Controlling the System

About User Interface

The purpose of this user interface is to be able to intuitively control up to four syringe pumps simultaneously. There are a total of 5 pump modes for the chemistry flow system user interface, each with its own unique purpose. A walkthrough for all the pump modes is given below as well as a live demonstration for a selected few.

Select Pump Mode page of the Chemistry Flow System user interface.

Cycle Mode

Cycle mode allows the user to set a target dispense volume that can be greater than a given syringe size. It accomplishes this by cycling between dispensing and withdrawing actions until the target dispense volume defined by the user is reached. Also, the user is able to set the order of the actions as either to dispense and then withdraw or to withdraw and then dispense. Therefore, regardless if the syringe is full, empty or has some amount of liquid inside, Cycle mode can be used in most circumstances where dispensing is needed.

User Interface Walkthrough

Live Demo

Cycle.MOV

Dispense Only Mode

Dispense mode is more limited than Cycle mode in that it only allows the user to dispense a target volume that is less than the current volume inside the syringe. No withdrawal is done in this mode. Therefore, this mode should only be used when the amount of volume to be dispensed is lower than the current volume inside the syringe. It is important to note that the maximum dispensable volume is calculated automatically in this mode based on the current volume. The volume is displayed on the corresponding page for reference.

User Interface Walkthrough

Live Demo

Dispense_Only.mov

Withdraw Only Mode

Withdraw mode allows the user to refill the syringe to a target volume that is less than or equal to the difference between syringe size and the current volume inside the syringe. No dispensing is done in this mode. This mode should be used when the only goal is to refill the syringe(s). The maximum withdrawal volume is calculated and displayed automatically for reference on the corresponding page.

User Interface Walkthrough

Live Demo

Withdraw_Only.mov

Withdraw + Dispense Mode

Withdraw + Dispense mode allows the user to completely refill a syringe and dispense a target volume that is less than the current volume inside the syringe. This mode is used when the goal is to refill an empty syringe and then to dispense a volume that is less than the current volume inside the syringe. The maximum dispensable volume is displayed on the corresponding page for reference.

User Interface Walkthrough

Continuous Mode

Continuous mode is similar to Cycle mode, but the difference is that no dispense target volume is set. Therefore, the pump continuously dispenses and withdraws until it is manually stopped. This mode can be used to quickly set the pump up and see if both directions are working as intended.

User Interface Walkthrough

System Setup and Options

Setup.MOV