MICROVOLUME-LIQUID DISPENSING METHOD AND MICROVOLUME-LIQUID DISPENSER

摘要

Provided is a microvolume liquid dispensing method in which a variable capacity passage section of a liquid passage in a microvolume liquid dispenser is pressurized from the outside and shrunk in a direction that reduces the internal capacity thereof so that a liquid that is within the variable capacity passage section is pushed toward both a downstream passage section and an up stream passage section. A microvolume of the liquid is pushed toward the downstream passage section as a result of the downstream passage section having a much larger liquid passage resistance than the upstream passage section. It is thus possible to precisely drip a microvolume liquid of a picoliter order from the tip opening of a nozzle by simple control.

主权项

1. A microvolume-liquid dispensing method for dispensing a nanoliter-quantity to picoliter-quantity microvolume liquid from a tip-end opening in a tubular nozzle, wherein
a liquid passage for supplying liquid from a liquid supply part to the nozzle is formed from an upstream-side passage section, an intermediate passage section, and a downstream-side passage section, the intermediate passage section being capable of expanding and contracting so as to increase or decrease in interior volume; in a case in which the intermediate passage section is deformed such that the interior volume thereof is reduced while a liquid-filled state is attained in which the liquid fills a portion from the liquid passage to the tip-end opening of the nozzle, a ratio of an amount of liquid pushed out from the intermediate passage section to the downstream-side passage section and an amount of liquid pushed back to the upstream-side passage section is set to 1:100-1:500 so that the amount of pushed-out liquid reaches a very small amount; i.e., nanoliter quantities or picoliter quantities; and in an operation for dispensing the microvolume liquid, the liquid-filled state is attained; the intermediate passage section is deformed such that the interior volume thereof is reduced; the microvolume liquid is dispensed from the tip-end opening of the nozzle due to the very small amount of liquid pushed out from the intermediate passage section to the downstream-side passage section; and the deformation of the intermediate passage section is stopped to return the interior volume of the intermediate passage section to an original volume, draw a very small amount of liquid back into the intermediate passage section from the downstream-side passage section, and draw liquid into the intermediate passage section from the upstream-side passage section.