Holders for arrays

• US 7,125,523 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Sillman, Debra A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handy, Dwayne K
• Application Number:
  US10/135,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20030203492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 422/55, 422/63, 422/65, 422/67, 422/99, 422/102, 422/104
• US Class Current: 422/560
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/02 Identification, exchange or storage of information
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/523 for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide

Abstract

A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate. The holder may include a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position. A holder identifier may include data on a characteristic of the holder or seated array or be linkable to a file containing such information. An apparatus, method, and computer program product which may be used with such a holder are also provided.

Claims

1. A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate, the holder comprising:

a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position, such that an array unit can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the seated position in which it is retained in the holder, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises rear clamp member sets comprising ledges and front clamp member sets wherein the sets urge against side edge portions of a seated array unit causing the array unit to be retained in a seated position; and

a machine readable holder identifier which includes data on a characteristic of the seated array.

2. A holder according to claim 1 further comprising springs that urge the rear clamp member sets and the front clamp member sets.

3. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the machine readable holder identifier includes data selected from the group consisting of suitability of use of the holder in an array scanner, dimensions of the holder, dimensions of a seated array unit in the holder, data on the position of a seated array unit in the holder and combinations thereof.

4. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the holder identifier includes data on the position or dimension of the substrate of an array unit seated in the holder unit wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the x, y, or z positions or dimensions of the substrate of the seated array unit, where x and y are the directions along the length and width of the substrate and z is the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane.

5. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the z position of the substrate of the seated array unit.

6. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the position data includes data on the angular orientation of the substrate of the seated array unit.

7. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the holder identifier comprises a bar code or is carried in a memory attached to the remainder of the holder.

8. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the holder additionally comprises a magnetic or solid state memory attached to the body and the identifier is carried by the memory.

9. A holder according to claim 1 additionally comprising a seated array unit.

10. A holder according to claim 9 wherein the seated array unit additionally includes an array unit identifier.

11. A holder according to claim 10 wherein the array unit identifier is a machine readable identifier.

12. A holder according to claim 11 wherein the array unit identifier comprises a bar code or is carried in a memory attached to the remainder of the array unit.

13. A holder according to claim 9 wherein the machine readable holder identifier is a bar code and the seated array comprises an array identifier that is a bar code.

14. A holder according to claim 1 which has a maximum length and width each no greater than 50 cm, and a thickness no greater than 10 cm.

15. A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate, the holder comprising:

a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position, such that an array unit can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the seated position in which it is retained in the holder, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises rear clamp member sets comprising ledges and front clamp member sets wherein the sets urge against side edge portions of a seated array unit causing the array unit to be retained in a seated position;

springs that urge the rear clamp member sets and the front clamp member sets; and

a machine readable holder identifier which includes data on a characteristic of the seated array.

16. A holder according to claim 15 wherein the machine readable holder identifier includes data selected from the group consisting of suitability of use of the holder in an array scanner, dimensions of the holder, dimensions of a seated array unit in the holder, data on the position of a seated array unit in the holder and combinations thereof.