Capillary and pipette using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020246789-A1
Application number	US-201816496617-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A capillary of the present disclosure has a tubular shape, both ends of which are a first end and a second end in a length direction and are open, an inner surface of which has water repellency and has a portion where a degree of the water repellency changes. A pipette of the present disclosure includes the capillary and a pipette main body to which the capillary 10 is attached, and the pipette main body has a pressure chamber that is deformable and connected to the capillary.

First claim

1 . A capillary in a tubular shape, the capillary comprising:
a first end and a second end in a length direction, both ends being open; and an inner surface that is water repellent, wherein a degree of the water repellency changes within at least a portion of the inner surface.

2 . The capillary according to claim 1 , wherein the degree of the water repellency changes along the length direction of the inner surface.

3 . The capillary according to claim 2 , wherein
the degree of water repellency increases from a center of the inner surface in the length direction toward the first end.

4 . The capillary according to claim 1 , wherein further comprising:
an end surface of the first end; and a portion of an outer surface adjacent to the end surface; wherein both the end surface and the portion of the outer surface are water repellant.

5 . The capillary according to claim 4 , wherein
the end surface has a higher degree of water repellency than a portion of the inner surface adjacent to the end surface.

6 . A pipette comprising:
the capillary according to claim 1 ; and a pipette main body, the pipette main body including a deformable pressure chamber that is connected to the capillary.

7 . The pipette according to claim 6 , wherein
the second end of the capillary is attached to the pipette main body.

8 . The pipette according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a driving unit that causes the pressure chamber to be deformed; and a first controller, the first controller configured to
output a first signal to drive the driving unit so that a volume of the pressure chamber increases, and
output a second signal to drive the driving unit so that the volume of the pressure chamber periodically changes.

9 . The pipette according to claim 8 , wherein
the driving unit comprises a piezoelectric material, and the second signal is a signal in which a magnitude of a voltage periodically changes and an absolute value of an average value of voltages in one cycle decreases with a lapse of time.

10 . The pipette according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a valve that connects an outside and the pressure chamber, wherein the valve can be opened or closed.

11 . The pipette according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a second controller that controls the valve, wherein the second controller is configured to sequentially output a third signal to open the valve and a fourth signal to close the valve prior to the second signal; and the first controller is further configured to output a fifth signal to drive the driving unit so that the volume of the pressure chamber decreases until the fourth signal is output after the third signal is output.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Yasushi
• Kojima Yuji

Classifications

• G01N35/1016

  Control of the volume dispensed or introduced · CPC title

• G01N2035/1023

  using a valve in the tip or nozzle · CPC title

• G01N2035/106

  by sucking and blowing · CPC title

• B01L3/0227 Primary

  Details of motor drive means (B01L3/0231, B01L3/0234 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01L2300/161

  Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic · CPC title