Heat-relaxable substrates and arrays

• US 6,482,638 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: LePere, Pierre H., Duan, Daniel C., Halverson, Kurt J., Patil, Sanjay L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whisenant, Ethan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LU, FRANK WEI MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/708,916
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 435/91.1, 435/91.2, 435/183, 435/287.1, 435/287.2, 435/283.1, 435/286.1, 436/94, 536/23.1, 536/24.3, 536/24.33, 536/25.3, 422/50, 422/68, 422/82.05, 422/82.09
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• 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 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00497 Features relating to the solid phase supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel 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 2219/00626 Covalent
• 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 2219/00635 by reactive plasma treatment
• 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 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0855 using microwave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0272 using lost heating elements, i.e. heating means incorporated and remaining in the formed article for preforms with internal stresses B29C61/0625; joining using lost heating elements B29C65/34; making electrically conductive articles B29C70/882
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 61/02 Thermal shrinking
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 61/0625 Preforms comprising incorporated or associated heating means
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 : Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries

Abstract

Articles, such as high density arrays, on heat-relaxable substrates that can be relaxed by exposure to thermal energy are disclosed, along with methods of manufacturing the arrays, and systems/apparatus for relaxing arrays using electromagnetic energy. The arrays may themselves include electromagnetic energy sensitive material in their construction, in which case exposure of the arrays to suitable electromagnetic energy can provide the thermal energy required to cause the arrays to relax. In other embodiments, the arrays may not include an electromagnetic energy sensitive material in their construction, in which case the arrays may be heated indirectly, i.e., by locating the arrays within a system or apparatus that includes an electromagnetic energy sensitive material and transferring the thermal energy from the electromagnetic energy sensitive material to the array by, e.g., conduction.

Claims

1. A method of relaxing an array, comprising:

providing an array comprising a heat-relaxable substrate and reactants affixed thereto;

providing electromagnetic energy sensitive material in thermal communication with the substrate;

directing electromagnetic energy towards the electromagnetic energy sensitive material, wherein the electromagnetic energy is converted into thermal energy and conducted to the heat-relaxable material, thereby causing the heat-relaxable material in the substrate to relax.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the array further comprises linking agents.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the linking agents are included in a linking agent coating on the substrate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the linking agents comprise an azlactone moiety.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the reactants are affixed to the linking agents at the plurality of binding sites.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactants are selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactants comprise oligonucleotides.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactants comprise cDNA.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensitive material comprises a Curie point material.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the heat-relaxable material of the substrate has a relaxation temperature, and further wherein the Curie point material has a Curie temperature of at least about the relaxation temperature.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing an electrically conductive ground plane in proximity with the Curie point material.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising contacting the heat-relaxable material with the electromagnetic energy sensitive material.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing the array from contact with the electromagnetic energy sensitive material after directing electromagnetic energy towards the electromagnetic energy sensitive material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensitive material is on the substrate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensitive material comprises a layer comprising one or more metals, one or more metallic compounds, or combinations of one or more metals and one or more metallic compounds.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises first and second major surfaces, and further wherein the electromagnetic energy sensitive material contacts substantially all of at least one of the first and second major surfaces.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a coating including particulates of the electromagnetic energy sensitive material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the coating further comprises linking agents.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy-sensitive material is provided in particulate form, and further wherein the electromagnetic energy-sensitive material particulates are located within the heat-relaxable material of the substrate.