Depositing fluid specimens on substrates, resulting ordered arrays, techniques for analysis of deposited arrays

• US 20050244302A1
• Filed: 02/14/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James W. Overbeck, Jean I. Montagu, Myles L. Mace, Peter Honkanen, Peter T. Flowers
• Original Assignee: James W. Overbeck, Jean I. Montagu, Myles L. Mace, Peter Honkanen, Peter T. Flowers
• Inventors: Honkanen, Peter, Mace, Myles L., Flowers, Peter T., Overbeck, James W., Montagu, Jean I.
• Application Number:
  US10/779,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20050244302A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/100
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00364 Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00387 Applications using probes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0061 The surface being organic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00617 by chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00619 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic regions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00621 by physical means, e.g. trenches, raised areas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00628 Ionic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0063 Other, e.g. van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00641 the porous medium being continuous, e.g. porous oxide substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00677 Ex-situ synthesis followed by deposition on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 : using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 : Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 : Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00729 : Peptide nucleic acids [PNA]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 : for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0244 : using pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0251 : Pin and ring type or pin in tube type dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1034 : Transferring microquantities of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 : Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 : Multiple transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/34 : Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

An apparatus and a method is described for depositing fluid dots on a receiving surface to form an array. The apparatus includes a deposit device cooperatively related with a fluid source, a drop-carrying element coupled to the deposit device, a transport mechanism for positioning the device at a precisely referenced position over the receiving surface, and a drive mechanism for moving the element, relatively, in deposition motion toward and away from the surface.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An apparatus for depositing fluid dots on a receiving surface in an array, comprising:

a deposit device cooperatively related with a fluid source;

a multiplicity of drop-carrying elements coupled to the deposit device;

a transport mechanism for positioning the device at a precisely referenced position over the receiving surface; and

a drive mechanism for moving the element, relatively, in deposition motion toward and away from the surface.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further including a multiplicity of fluid-retaining structures, each co-operatively arranged with the drop-carrying element and constructed to retain fluid including biological material by surface tension.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each said fluid-retaining structure is constructed and shaped for at least partial immersion into a well including the biological material.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said fluid-retaining structure includes a circular-shaped member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said fluid-retaining structure includes a U-shaped member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein fluid-retaining structure includes a helical member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein fluid-retaining structure includes a closed shape member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein fluid-retaining structure includes a partially closed shape member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein fluid-retaining structure is made of a material providing appropriate surface tension for retaining said liquid including biological material and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said fluid-retaining structure includes a circular-shaped member for said retention of liquid by surface tension and said drop-carrying element is constructed to move with respect to said member to receive said fluid therefrom.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said drop-carrying element includes a pin.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said deposit device is constructed to urge said drop-carrying element to a predetermined position to achieve said precisely referenced position when said drop-carrying elements is in contact with the receiving surface.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said deposit device is constructed to achieve said precisely referenced position using a gravity element.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said deposit device is constructed to achieve said precisely referenced position using a spring.

41. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the receiving surface includes a rigid, smooth substrate.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the rigid, smooth substrate is a glass slide.

43. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the receiving surface includes a porous membrane.

44. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the receiving surface includes a nitrocellulose.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the receiving surface includes a cellulose acetate, polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) or nylon.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the receiving surface includes a gel.