Apparatus and method for monitoring and measurement of droplets

A method comprising monitoring and measuring a volume of liquid dispensed in a single dispensing event from a liquid dispensing system that comprises an optical source unit and optical detector unit, in the volume range from approximately 1 nl to approximately 1000 μl, in which the dispensed liquid jet alters the optical coupling between the optical source unit and the optical detector unit.

A method for monitoring and measuring a volume of a dispensed liquid jet, in a volume range from approximately 1 nl to approximately 1000 μl, as the dispensed liquid jet is being discharged from a liquid dispensing system, the method comprising providing an optical sensing unit at a distance from a liquid dispensing nozzle such that the liquid jet is sensed as a sphere-like shape, measuring a change in signal output from the optical sensing unit, and calculating the liquid jet volume vol according to the following formula:

• vol=K·∫s(t)dt
• where s(t) is an output signal and K is scaling factor.

A liquid droplet monitoring and measuring apparatus for measuring a volume of a dispensed liquid as it is being discharged from a liquid dispensing system with a liquid dispensing tip, the apparatus comprising

• an optical sensing unit located at a distance from the liquid dispensing tip for measuring a change in optical signal output as the liquid jet is dispensed such that the liquid is sensed as a cylindrical or quasi-cylindrical jet dispensed from the tip.