# US 10,369,562 B2 · Droplet ejecting apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,562 B2 - Document ID: US10369562B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/684,643 - Filed: 2017-08-23 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-23 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shuhei Yokoyama; Satoshi Kaiho; Ryutaro Kusunoki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369562B2 ## CPC - B01L 3/0268: {using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries} - B05C 5/001: {incorporating means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/1042 takes precedence)} - B05C 5/02: {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work - B05C 5/027: {Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence)} - B05C 11/1034: {specially designed for conducting intermittent application of small quantities, e.g. drops, of coating material (B05C5/0225, B05C11/1026 take precedence)} - B41J 2/14201: {Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements} - B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids} - B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices - B01L 2200/16: Reagents, handling or storing thereof - B01L 2300/0829: Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates - B01L 2300/0893: having a very large number of wells, microfabricated wells - B01L 2300/0896: Nanoscaled - B01L 2300/14: Means for pressure control - B01L 2300/18: Means for temperature control - B01L 2400/02: Drop detachment mechanisms of single droplets from nozzles or pins - B01L 2400/0439: ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements - B01L 2400/0442: thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet - B01L 2400/0475: specific mechanical means and fluid pressure - B01L 2400/0481: squeezing of channels or chambers - B41J 2002/1437: {Back shooter} - B41J 2202/15: Moving nozzle or nozzle plate - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a solution container, first and second nozzle groups fluidly connected to the solution container and having nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, first actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the first nozzle group, second actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the second nozzle group, and drive circuits respectively connected in a parallel to the first and second actuators. Each nozzle has a pressure chamber associated therewith. Each actuator causes a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle. Each drive circuit is configured to supply a drive signal. When supplied by each drive circuit to the first and second actuators respectively, each drive signal causes solution to be ejected from each nozzle of each respective nozzle group at a same time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A droplet ejecting apparatus, comprising: a solution container having a solution inlet for receiving a solution and a first solution outlet; a first nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet and having a first plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the first plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; a second nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container and having a second plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the second plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; a first plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the first nozzle group, each actuator in the first plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the first nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle; a second plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the second nozzle group, each actuator in the second plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the second nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle; a plurality of drive circuits respectively connected in a parallel to the first and the second plurality of actuators, each drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal, wherein when supplied by each drive circuit to the first and second plurality of actuators respectively, each drive signal causes the solution to be ejected from each nozzle of each respective nozzle group at a same time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solution container has a second solution outlet, and the second nozzle group is fluidly connected to the solution container via the second solution outlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a third nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container and having a third plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the third plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; a third plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the third nozzle group, each actuator in the third plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the third nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle, wherein the solution container has a third solution outlet, and the third nozzle group is fluidly connected to the solution container via the third solution outlet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second nozzle group is fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a third nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet and having a third plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the third plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; and a third plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the third nozzle group, each actuator in the third plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the third nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between two adjacent nozzles in each nozzle group is shorter than a distance between the first and second nozzle groups. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second nozzle groups are spaced apart from each other so as to be disposed above a different well opening of a microplate such that droplets ejected from each respective nozzle group are received by a respectively different well of the microplate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each actuator in the first and second plurality of actuators comprises a piezoelectric film that is configured to deform the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each actuator in the first and second plurality of actuators comprises a thin film heater that is configured to heat the solution in the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected. ### Claim 10 A droplet ejecting apparatus, comprising: a board having a first surface and a second surface; a solution container on the first surface of the board, the solution container having a solution inlet for receiving a solution and a first solution outlet; a plurality of nozzle groups fluidly connected to the solution container, each nozzle group having a plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle having a pressure chamber and an actuator associated therewith, each actuator in each nozzle group being electrical connected in parallel to a first electrode and a second electrode, each actuator causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle; and a plurality of drive circuits respectively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode of each nozzle group, each drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal, the first and second electrodes being disposed on the second surface of the board. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the solution container has a second solution outlet, a first nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet, and a second nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the second solution outlet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the solution container has a third solution outlet, and a third nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the third solution outlet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a first nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet, and a second nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a third nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups is fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a distance between two adjacent nozzles in each nozzle group is shorter than a distance between adjacent nozzle groups in the plurality of nozzle groups. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein adjacent nozzle groups in the plurality of nozzle groups are spaced apart from each other so as to be disposed above a different well opening of a microplate such that droplets ejected from each respective nozzle group are received by a respectively different well of the microplate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each actuator in each nozzle group comprises a piezoelectric film that is configured to deform the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The droplet ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each actuator in each nozzle group comprises a thin film heater that is configured to heat the solution in the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected. ### Claim 19 A solution dispenser, comprising: a base on which a microplate can be disposed; a solution container having a solution inlet for receiving a solution and a first solution outlet; a first nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container via the first solution outlet and having a first plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the first plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; a second nozzle group fluidly connected to the solution container and having a second plurality of nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, each nozzle in the second plurality of nozzles having a pressure chamber associated therewith; a first plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the first nozzle group, each actuator in the first plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the first nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle; a second plurality of actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the second nozzle group, each actuator in the second plurality of actuators causing a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the second nozzle group to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle; and a plurality of drive circuits respectively connected in a parallel to the first and the second plurality of actuators, each drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal, wherein when supplied by each drive circuit to the first and second plurality of actuators respectively, each drive signal causes the solution to be ejected from each nozzle of each respective nozzle group at a same time, and the first and second nozzle groups are spaced apart from each other so as to be disposed above a different well opening of the microplate such that droplets ejected from each respective nozzle group are received by a respectively different well of the microplate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The solution dispenser according to claim 19, wherein the microplate is a 1,536 well microplate or a 3,456 well microplate or a 6,144 well microplate. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The solution dispenser according to claim 19, wherein each actuator in the first and second plurality of actuators comprises a piezoelectric film that is configured to deform the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The solution dispenser according to claim 19, wherein each actuator in the first and second plurality of actuators comprises a thin film heater that is configured to heat the solution in the pressure chamber and cause the solution to be ejected.