Methods and devices for array synthesis

• US 20080085514A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Brummel McCuen, Heather, Peck, Bill J., Leproust, Eric, DaQuino, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US11/546,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20080085514A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• 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 2219/0036 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/105 using desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0439 ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0442 thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries

Abstract

Aspects of the invention include methods of fabricating an array. In an embodiment of the invention, a dry gas is vertically directed onto a solid support surface prior to deposition of a fluid reagent on a surface of the support. Also provided are devices and systems for practicing the methods.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a reagent fluid onto a surface of a solid support, said method comprising:

a) vertically directing a gas onto a region of a surface of a solid support to produce a dried region; and

c) dispensing a reagent fluid onto said dried region.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vertically directing said gas comprises flowing said gas onto said surface in a direction that is substantially normal to said surface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gas is vertically directed onto said surface from a gas jet.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said gas is flowing at a velocity of about 0.01 cm/s to about 1000 cm/s.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reagent is dispensed onto said dried region from a pulse jet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said reagent fluid is dispensed from said pulse jet at a time ranging from about 0.01 s to about 1 s after said gas contacts said surface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reagent fluid is an activator, a solvent, a biopolymer or monomeric precursor of a biopolymer.

8. A pulse jet head assembly comprising a gas jet and a pulse jet.

9. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 8, wherein said gas jet is adjacent to said pulse jet.

10. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 8, wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of gas jets arranged in a row.

11. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 10, wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of pulse jets arranged in a row that is adjacent to said row of gas jets.

12. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 8, wherein said assembly comprises at least two gas jets separated by an intervening pulse jet.

13. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 11, wherein said assembly comprises at least two rows of gas jets separated by a row of intervening pulse jets.

14. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 13, wherein said pulse jet head assembly comprises N rows of pulse jets and N+1 rows of gas jets.

15. The pulse jet head according to claim 14, wherein said pulse jet head assembly comprises five or more rows of pulse jets.

16. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 8, wherein at least one row of said five or more rows of pulse jets is operatively connected to a reservoir of a fluid activator.

17. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 15, wherein at least one row of said five or more rows of pulse jets is operatively connected to a reservoir of a fluid nucleoside reagent.

18. The pulse jet head assembly according to claim 15, comprising at least one gas flow control element for actuating at least one of said gas jets.

20. A kit comprising the pulse jet head assembly of claim 8.

19. A system for depositing a reagent fluid onto a surface of a solid support, said system comprising:

a) a station comprising a pulse jet head assembly for dispensing a plurality of fluids on to a surface of a solid support, wherein the pulse jet head assembly comprises a gas jet and a pulse jet;

b) one or more stations for contacting the surface of said solid support with another fluid; and

c) a positioning element for moving said solid support from one station to another.