FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc., today announced its collaboration
with Agilent Technologies Inc., to supply Agilent with innovative
inkjet products based on the latest semiconductor manufacturing
technologies for use in life sciences applications. Agilent, a
technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and
chemical analysis, uses the FUJIFILM Dimatix inkjet technology to
develop products that allow life scientists to more efficiently target
and analyze sequences of genetic material.
FUJIFILM Dimatix worked with Agilent to incorporate custom
versions of the Dimatix Materials Cartridge (DMC) into
Agilent’s life sciences applications. Specifically designed
for R&D and feasibility testing, the unique cartridge-style
printhead based on FUJIFILM Dimatix’ patented Shaped Piezo
Silicon™ MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology,
which enables FUJIFILM Dimatix to develop printhead features and
product families that are significantly smaller and more versatile than
anything else on the market.
“The shape of our MEMS-based printhead nozzles are
extraordinarily precise, and their absolute position on the silicon die
permits higher drop placement accuracy over greater throw
distances,” said John Higginson, Vice President Engineering,
Deposition Products, FUJIFILM Dimatix. “The robust silicon
structure also lends itself to solid, reliable operation and long
service life – all of which are desirable attributes for
building new printer architectures that can improve inkjet’s
performance in traditional applications, and out of the box
applications such as Agilent’s.”
Because of the extremely small but precise structural
geometries it produces, the Shaped Piezo Silicon MEMS fabrication
technique enables FUJIFILM Dimatix to manufacture printheads capable of
routinely jetting a broad range of fluids with droplet sizes ranging
from the 10 picoliters (10 trillionths of a liter) used in precision
graphics applications, to droplets containing the 1 pL – or
less – that’s required for precision materials
deposition of specialty fluids.
Commenting on the innovative technology, Bill Peck, Senior
Engineer and Writer Technology Project Manager, Agilent said,
“When we are building systems for in-situ synthesis of
molecules like DNA, we require a fluid deposition system with
outstanding precision, throughput, reliability and control. FUJIFILM
Dimatix’ advanced inkjet technologies allow our products to
flexibly deliver the superior quality our customers expect from Agilent
microarrays.”
“That precision, plus FUJIFILM Dimatix inkjet
platform’s flexibility, figured prominently in our decision
to base Agilent's SurePrint inkjet technology on FUJIFILM Dimatix
inkjet technologies, and also to use their products as the basis for a
major new product platform we plan to launch later this year. These
actions speak volumes about the reliability of the FUJIFILM Dimatix
technology and the solid working relationship Agilent has with FUJIFILM
Dimatix in this development effort,” said Dr. Peck.
Martin Schoeppler, Vice President Marketing and Sales,
Fujifilm Dimatix noted, “Our relationship with Agilent has
helped us advance the state of the art in inkjet technology for
applications extending far beyond its original roots in print
production, to the outer reaches of materials deposition.
Agilent’s use of FUJIFILM Dimatix Shaped Piezo Silicon MEMS
technology demonstrates its ability to be applied as easily to life
science research as to wide format graphics or printing on textiles. We
couldn’t be more pleased to be working with Agilent on this
important and demanding application.”