New patent application published for: AUTOMATED DISPENSER FOR CASTING HIGH-VISCOSITY SCAFFOLD SOLUTIONS

AUTOMATED DISPENSER FOR CASTING HIGH-VISCOSITY SCAFFOLD SOLUTIONS

Claims

1. A viscous material dispenser, comprising: an extruder comprising an inlet, a barrel, and a nozzle; a pump configured to fit inside the barrel; a tube connected to the inlet, wherein the tube branches into at least two arms; a first valve attached to a first arm of the tube, wherein the first valve opens and closes to a source of pressure; and a second valve attached to a second arm of the tube, wherein when the first valve is open and the second valve is closed, the pump is depressed by the source of pressurized air, causing a viscous material to flow out of the nozzle.
2. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein when the first valve is closed and the second valve is open, the viscous material stops flowing out of the nozzle.
3. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first valve, the second valve, or a combination thereof is selected from a pneumatic valve, a peristaltic valve, a piezoelectric valve, a hydraulic valve, an electromagnetic pump, or a progressive cavity valve.
4. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the source of pressure is pressurized gas, pressurized liquid, or a combination thereof.
5. (canceled)
6. The viscous material dispenser claim 1, wherein the pump is a plunger.
7. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the pump is a progressive cavity pump.
8. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the viscous material dispenser further comprises a stepper-motor powered moveable stage configured to move a substrate horizontally and vertically in precise step sizes so that one well of the substrate is always directly beneath the nozzle of the extruder when the stepper-motor powered moveable stage is stationary.
9. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the viscous material dispenser is multiplexed.
10. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second valve opens and closes to the atmosphere.
11. The viscous material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the viscous material dispenser further comprises a heater configured to heat the viscous material to a constant temperature to decrease the viscous material's viscosity.
12. The viscous material dispenser of claim 11, wherein the heater comprises: a heating pad; and a metal tube surrounding the barrel and mounted to the heating pad.
13. The viscous material dispenser of claim 12, wherein the metal tube is an aluminum tube.
14. The viscous material dispenser of claim 13, wherein the heater further comprises a heating jacket surrounding the metal tube.
15. The viscous material dispenser of claim 11, wherein the heater heats the viscous material to a temperature between 20 °C and 80 °C.
16. The viscous material dispenser of claim 11, wherein the first valve and the second valve are a first solenoid and a second solenoid, respectively.
17. The viscous material dispenser of claim 11, wherein the extruder is a syringe.
18. A method of dispensing a viscous material using a viscous material dispenser according to any of the preceding claims, the method comprising: positioning a substrate underneath the nozzle; filling the barrel of the extruder with a viscous material; and dispensing the viscous material from the nozzle of the extruder and onto the substrate by opening the first valve and closing the second valve.
19-39. (canceled)
40. A cell scaffold made by the method of claim 18, wherein the cell scaffold has a uniform volume.
41-47. (canceled)
48. An article of manufacture comprising a cell scaffold of claim 40.
49. (canceled)
50. A viscous material dispenser, comprising: an extruder comprising an inlet, a barrel, and a nozzle; a pump configured to fit inside the barrel; a tube connected to the inlet, wherein the tube branches into at least two arms; a first valve attached to a first arm of the tube, wherein the first valve opens and closes to a source of pressure; a stepper-motor powered moveable stage configured to move a substrate horizontally and vertically in precise step sizes so that one well of the substrate is always directly beneath the nozzle of the extruder when the stepper-motor powered moveable stage is stationary; and a second valve attached to a second arm of the tube, wherein when the first valve is open and the second valve is closed, the pump is depressed by the source of pressurized air, causing a viscous material to flow out of the nozzle.