Device and method for determining liquid contact and liquid volume in a liquid dispenser based on sound

A liquid dispenser system, comprising:

• a liquid dispenser including:
• a dispenser body including:
• a dispense chamber portion including a dispense chamber therein, the dispense chamber having a first opening at a first portion of the dispense chamber portion and a second opening at a second portion of the dispense chamber portion, wherein the first portion is configured to couple with a dispensing tip,
• a piston chamber portion including a piston chamber therein, the piston chamber being connected to the dispense chamber via the second opening and configured to guide a piston in a linear motion within the piston chamber to draw liquid into the liquid dispenser and to dispense liquid out of the liquid dispenser;
• a first cavity having a first cavity portion having a sound generator disposed therein and a first connector channel portion extending from the first cavity portion to the dispense chamber, the sound generator configured to generate a sound to induce acoustic resonance within the dispense chamber;
• and
• a second cavity having a second cavity portion having an acoustic sensor disposed therein and a second connector channel portion extending from the second cavity portion to the dispense chamber, the acoustic sensor configured to sense a sound within the dispense chamber;
• a control circuit configured to determine whether a contact of the dispensing tip with liquid has occurred based on the sensed sound,
• wherein the first cavity portion and the first connector channel portion have substantially the same width along an entire length of the first connector channel portion, and
• wherein the second cavity portion and the second connector channel portion have substantially the same width along an entire length of the second connector channel portion.

A liquid dispenser, comprising:

• a dispenser body including:
• a dispense chamber portion including a dispense chamber therein, the dispense chamber having a first opening at a first portion of the dispense chamber portion and a second opening at a second portion of the dispense chamber portion, wherein the first portion is configured to couple with a dispensing tip,
• a piston chamber portion including a piston chamber therein, the piston chamber being connected to the dispense chamber via the second opening and configured to guide a piston in a linear motion within the piston chamber to draw liquid into the liquid dispenser and to dispense liquid out of the liquid dispenser;
• a sound generator configured to generate a sound to induce acoustic resonance within the dispense chamber;
• an acoustic sensor configured to sense a sound within the dispense chamber, wherein at least one of the sound generator or the acoustic sensor is disposed within the dispense chamber portion;
• and
• an acoustic filter disposed between the dispense chamber and the piston chamber, wherein the acoustic filter is configured to acoustically decouple the dispense chamber from the piston chamber.