US 12,264,665 B2
Miniature piezoelectric air pump to generate pulsation-free air flow for pipette apparatus proximity sensing
Christopher P. Ebeling, Newfoundland, NJ (US); Arnaud Besse-Bergier, Saint-Herblain (FR); and Yu Zhou, Ridgewood, NJ (US)
Assigned to Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Appl. No. 17/251,767
Filed by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/040146
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 11, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/010002, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 9, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/693,572, filed on Jul. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0115912 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. F04B 43/04 (2006.01); F04B 45/047 (2006.01); F04B 49/06 (2006.01); F04B 49/10 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC F04B 43/046 (2013.01) [F04B 45/047 (2013.01); F04B 49/06 (2013.01); G01N 35/1011 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample probe system, comprising:
a sample probe assembly comprising a transducer and a sample probe;
an air supply assembly comprising a piezoelectric air pump comprising a diaphragm that produces ultrasonic micro-pulses of air that dissipate at an outlet nozzle, such that the outlet nozzle supplies a constant pressure air flow directly to the sample probe assembly without an intervening pulse dampener, such that the air flow exits the sample probe; and
a control system configured to determine a relative location of the sample probe based on pressure changes in the air flow detected by the transducer.