Droplet mixing apparatus and droplet mixing method
AssigneePostech Academy-Industry Foundation
InventorsTai-Hun Kwon, Sung-Jae Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A droplet mixing apparatus can be applied for use with a variety of liquids, can provide a mixing speed of hundreds of nl/s by adjusting an opening/closing time of a solenoid valve, can effectively mix droplets, and can reduce a reaction time when applied to clinical appliances that utilize expensive liquids. The droplet mixing apparatus includes a plurality of pressure containers storing liquids that are to be dispensed, a plurality of solenoid valves that are respectively connected to the pressure containers to dispense the liquids fed from the pressure containers into a mixing container, and a control unit that controls the solenoid valves such that the solenoid valves are either simultaneously opened or alternately opened and closed.
Claims14
A droplet mixing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of pressure containers storing liquids that are to be dispensed;
- a plurality of solenoid valves that are respectively connected to the pressure containers to dispense the liquids fed from the pressure containers into a mixing container;
- and
- a control unit that controls the solenoid valves such that the solenoid valves are either simultaneously opened or alternately opened and closed,
- wherein each of the solenoid valves is provided at an extreme end with a nozzle, and the nozzles are disposed above the mixing container in an inclined state.
A droplet mixing method comprising:
- feeding liquids respectively stored in a plurality of pressure containers to respective solenoid valves;
- and
- controlling the solenoid valves such that the solenoid valves are either simultaneously opened or alternately opened and closed to dispense the liquids into a mixing container, wherein controlling the solenoid valves comprises mixing droplets of the liquids dispensed through nozzles of the respective solenoid valves with each other by allowing the droplets to collide with each other at a point above or in the mixing container.
A droplet mixing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of dispensers for storing and feeding respective liquids;
- a plurality of inkjet nozzles that are respectively connected to the dispensers to dispense the liquids fed from the respective dispensers into a mixing container, wherein each of the plurality of inkjet nozzles is formed as a piezoelectric-type nozzle or thermal-type nozzle;
- and
- a control unit that controls the inkjet nozzles such that the inkjet nozzles are simultaneously or alternately driven, wherein the inkjet nozzles are disposed above the mixing container in an inclined state and include a first inkjet nozzle disposed above a first side of the mixing container and a second inkjet nozzle disposed opposing the first inkjet nozzle above a second side of the mixing container and a first straight line extending from the first inkjet nozzle and a second straight line extending from the second inkjet nozzle meet with a mixed liquid at point located in the mixing container.
A droplet mixing method comprising:
- feeding liquids respectively stored in a plurality of dispensers to respective inkjet nozzles;
- and
- controlling the inkjet nozzles such that the inkjet nozzles are alternately driven by controlling driving voltages of the respective inkjet nozzles and frequencies of the respective inkjet nozzles to thereby dispense the liquids into a mixing container, wherein controlling the inkjet nozzles includes mixing droplets of the liquids dispensed through the respective first and second inkjet nozzles with each other by allowing the droplets to alternately collide with a mixed liquid in the mixing container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.