Re: [DIYbio] Re: BioPrinter won 1st Prize in Instructables Design Competition!

On Fri, Mar 1, 2013 at 12:58 AM, Jonathan Cline <jncline@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>
>> From: Patrik D'haeseleer <pat...@gmail.com>
>>
>> Woohoo - Our BioPrinter Instructable won a (shared) 1st Prize in the
>> Instructables Design Competition, out of 917 competitors!
>
>
>
> Congrats and very cool platform.
>
> Though not sure why go the X-Y rectangular axis system at all, and why
> inkjet technology is needed as the liquid dispenser (which brings with it
> significant challenges, i.e. clogging, pore size, etc). You had the working
> compact disc drive mechanisms with their working polar-axis control system
> (linear actuator for 'r', drive spindle for theta; perhaps replace the
> spindle motor with stepper for easy positioning without requiring an encoder
> wheel). Petri dishes are already circular so would integrate well directly
> with the existing polar (i.e. rotational) disc drive mechanism, i.e. spin
> the dish and address points in the dish via sector (angle) and track
> (radius). The liquid dispensing could be done by very small diameter tubing
> run through a peristaltic pump from a large well/beaker source which
> dispenses drops as needed from above, positioned via the linear actuator --
> such pumps are very accurate, to uL's or nL's.

What would you propose for a pulse-free pumping solution in the uL/nL
range? I know a pump can handle those volumes, but what kind of tip
would let go of uL or nL droplets? The printer cartridge ejects pL
droplets. I've also heard of using high-frequency waves to eject
controlled size droplets.

> Add multiple lines from
> multiple pumps for dispensing multiple reagents, arrange these in a row on
> the radial axis.
>
> X-Y axis as seen in typical lab robotics is needed to mimic the positioning
> of humans with minds trained for cartesian addresses and grasping by the
> shape of human hands which have thumbs. Motors on robots do not have good
> thumbs, they have spinning shafts and work better with polar axis. Which is
> why hard drives, compact discs, floppies, are all circular, rather than
> square. When designing new machines and automating protocols, fit the
> protocol/equip to the new machine not based on human limitations for best
> results, rather than build a machine which for traditional/limiting
> human-style equipment.
>
> If there are points to the contrary I'd love to hear them.
>
>
> ## Jonathan Cline
> ## jcline@ieee.org
> ## Mobile: +1-805-617-0223
> ########################
>
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--
-Nathan

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