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US 7,610,943 B2Granted
Systems and methods for dispensing portions of viscous material
AssigneeEmerald Biosystems, Inc.
InventorsPeter Nollert, Alexandrina Muntianu, Robert C. Haushalter, Dean Allyn Hopkins, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for dispensing portions of viscous material, such as the viscous materials used to form crystals of membrane proteins or soluble proteins. A liquid under pressure is used to divide the viscous materials into portions. The divided viscous material portions can optionally be deposited into are receptacle.
Claims13
A system for dispensing portions of a viscous material, the system comprising:
- (a) a first dispenser;
- (b) a second dispenser;
- and
- (c) a branched conduit connected to both the first dispenser and the second dispenser, the branched conduit comprising a splitter that divides the branched conduit, the splitter consisting of a first segment that connects the first dispenser to the splitter, a second segment that connects the second dispenser to the splitter, and a third segment leading from the splitter and connected to an exit port for depositing portions of viscous material onto a surface, wherein, in operation, a viscous material is introduced into the splitter from the first dispenser, a liquid is introduced into the splitter from the second dispenser, wherein the liquid divides the viscous material into portions within the splitter, wherein the branched conduit is a hollow tube having a generally circular transverse cross-section, the internal diameter of the conduit is in the range of from 0.001 inch to 0.016 inch, and the first dispenser and the second dispenser provide alternating pressure such that only one of the viscous material and the liquid is forced through the branched conduit at one time.
1 more element
A method for dispensing portions of a viscous material, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) using a directed stream of liquid provided by a second dispenser to divide a mass of viscous material, provided by a first dispenser and disposed within a branched conduit, to produce a plurality of portions of viscous material, wherein the branched conduit is a hollow tube having a generally circular transverse cross-section comprising a splitter that divides the branched conduit, the splitter consisting of a first segment that connects the first dispenser to the splitter, a second segment that connects the second dispenser to the splitter, and a third segment leading from the splitter and connected to an exit port for depositing portions of viscous material onto a surface, wherein the internal diameter of the conduit is in the range of from 0.001 inch to 0.016 inch, and the first dispenser and the second dispenser provide alternating pressure such that only one of the viscous material and the liquid is forced through the branched conduit at one time;
- and
- (b) dispensing the plurality of portions of viscous material from the branched conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.