Viscous non-contact jetting method and apparatus

A method of dispensing minute quantities of a highly viscous fluid from an outlet of a dispensing orifice by an expelling mechanism that deforms a flexible, elastomeric diaphragm into a jetting chamber having sides, an open top covered by the diaphragm and an outlet in the bottom of the jetting chamber that is in fluid communication with the dispensing orifice, the dispensing orifice, outlet and jetting chamber being on a common longitudinal axis, the method comprising:

• forcing the highly viscous fluid to the jetting chamber through an inlet channel in fluid communication with the jetting chamber,
• deforming the flexible, elastomeric diaphragm into the jetting chamber a distance sufficient so that the diaphragm blocks the opening in the bottom of the chamber, the deformation occurring with sufficient force to expel a volume of material from the dispensing orifice as a single drop.