US 12,070,731 B2
Methods and systems for aligning dispensing arrays with microfluidic sample arrays
Colin Brenan, Marblehead, MA (US); Jamie Cho, Stoughton, MA (US); Javier Garcia, Lexington, MA (US); Robert Hess, Walnut Creek, CA (US); Tanya Kanigan, Charlotte, VT (US); Arrin Katz, Cambridge, MA (US); Namyong Kim, Palo Alto, CA (US); John Linton, Concord, MA (US); Shailesh Srivastava, Medway, MA (US); and Karl Yoder, Stoneham, MA (US)
Assigned to LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed by LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/505,075.
Application 17/505,075 is a division of application No. 16/284,953, filed on Feb. 25, 2019, granted, now 11,154,834.
Application 16/284,953 is a continuation of application No. 14/300,100, filed on Jun. 9, 2014, granted, now 10,213,761, issued on Feb. 26, 2019.
Application 14/300,100 is a continuation of application No. 11/198,882, filed on Aug. 4, 2005, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/608,231, filed on Sep. 9, 2004.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/599,217, filed on Aug. 4, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2022/0088561 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01L 3/02 (2006.01)
CPC B01J 19/0046 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50857 (2013.01); B01J 2219/0059 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00596 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00659 (2013.01); B01L 3/0244 (2013.01); B01L 3/5025 (2013.01); B01L 2200/12 (2013.01); B01L 2200/16 (2013.01); B01L 2300/16 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
 
1. A system for dispensing sample fluid, the system comprising:
a dispensing mechanism comprising a plurality of dispensers positioned in a dispenser array;
a receptacle device comprising a plurality of receptacles arranged in a receptacle array, each receptacle configured to receive sample fluid from one of the one or more dispensers, the receptacle device having a first side facing the dispensing mechanism and a second side opposite the first side;
a fiducial reference comprising at least one of the plurality of receptacles;
a sensing mechanism arranged opposite the second side of the receptacle device and configured to detect one of the plurality of dispensers by sensing the one of the plurality of dispensers through a receptacle of the receptacle array; and
a controller configured to:
receive position information about the fiducial reference from the sensing mechanism, and
cause alignment of the dispenser array and the receptacle device based upon the position information.