PROBE-ARRAY SUBSTRATE, PROBE ARRAY, AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20100004143A1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: SHIBAHARA, TERUHISA
• Application Number:
  US12/493,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004143A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/16
• 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 2219/00509 Microcolumns
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00619 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic regions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0074 Biological products
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0609 Holders integrated in container to position an object
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/022 droplet contacts the surface of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0262 using touch-off at substrate or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5088 confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires B01L3/50857 takes precedence

Abstract

A probe-array substrate includes a plurality of probe holding units each having a projection that exhibits a hydrophilicity and a hydrophobic region disposed so as to surround each of the probe holding units. The probe-array substrate can further include an inspection region for use in checking whether mixture of probe solutions is present among the plurality of probe holding units. The inspection region is disposed between the neighboring probe holding units across the hydrophobic region.

Claims

1. A probe-array substrate comprising:

a main surface;

a plurality of probe holding units each comprising a high wettability region arranged on the main surface, the high wettability region exhibiting a relatively high wettability with respect to a probe solution, as indicated by a contact angle therewith of 90°

or less; and

a low wettability region disposed so as to surround each of the plurality of probe holding units,

wherein the low wettability region exhibits a relatively low wettability with respect to a probe solution, as indicated by a contact angle therewith of more than 90°

.

2. The probe-array substrate according to claim 1, wherein the region exhibiting a relatively high wettability comprises a projection.

3. The probe-array substrate according to claim 2, wherein the projections project from the low wettability region, and the probe holding units consist of the projections.

4. The probe-array substrate according to claim 2, wherein a probe holding unit comprises the projection and a high wettability region disposed around the projection on the main surface.

5. The probe-array substrate according to claim 4, wherein a probe holding unit is disposed in a recessed section of the main surface.

6. The probe-array substrate according to claim 5, further comprising an inspection region exhibiting a relatively high wettability with respect to each of a number of predetermined probe solutions,

wherein a low wettability region is disposed between the inspection region and each of neighboring probe holding units of the plurality of probe holding units.

7. The probe-array substrate according to claim 6, wherein the projection comprises a guide groove for facilitating an introduction of a probe solution into the probe holding unit.

8. The probe-array substrate according to claim 7, wherein the probe solution is an aqueous solution,

the main surface is hydrophilic, and

the low wettability region is a cured photosensitive resin film on the main surface.

9. The probe-array substrate according to claim 8, wherein

the probe holding unit is disposed in a portion of the main surface from which the resin film is absent.

10. The probe-array substrate according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of probe holding units includes a wall surrounding the projection, and

a resin-coated groove section disposed between neighboring walls of the walls,

wherein the grove section comprises a low wettability region and a high wettability region on its surface.

11. The probe-array substrate according to claim 4, further comprising an inspection region exhibiting a relatively high wettability with respect to each of a number of predetermined probe solutions,

wherein a low wettability region is disposed between the inspection region and each of neighboring probe holding units of the plurality of probe holding units.

12. The probe-array substrate according to claim 3, wherein a probe holding unit is disposed in a recessed section of the main surface.

13. The probe-array substrate according to claim 12, further comprising an inspection region exhibiting a relatively high wettability with respect to each of a number of predetermined probe solutions,

wherein a low wettability region is disposed between the inspection region and each of neighboring probe holding units of the plurality of probe holding units.

14. The probe-array substrate according to claim 2, wherein a probe holding unit is disposed in a recessed section of the main surface.

15. The probe-array substrate according to claim 14, further comprising an inspection region exhibiting a relatively high wettability with respect to each of a number of predetermined probe solutions,

wherein a low wettability region is disposed between the inspection region and each of neighboring probe holding units of the plurality of probe holding units.

16. A probe array comprising:

a probe-array substrate according to claim 1; and

a probe molecule in a plurality of probe holding units of the probe-array substrate.

17. A method of producing a probe array, the method comprising:

providing a probe-array substrate according to claim 1;

providing a supplying unit that has nozzles arranged so as to correspond to the projections, a plurality of the nozzles having a probe solution therein; and

positioning the nozzles of the supplying unit sufficiently near to the corresponding projection to cause the probe solution and the projection to come into contact with each other, and thus guiding the probe solution into the probe holding unit.

18. The method of producing a probe array according to claim 17, wherein I≦

D/2, where I is a distance from a center of each of the projections to the low wettability region and D is an outer diameter of each of the nozzles.

19. The method of producing a probe array according to claim 18, wherein N>

D×

[arccosh {(2I/D)×

cosh (ψ

)}−

ψ

]/[2×

cosh (ψ

)]wherein N is the length of the nozzle, and ψ

=arcsinh (θ

3), where θ

3 is a wetting angle between an outer area of the nozzle and the probe solution.

20. A method of producing a probe array, the method comprising:

providing a probe-array substrate according to claim 4;

providing a supplying unit that has nozzles arranged so as to correspond to the projections, each of the nozzles having a probe solution therein; and

bringing the nozzles of the supplying unit sufficiently near to the corresponding projections to cause the probe solution and the projection to come into contact with each other, and thus guiding the probe solution into the probe holding unit,

wherein I<

[D×

cosh {arcsinh (1/tan θ

2)}]/[2×

cosh {arcsinh (tan θ

3)}],

where D is an outer diameter of the nozzle, I is a distance from a center of the projection to the low wettability region, θ

2 is a wetting angle between the high wettability region adjacent to the probe holding unit in the probe-array substrate, and θ

3 is a wetting angle between an outer area of the nozzle and the probe solution.

21. A method of producing a probe array, the method comprising:

providing a probe-array substrate according to claim 6;

providing a supplying unit that has nozzles arranged so as to correspond to the projections, each of the nozzles containing a probe solution;

bringing the nozzle of the supplying unit sufficiently near to the corresponding projection to cause the probe solution and the projection to come into contact with each other, and thus guiding the probe solution into the probe holding unit; and

separating the nozzle and probe solution;

wherein the sequence of providing and positioning and separating steps with a new probe-array substrate in each sequence is repeated until the sequence in which the inspection region contains neither probe solution or dried probe solution is complete.