US 12,235,040 B2
System for freezing dispensed droplets of liquid
Reza Bashar, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/238,845.
Application 18/238,845 is a continuation of application No. 15/734,935, granted, now 11,867,460, previously published as PCT/US2019/037230, filed on Jun. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/687,562, filed on Jun. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0060698 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. A01N 1/02 (2006.01); B01J 2/06 (2006.01); F25D 3/11 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 3/11 (2013.01) [A01N 1/0252 (2013.01); B01J 2/06 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for freezing dispensed droplets of liquid, the system comprising:
a fluid chamber containing a freezing liquid;
a liquid dispenser disposed above a surface of the freezing liquid contained in the fluid chamber and configured to dispense a droplet of liquid onto the surface of the freezing liquid contained in the fluid chamber;
a gas injector disposed above the surface of the freezing liquid contained in the fluid chamber and configured to inject a stream of gas transversely to the surface of the freezing liquid contained in the fluid chamber;
a transporter configured to transport the fluid chamber between a first position below the liquid dispenser and a second position below the gas injector,
a sensor configured to generate a signal relating to a position of the fluid chamber; and
a control unit in electrical communication with the sensor, the liquid dispenser, and the gas injector, wherein the control unit is configured to receive the signal from the sensor, to cause the liquid dispenser to dispense the droplet of liquid into the fluid chamber when the fluid chamber is in the first position, and cause the gas injector to inject the stream of gas transversely to the surface of the freezing liquid contained in the fluid chamber when the fluid chamber is in the second position.