Device for projectile dispensing of small volume liquid samples

Abstract

A piston is disposed inside a tube having an inner cross sectional size and shape uniform along its length. The tube has an open end. The piston is free to move linearly inside the tube and preferably may move out of the tube through the open end. If the tube is cylindrical, for example, it has a constant inner diameter. The open end of the tube is neither tapered or flaring. Liquid samples are aspirated into the device by pulling the piston back. The sample is then ejected by accelerating the piston to a minimum velocity to force the liquid sample out of the open end of the tube. The velocity of the sample is sufficient to render negligible the effects of surface tension forces. The volume of the liquid sample dispensed is determined by the inner diameter of the tube and the piston displacement. Accurate positioning of the piston provides samples of accurate volumes. A specific embodiment of the present invention uses a tube with an inner diameter of 0.5 mm, resulting in a volume displacement of 1.9 microliters per centimeter of piston travel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.