Method of Liquid Droplet Formation and Transport Apparatus Therefor and Particle Manipulating Apparatus

A particle manipulating apparatus, characterized by comprising:

• a first liquid transport pipe;
• a first liquid feed means for supplying and feeding a liquid to the first liquid transport pipe;
• a second liquid transport pipe whose liquid inlet is disposed at a liquid outlet of the first liquid transport pipe with an air gap in between;
• a second liquid feed means for sucking the liquid through the liquid inlet of the second liquid transport pipe and conveying the liquid through the second liquid transport pipe;
• a particle accommodating unit that accommodates a particle;
• a particle capturing nozzle capable of moving while capturing at the tip the particle accommodated in the particle accommodating unit;
• a pressure control means for controlling a pressure in the particle capturing nozzle;
• and
• a particle capturing nozzle driving means for effecting movement of the tip of the particle capturing nozzle between the particle accommodating unit and the air gap,
• the particle manipulating apparatus characterized in that the relationship between a liquid feed velocity V1 of the liquid flowing through the first liquid transport pipe by the first liquid feed means and a transport velocity V2 of the liquid flowing through the second liquid transport pipe by the second liquid feed means is V1<V2,
• whereby the liquid exits through the liquid outlet of the first liquid transport pipe and forms a liquid droplet in the air gap, the liquid droplet is sucked through the liquid inlet of the second liquid transport pipe, and an intermittent fluid of air and the liquid is conveyed through the second liquid transport pipe, and
• one particle sucked and captured from the particle accommodating unit by the tip of the particle capturing nozzle is moved, by the particle capturing nozzle driving means, to the position of the liquid droplet formed in the air gap, is released from the particle capturing nozzle under pressure control of the pressure control means, is enclosed in the liquid droplet, and is transported into the second liquid transport pipe.

A trace liquid transport apparatus, characterized by comprising:

• a first liquid transport pipe;
• a first liquid feed means for supplying and feeding a liquid to the first liquid transport pipe;
• a second liquid transport pipe whose liquid inlet is disposed at a liquid outlet of the first liquid transport pipe with an air gap in between;
• a second liquid feed means for sucking the liquid through the liquid inlet of the second liquid transport pipe and conveying the liquid through the second liquid transport pipe;
• and
• a trace dispensing means for adding a liquid sample,
• the trace liquid transport apparatus characterized in that the relationship between a liquid feed velocity V1 of the liquid flowing through the first liquid transport pipe by the first liquid feed means and a transport velocity V2 of the liquid flowing through the second liquid transport pipe by the second liquid feed means is V1<V2,
• whereby the liquid exits through the liquid outlet of the first liquid transport pipe and forms a liquid droplet in the air gap, the liquid droplet is sucked through the liquid inlet of the second liquid transport pipe, and an intermittent fluid of air and the liquid is conveyed through the second liquid transport pipe, and
• the trace dispensing means adds the liquid sample to the liquid droplet formed in the air gap.

A liquid droplet formation and transport method, characterized by comprising the steps of:

• feeding a liquid to a first liquid transport pipe;
• forming a liquid droplet in a liquid outlet at an open end of the first liquid transport pipe;
• and
• sucking the liquid droplet through a liquid inlet at an open end of a second liquid transport pipe,
• the liquid droplet formation and transport method characterized in that the relationship between a liquid feed velocity V1 of the liquid flowing through the first liquid transport pipe and a liquid feed velocity V2 of the liquid flowing through the second liquid transport pipe is V1<V2, whereby the liquid droplet expands to the liquid inlet at the open end of the second liquid transport pipe and is then transported as an intermittent fluid of air and the liquid into the second liquid transport pipe.