IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,801,506
Granted Patent B2
US 11,801,506 · App. 16/767,086 · Granted Oct 31, 2023

Fluid ejections in nanowells

Inventors: Jeffrey A. Nielsen (Corvallis, OR); Christie Dudenhoefer (Corvallis, OR); Kenneth Ward (Corvallis, OR)
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
B01L3/0268B01L2300/0829B01L2300/0896B01L2400/0439
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,801,506
App. No.
16/767,086
Granted
Oct 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fluid ejection system, in an example, includes at least one nozzle of at least one die from which a fluid is ejected and at least one nanowell at which the at least one nozzle ejects an amount of fluid. A method of dispensing a fluid, in an example, includes addressing at least one nanowell with at least one nozzle of at least one die, and depositing a fluid in the nanowell with the at least one nozzle.

Claims (28)

1. A fluid ejection system comprising:

a plurality of nozzles formed on a die to eject a fluid, each nozzle comprising a firing chamber housing a fluid actuator to, when actuated, cause an amount of fluid to be ejected from the firing chamber through an orifice, the die comprising one or more thin film layers; and

at least one nanowell formed on a nanowell plate at which at least one of the plurality of nozzles ejects an amount of fluid, the at least one nanowell comprising a chemical barrier formed around a target location on the nanowell plate.

2. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nanowell is formed into the nanowell plate comprising a plurality of nanowells formed therein.

3. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of nozzles is moved over a plurality of nanowells to deposit an amount of fluid therein.

4. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles ejects fluid into at least one nanowell of a plurality of nanowells.

5. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of nanowells wherein one or more of the plurality of nanowells are grouped into distinct arrays of nanowells.

6. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises one of solvent-based pharmaceutical compounds, aqueous-based pharmaceutical compounds, aqueous- based biomolecules comprising proteins, enzymes, lipids, antibiotics, mastermix, primer, DNA samples, cells, blood components, surfactants, and glycerol, or combinations thereof.

7. A method of dispensing a fluid, comprising:

addressing at least one nanowell with one of a plurality of nozzles formed on a die, the die comprising one or more thin film layers; and

dispensing the fluid within the at least one nanowell with the one of the plurality of nozzle,

wherein the at least one nanowell comprises a chemical barrier formed around a target location.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles addresses at least one of a plurality of nanowells and dispenses the fluid into the at least one of the plurality of nanowells simultaneously.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the plurality of nanowells receive an amount of fluid using nozzles from at least two distinct dies.

10. A dispensing system, comprising:

a processor;

a fluid ejection device comprising at least one die, the at least one die comprising a plurality of nozzles formed thereon, each nozzle comprising a firing chamber housing a fluid actuator to, when actuated, cause an amount of fluid to be ejected from the firing chamber through an orifice, the die comprising one or more thin film layers; and

a nanowell plate comprising at least one nanowell, the at least one nanowell comprising a chemical barrier formed around a target location on the nanowell plate;

wherein at least one of the plurality of nozzles is to dispense a fluid into the at least one nanowell.

11. The dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein the processor executes computer-usable program code to move the at least one of the plurality of nozzles over a plurality of nanowells to deposit an amount of fluid therein.

12. The dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein the nanowell plate further comprises a plurality of nanowells wherein one or more of the plurality of nanowells are grouped into distinct arrays of nanowells.

13. The dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid ejection device further comprises a plurality of dies, each die comprising a nozzle to eject a distinct fluid into the at least one nanowell.

14. The dispensing system of claim 13 , wherein the nanowell plate further comprises a plurality of nanowells, and wherein the nozzle of each die of the plurality of dies is to eject at least one distinct fluid into a distinct nanowell simultaneously.

15. The dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid comprises one of solvent-based pharmaceutical compounds, aqueous-based pharmaceutical compounds, including aqueous-based biomolecules such as proteins, solvent-based pharmaceuticals, aqueous-based pharmaceutical compounds, aqueous-based biomolecules comprising proteins, enzymes, lipids, antibiotics, mastermix, primer, DNA samples, cells, blood components, surfactants, and glycerol, or combinations thereof.

16. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein a spacing of the plurality of nozzles matches a spacing of a plurality of nanowells on the nanowell plate such that, when the die is positioned over the nanowell plate, the plurality of nozzles will be aligned over a respective plurality of nanowells on the nanowell plate.

17. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nanowell of the nanowell plate comprise an inlet cross-section that is, at most, 625 times the size of the orifice.

18. The fluid ejection system of claim 1 , wherein different nozzles eject different and distinct types of fluid.

19. The dispensing system of claim 10 , wherein a spacing of the plurality of nozzles matches a spacing of a plurality of nanowells on the nanowell plate such that, when the die is positioned over the nanowell plate, the plurality of nozzles will be aligned over a respective plurality of nanowells on the nanowell plate to dispense fluid into the respective plurality of nanowells.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 28, 2020
From: NIELSEN, JEFFREY A.; DUDENHOEFER, CHRISTIE; WARD, KENNETH
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 052779/0892 →
Continuity (1)
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