Mixer Apparatus And System

A non-contact printing system comprising:

• a printing liquid reservoir configured to contain a printing liquid defining a first printing liquid surface;
• an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the printing liquid, the expansion chamber including a bore;
• and
• an aspirator element in fluid communication with the expansion chamber, the aspirator element including a piston arranged to reciprocate in the bore,
• wherein the piston is movable from a first position to a second position to reduce a pressure of a gas in the expansion chamber such that a pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the printing liquid reservoir to the expansion chamber to cause a second printing liquid surface defined by the expansion chamber to rise in the expansion chamber from a first level to a second level, wherein the piston is movable from the second position to the first position to restore the pressure of the gas in the expansion chamber such that the pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the expansion chamber to the printing liquid reservoir returning the second printing liquid surface from the second level to the first level, so as to cause mixing of the printing liquid in the printing liquid reservoir, wherein the pressure head of the printing liquid is defined as a pressure differential between a first pressure acting on the first printing liquid surface and a second pressure acting on the second printing liquid surface.

A non-contact printing system comprising:

• a printing liquid reservoir, configured to contain a printing liquid defining a first printing liquid surface;
• an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the printing liquid, the expansion chamber including a bore;
• and
• an aspirator element in fluid communication with the expansion chamber, the aspiration element including an inflatable element which is located in the expansion chamber and configured to be selectively inflated and deflated by an air supply of the non-contacting printing system,
• wherein the inflatable element is adjustable from an inflated condition to a deflated condition to increase the volume of the expansion chamber and reduce the pressure of the gas in the expansion chamber such that a pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the printing liquid reservoir to the expansion chamber to cause a second printing liquid surface defined by the expansion chamber to rise in the expansion chamber from a first level to a second level, wherein the inflatable element is adjustable from the deflated condition to the inflated condition to reduce the volume of the expansion chamber and restore the pressure of the gas in the expansion chamber such that the pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the expansion chamber to the printing liquid reservoir returning the second printing liquid surface from the second level to the first level to cause mixing of the printing liquid in the printing liquid reservoir, wherein the pressure head of the printing liquid is defined as a pressure differential between a first pressure acting on the first printing liquid surface and a second pressure acting on the second printing liquid surface.

A non-contact printing system for printing multiple reagents in an array on a test substrate comprising a first mixer system and a second mixer system, wherein each of the first and second mixer systems comprising:

• a printing liquid reservoir, configured to contain a printing liquid defining a first printing liquid surface;
• an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the printing liquid, the expansion chamber including a bore;
• and
• an aspirator element in fluid communication with the expansion chamber, the aspirator element including a piston arranged to reciprocate in the bore,
• wherein the piston is movable from a first position to a second position to reduce a pressure of a gas in the expansion chamber such that a pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the printing liquid reservoir to the expansion chamber to cause a second printing liquid surface defined by the expansion chamber to rise in the expansion chamber from a first level to a second level, wherein the piston is movable from the second position to the first position to restore the pressure of the gas in the expansion chamber such that the pressure head of the printing liquid moves the printing liquid from the expansion chamber to the printing liquid reservoir returning the second printing liquid surface from the second level to the first level, so as to cause mixing of the printing liquid in the printing liquid reservoir, wherein the pressure head of the printing liquid is defined as a pressure differential between a first pressure acting on the first printing liquid surface and a second pressure acting on the second printing liquid surface,
• wherein the first mixer system includes a first printing liquid and the second mixer system includes a second printing liquid.