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US 2019/0160816 A1Published application
Microfluidic mems printing device with piezoelectric actuation
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsDomenico GIUSTI, Mauro PASETTI
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microfluidic device, having a containment body accommodating a plurality of ejecting elements arranged adjacent to each other. Each ejecting element has a liquid inlet, a containment chamber, a piezoelectric actuator and an ejection nozzle. The piezoelectric actuators of each ejecting element are connected to a control unit configured to generate actuation signals and to be integrated in the containment body.
Claims20
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a containment body;
- a plurality of ejecting elements arranged adjacent to each other and accommodated in the containment body, each ejecting element including a liquid inlet, a containment chamber, a piezoelectric actuator, and an ejection nozzle;
- and
- a control circuit configured to generate actuation signals that actuate the piezoelectric actuators, wherein the control circuit is integrated in the containment body, the control circuit including:
- a driving stage that comprises a plurality of driver switches coupled to the piezoelectric actuators, respectively, each driver switch having a control input;
- a decoding stage coupled to the control input of each driver switch.
3 more elements
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a nozzle plate including a plurality of ejection nozzles of a plurality of ejecting elements, respectively, arranged adjacent to each other;
- an actuator plate coupled to the nozzle plate and including a plurality of containment chambers of the plurality of ejecting elements, respectively, and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators of the plurality of ejecting elements, respectively;
- a distribution plate coupled to the actuator plate and including a plurality of fluid inlets of the plurality of ejecting elements, respectively, and
- a control circuit configured to generate actuation signals that actuate the piezoelectric actuators, wherein the control circuit is integrated in one of the nozzle plate, actuator plate, and distribution plate, the control circuit including:
- a driving stage that comprises a plurality of driver switches coupled to the piezoelectric actuators, respectively, each driver switch having a control input;
- a decoding stage coupled to the control input of each driver switch.
3 more elements
An ink injection device, comprising:
- a plurality of ejecting elements arranged adjacent to each other, each ejecting element including an ink inlet, an ink containment chamber, a piezoelectric actuator, an actuation membrane portion, and an ink ejection nozzle, each piezoelectric actuator of a respective ejecting element of the plurality of ejecting elements being configured to deflect the actuation membrane portion of the ejecting element to cause ink in the containment chamber of the ejecting element to be force through the ink ejection nozzle of the ejecting element;
- and
- a control circuit configured to generate actuation signals that actuate the piezoelectric actuators, wherein each actuation membrane portion is a part of an actuation membrane layer that carries the piezoelectric actuators, the control circuit being integrated into the actuation membrane layer, the control circuit including:
- a driving stage that comprises a plurality of driver switches coupled to the piezoelectric actuators, respectively, each driver switch having a control input;
- a decoding stage coupled to the control input of each driver switch.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.