Y 1 and Y 2 is minimized.

11 . The droplet dispensing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the moving mechanism comprises:
a first-direction moving mechanism on which the microplate is placed, the first-direction moving mechanism being configured to move in a first direction in a plane parallel to the baseplate; a second-direction moving mechanism on the baseplate, the second-direction moving mechanism being configured to move in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction in the plane parallel to the baseplate; and a rotating mechanism su

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Higuchi Masaaki
• Kaiho Satoshi
• Kusunoki Ryutaro

Classifications

• B01L3/0268 Primary

  using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries · CPC title

• B01L3/0237

  Details of electronic control, e.g. relating to user interface · CPC title

• B01L2200/143

  Quality control, feedback systems · CPC title

• B01L2200/0605

  Metering of fluids · CPC title

• B01L3/0241 Primary

  Drop counters; Drop formers · CPC title