Acoustic assessment of fluids in a plurality of reservoirs

A method for acoustically determining a property of the contents of one or more reservoirs, comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a reservoir from a plurality of reservoirs each comprising a solid surface, wherein a portion of each reservoir is adapted to contain a fluid;
• (b) positioning an acoustic radiation generator in acoustic coupling relationship to the selected reservoir;
• (c) actuating the acoustic radiation generator to generate acoustic radiation so that the generated acoustic radiation is then transmitted through the solid surface and through the portion of the selected reservoir adapted to contain a fluid to an analyzer capable of analyzing a characteristic of the transmitted radiation, the characteristic corresponding to a property of the contents of the selected reservoir;
• and
• (d) operating the analyzer to analyze the characteristic of the transmitted acoustic radiation.

A method for accurately dispensing fluid from a reservoir, comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning an acoustic radiation generator in acoustic coupling relationship to a reservoir selected from a plurality of reservoirs, wherein a portion of each reservoir is adapted to contain a fluid;
• (b) transmitting acoustic radiation generated by the acoustic radiation generator through at least the portion of the selected reservoir adapted to contain a fluid;
• (c) analyzing a characteristic of the transmitted acoustic radiation;
• and
• (d) dispensing fluid from the selected reservoir according to the analysis of the characteristic of the transmitted acoustic radiation.

In a device for dispensing one or more fluids from a plurality of reservoirs each having a portion adapted to contain a fluid, the improvement comprises providing:

• an acoustic radiation generator for generating acoustic radiation;
• a means for positioning the acoustic radiation generator in acoustic coupling relationship to each reservoir such that acoustic radiation generated by the acoustic radiation generator is transmitted through at least the portion of each reservoir adapted to contain a fluid;
• and
• an analyzer for analyzing a characteristic of acoustic radiation.