Gas Dynamic Virtual Nozzle for Single-File Droplet Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for analyzing and manipulating particles, such as proteins, in vacuum environments often require precise formation of microscopic liquid droplets, which is challenging due to the need for maintaining native conformation and efficient injection into vacuum systems.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle assembly with a tapered capillary tube and asperity-guided liquid jet production, where a first fluid is used to create a liquid jet that flows through an outlet channel, enabling precise injection of particles into vacuum systems, and a method for manufacturing the capillary tube involves heating, bending, and grinding to achieve a symmetrical cone shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional nozzle designs are used for particle injection, then the injection process is simple, but the ability to form single-file beams of microscopic liquid droplets is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is divided into multiple functional segments: a capillary tube for liquid delivery, a tapered section for flow control, and an asperity feature for droplet detachment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function, achieving precise single-file droplet formation while keeping the overall design manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The asperity feature is introduced as a localized structural element on the nozzle surface with specific geometric properties (height, radius, spacing). This local modification creates controlled disturbance to the liquid flow at the exit, enabling precise droplet detachment and single-file beam formation without requiring complex overall nozzle redesign.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex nozzle structures are designed to achieve precise droplet formation, then droplet formation precision improves, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube is pre-formed with a tapered section before final assembly. This preliminary shaping allows for controlled liquid flow distribution and positioning of the asperity feature, making the subsequent manufacturing steps more straightforward and achieving high outlet precision without excessive manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tapered section acts as an intermediary element between the capillary inlet and the asperity feature. It gradually transforms the liquid flow from the inlet to the outlet conditions, enabling precise droplet formation while using standard manufacturing techniques for each segment.
3Productivity
If standard capillary tubes are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the ability to produce single-file liquid droplet beams is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle design incorporates a tapered section that dynamically adjusts liquid flow distribution as the liquid approaches the outlet. This dynamic flow control, combined with the asperity feature, enables high-speed droplet ejection while maintaining precise single-file alignment, achieving both high productivity and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary tube geometry is modified with specific parameters: taper angle, asperity height, asperity radius, and asperity spacing. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high droplet injection rates while maintaining precise alignment, resolving the contradiction between productivity and precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for the formation of a single-file beam of microscopic liquid droplets, enhancing the ability to maintain particle conformation and facilitate analysis in vacuum environments, improving the efficiency of particle injection and analysis processes.
Implementation Method 1
the first fluid acts upon the second fluid located on the asperity to create a liquid jet that flows through the outlet channel
Implementation Method 2
the second fluid exits the capillary outlet and flows along the surface of the tapered end to the asperity
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle for producing a liquid jet or a single-file stream of droplets of a fluid, methods using the nozzle, and an injector comprising the nozzle of the invention for providing the liquid jet or single-file stream of a fluid to a vacuum system are described.