Manufacture and use of non-standard size microarray slides

• US 20060141507A1
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kronick, Mel N., Schembri, Carol T., Marton, Matthew J., Rees, Dianne, Hinchcliffe, John S., Saunders, Bernett E.
• Application Number:
  US11/287,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00531 essentially square
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00547 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0061 The surface being organic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00662 Two-dimensional arrays within two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/34 Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed for microarray analysis. In one embodiment a method is disclosed for processing a non-standard size slide having an array of chemical compounds attached to a surface of the slide. A sample is exposed to the surface of the non-standard size slide wherein components in the sample bind to the chemical compounds on the surface of the slide. The sample and the slide are incubated under conditions for carrying out the binding reactions, and the surface of the non-standard size slide is examined for the results of the binding reactions. Prior to the exposing step or the incubating step or the examining step, the non-standard size slide is placed into a slide holder comprising a slide-holding section a slide-holding section adapted to dispose the non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide. The non-standard size slide may also include an identifier such as a bar code.

Claims

1. A method for processing a non-standard size slide having an array of chemical compounds attached to a surface thereof, said method comprising:

(a) exposing a sample to said surface of said non-standard size slide wherein said chemical compounds, if present, bind to components in said sample,

(b) incubating said sample under conditions for carrying out said binding reactions, and

(c) examining said surface of said non-standard size slide for the results of said binding reactions,

wherein prior to step (a) or step (b) or step (c) said non-standard size slide is placed into a slide holder comprising a slide-holding section adapted to dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said non-standard size slide has dimensions in the plane of the slide of about one inch by about 1 to 2.5 inches.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said array of said non-standard size slides has about 100 to about 25,000 features comprising said chemical compounds.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said chemical compounds are biopolymers.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said chemical compounds are polynucleotides or polypeptides.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said slide holding section is adjustable to receive a non-standard size slide and dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide.

7. A method for preparing a plurality of non-standard size slides, each slide having an array of chemical compounds attached to a surface thereof, said method comprising:

(a) forming a plurality of arrays on a surface of a sheet of slide material, and

(b) dividing said sheet into a plurality of non-standard size slides wherein each slide has a single array of chemical compounds on a surface thereof and each slide has at least one dimension that is less than that of a standard microscope slide,

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said dimension is length.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein said non-standard size slides have dimensions in the plane of the slides of about one inch by about 1 to 2.5 inches.

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein said sheet has dimensions of about 6 inches by about 6 inches.

11. A method for processing a non-standard size slide prepared by the method of claim 7, said method comprising:

(a) exposing a sample to said surface of said non-standard size slide wherein said chemical compounds bind to components in said sample,

(b) incubating said sample under conditions for carrying out said binding reactions,

(c) placing said non-standard size slide into a slide holder comprising a slide-holding section adapted to dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide, and

(d) examining said surface of said non-standard size slide for the results of said binding reactions.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said array of said non-standard size slides has about 100 to about 25,000 features comprising said chemical compounds.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein said chemical compounds are biopolymers.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein said chemical compounds are polynucleotides or polypeptides.

15. A method comprising forwarding data representing a result obtained from a method according to claim 14.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the data is transmitted to a remote location.

17. A method comprising receiving data representing a result obtained from a method according to claim 14.

18. A method according to claim 11 wherein said slide holding section is adjustable to receive a non-standard size slide and dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide.

19. A device comprising

(a) a non-standard size slide having at least one dimension that is less than that of a standard microscope slide, said non-standard size slide having a single array of chemical compounds on a surface thereof, and

(b) a holder for said non-standard size slide wherein said holder comprises a slide-holding section adapted to dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide.

20. A device according to claim 19 wherein said at least one dimension is length.

21. A device according to claim 19 wherein said non-standard size slide has dimensions in the plane of the slide of about one inch by about 2 inches.

22. A device according to claim 19 wherein said array of said non-standard size slide has about 100 to about 25,000 features comprising said chemical compounds.

23. A device according to claim 19 wherein said chemical compounds are biopolymers.

24. A device according to claim 19 wherein said chemical compounds are polynucleotides or polypeptides.

25. A device according to claim 19 wherein said non-standard size slide comprises an identifier.

26. A device according to claim 25 wherein said identifier is a bar code on said surface.

27. A device according to claim 19 wherein said slide holding section is adjustable to receive a non-standard size slide and dispose said non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide.

28. A device comprising

(a) a non-standard size slide having at least one dimension that is less than that of a standard microscope slide, said non-standard size slide having a single array of chemical compounds on a surface thereof, and

(b) an identifier on said non-standard size slide.

29. A device according to claim 28 wherein said at least one dimension is length.

30. A device according to claim 28 wherein said non-standard size slide has dimensions in the plane of the slide of about one inch by about 2 inches.

31. A device according to claim 28 wherein said array of said non-standard size slide has about 100 to about 25,000 features comprising said chemical compounds.

32. A device according to claim 28 wherein said chemical compounds are biopolymers.

33. A device according to claim 28 wherein said chemical compounds are polynucleotides or polypeptides.

34. A device according to claim 28 wherein said identifier is a bar code on said surface.