Evolution and operating experiences with different drop-on-demand systems

We describe the development of different drop-on-demand systems particularly for applications for the liquid handling of biopolymers. Different designs of drop-on-demand systems developed by the authors are described. Experiments with these systems show the applicability for pipetting different liquids with different properties. Commercially available systems are also tested. A comparison of the different approaches leads to a discussion of the best fields of application of the different approaches or, alternatively, to the potential further development of the drop-on-demand technologies.