Non-contact dispensing has recently been recognized as a viable fluid control method, emerging as an advanced alternative to traditional dispensing techniques as industries strive for greater efficiency, precision, and sustainability.
Fluid Metering's FENYX Variable Dispense Pump
Video Credit: Fluid Metering, Inc.
This article looks at the advantages and differences of non-contact dispensing.
Contact Versus Non-Contact Dispensing
Contact dispensing works by touching off the tip or nozzle on the substrate or dispensing surface or submerging the tip or nozzle into the fluid being dispensed.
Non-contact dispensing, however, works by expelling fluid from the tip or nozzle without touching the tip or nozzle on the substrate or submerging this into the fluid.
Key Benefits of Non-Contact Dispensing
Non-contact dispensing offers a number of advantages.
Reduced Contamination Risk
Contact dispensing carries a considerable risk of contamination transfer, despite this being the traditional and historically used dispensing approach. Avoiding direct contact allows non-contact dispensing to minimize cross-contamination risks to ensure that results are cleaner and more dependable.
Environmental Benefits
Contact dispensing is often dependent on the use of disposable tips, resulting in increased costs and material waste. The other option is to use stainless steel nozzles, but these still require a comprehensive washing step between each reagent or test cycle.
Because non-contact dispensing uses the same tip, there is less of a need for regular nozzle washing–a key step toward an organization’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
Because non-contact dispensing better aligns with green-friendly initiatives, it is often the preferred choice in regions with stringent environmental regulations, such as the European Union. It could also become a popular choice in areas like the United States, where new environment-related legislation is passed every year.
Improved Precision and Repeatability
Because liquid expulsion through the air often leads to splashing or the formation of satellite droplets, previous non-contact systems struggled to achieve the desired precision. However, recent advancements have overcome these challenges.
Technologies such as Fluid Metering’s FENYX Variable Dispense and FDD Pulseless Nanoliter pumps utilize complete shearing to create clean breaks, effectively preventing satellite droplets and improving system reliability.
Higher Throughput
Non-contact dispense pumps work more rapidly, reducing nozzle washing time and removing the need for tip changes. These factors are key to significantly increasing throughput.
Benefits to Applications and Industries
Non-contact dispensing is especially valuable in diagnostics, in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), and biotechnology, where high precision at the microscale and contamination prevention are critical.
These systems are ideal for maintaining sample integrity, as they eliminate physical contact, reducing the risk of disturbance or damage to delicate biological samples.
Developments in Non-Contact Dispensing Technology
The advanced FENYX pump utilizes a combination of positive displacement and the inertia of matched piston liners to offer unmatched precision.
Traditional time pressure dosing is a type of pneumatic dispensing that can be easily impacted by variables such as humidity, air pressure, and temperature, but the new FENYX pump offers a reliable, robust solution for precise microliter volume dispensing.
Choosing the Right Dispensing Method
Organizations making a choice between contact and non-contact dispensing are advised to consider throughput requirements and how central the reduction of contamination risks is to their application.
Non-contact dispensing represents a more rapid, sustainable, and cleaner fluid handling solution offering numerous advantages and ongoing technological advancements.
Non-contact dispensing is set to become the standard for precision fluid handling across a diverse array of industries and applications.
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by Sean Madden from Fluid Metering, Inc.
About Fluid Metering, Inc.
Fluid Metering, Inc. (FMI) is a worldwide leader in life science pumps and dispensers, having pioneered the first valve-less piston pump over 64 years ago. With specialized expertise in fluidics and applications, Fluid Metering, Inc. supports instrument developers in tackling complex fluidic challenges.
Committed to innovation through collaboration, Fluid Metering, Inc. advances health, sustainability, and quality of life. ISO 9001:2015 certified.
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