Method and apparatus for high volume polymer synthesis
First Claim
1. A method for synthesizing a plurality of polymers on a surface of a continuous strip, each of said polymers being synthesized at a distinct site on said surface, said method comprising:
- a) independently sealing each of a plurality of synthesis sites present on the surface of a continuous strip of material to create a plurality of sealed synthesis sites, each of said synthesis sites comprising a portion of a said surface, said synthesis sites being independently functionalized for reaction with a fluid reagent and further comprising an ingress and an egress, b) independently introducing, at each of said sealed synthesis sites through said ingress, fluid reagents for synthesizing a polymer, each of said fluid reagents comprising one or more reagents for performing a step of said synthesis, c) independently removing unreacted fluid reagents from each of said synthesis sites through said egress, d) independently unsealing said synthesis sites, e) moving said continuous strip to advance each of said synthesis sites sequentially to a plurality of stations for introducing fluid reagents wherein said synthesis sites and said stations become aligned, f) repeating steps a) through e) sufficient to form a polymer at each of said synthesis sites.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A scalable synthesis apparatus capable of rapid and efficient oligo synthesis. The apparatus includes a combination of dispensing elements, synthesis elements, and waste removal elements. More specifically, the synthesis elements are, in the preferred embodiment, a series of well-like synthesis locations on a continuous strip, where the strip is moving serially from one dispensing location to the next, and waste from each step is evacuated a vacuum egress element, until an entire oligo has been synthesized. Serial oligo synthesis increases the per hour productivity dramatically over batch synthesis apparatus currently used. The number of dispensing locations can be increased or decreased so that oligos of longer or shorter lengths may be synthesized. Moreover, a tremendous reduction of wasted reagents and oligo surplusage by providing serial synthesis.
-
Citations
7 Claims
-
1. A method for synthesizing a plurality of polymers on a surface of a continuous strip, each of said polymers being synthesized at a distinct site on said surface, said method comprising:
-
a) independently sealing each of a plurality of synthesis sites present on the surface of a continuous strip of material to create a plurality of sealed synthesis sites, each of said synthesis sites comprising a portion of a said surface, said synthesis sites being independently functionalized for reaction with a fluid reagent and further comprising an ingress and an egress, b) independently introducing, at each of said sealed synthesis sites through said ingress, fluid reagents for synthesizing a polymer, each of said fluid reagents comprising one or more reagents for performing a step of said synthesis, c) independently removing unreacted fluid reagents from each of said synthesis sites through said egress, d) independently unsealing said synthesis sites, e) moving said continuous strip to advance each of said synthesis sites sequentially to a plurality of stations for introducing fluid reagents wherein said synthesis sites and said stations become aligned, f) repeating steps a) through e) sufficient to form a polymer at each of said synthesis sites. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
-
Original AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
-
InventorsSchleifer, Arthur
-
Primary Examiner(s)Ponnaluri, Padmashri
-
Application NumberUS09/429,055Time in Patent Office774 DaysField of Search436/518, 436/501, 530/333, 530/334, 536/25.3, 536/23.1, 525/54.11, 422/116, 422/129, 422/131, 435/DIG.1, 435/DIG.46, 435/DIG.49, 435/DIG.43, 435/DIG.44, 435/283.1, 435/286.5, 435/288.4, 435/292.1US Class Current506/13CPC Class CodesB01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reac...B01J 2219/00274 Sequential or parallel reac...
