# US 9,427,734 B2 · Fluid dispenser with low surface energy orifice layer for precise fluid dispensing

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- Number: US 9,427,734 B2
- Document ID: US9427734B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/475,714
- Filed: 2009-06-01
- Published: 2010-12-02
- Granted: 2016-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 2009-06-01
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Jeffrey A. Nielsen; Jeremy Hartan Donaldson; Benjamin Clark; Debora J. Thomas
- Inventors: Jeffrey A. Nielsen; Jeremy Hartan Donaldson; Benjamin Clark; Debora J. Thomas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9427734B2

## CPC

- B01L 3/0268: {using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries}
- B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices
- B01L 2300/0829: Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

## Abstract

The present invention is embodied in a method for precisely dispensing fluid, including treating an orifice of a fluid dispensing apparatus during a fabrication process by applying a low surface energy material layer onto the orifice, adjusting a thickness of the low surface energy material coating to a predetermined threshold and limiting backpressure of a low dead volume fluid delivery system coupled to the orifice to reduce interference or interruptions for precisely dispensing the fluid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid dispensing device for dispensing fluid with reduced pooling, comprising:
a thermal inkjet printhead comprising at least one drop ejector, each said drop ejector comprising a base, a jetting chamber and an orifice including a low surface energy layer; and
a fluid delivery system comprising:
a fluid reservoir which is open to the atmosphere and positioned above said at least one drop ejector, wherein said fluid delivery system does not comprise a backpressure control device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of said drop ejectors with respective low surface energy orifice layers for independently ejecting precise volumed drops of fluid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir fluid receptacle is configured to manually receive fluid from a pipette.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said orifice comprises a top hat and the low energy orifice layer is deposited on the top hat.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a test receptacle configured to receive a predetermined picoliter amount of volumed drops from the low surface energy orifice layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 4, wherein said top hat and said low energy orifice layer have respective edges defining respective bores, wherein the bore of the low energy orifice layer is coincident with the bore of the top hat.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The fluid dispensing device of claim 4, wherein said top hat and said low energy orifice layer have respective edges defining respective bores, wherein the edge of the low energy orifice layer is non-coincident with the bore of the top hat.

### Claim 8

A fluid dispensing device for dispensing fluid, comprising:
a thermal inkjet printhead comprising a drop ejector, wherein the drop ejector comprises a base, a jetting chamber and an orifice including a low surface energy layer; and
a fluid delivery system comprising:
a fluid reservoir, wherein the reservoir is to be open to the atmosphere and positioned above said drop ejector, and wherein said reservoir does not comprise a backpressure control device; and
a slot extender that reduces backpressure at said drop ejector.

### Claim 9

A fluid dispensing device for dispensing fluid, comprising:
a thermal inkjet printhead comprising plural drop ejectors, each drop ejector comprising a base, a jetting chamber, and an orifice including a low surface energy layer; and
a fluid delivery system comprising:
a fluid reservoir which is to be open to the atmosphere and positioned above each drop ejector; and
a slot extender comprising a first slot and a second slot, wherein said extender is positioned between said fluid reservoir, and said drop ejectors, wherein said slot extender reduces backpressure at each drop ejector, and wherein said fluid delivery system does not comprise a backpressure control device.