Array fabrication

• US 7,205,400 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Webb, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Young J.
• Application Number:
  US10/649,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20050100480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 536/25.3
• 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 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0054 Means for coding or tagging the apparatus or the reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential 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 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00695 Synthesis control routines, e.g. using computer programs
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1041 : Ink-jet like dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1011 : Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 : arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program, for fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array. The method uses a head system having multiple successive sets of dispensers. In the method, the head system is advanced in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing drop sets for each array from dispenser sets so as to form the arrays. In one aspect, drop sets are dispensed in an order the reverse of that from which the dispenser sets pass over a given location on the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction. In this case, each dispenser set deposits a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set.

Claims

1. An apparatus for fabricating multiple arrays of biopolymers arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a head system with multiple successive sets of dispensers wherein the head system is loaded with biopolymers or biomonomers;

(b) a transport system to advance the head system in the first direction with respect to a substrate; and

(c) a processor communicating with the head system and transport system to advance the head system in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing drop sets for each array, from dispenser sets in an order the reverse of that from which the dispenser sets pass over a given location on the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction, with each dispenser set depositing a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set, so as to form the arrays.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the distance between adjacent feature sets within the arrays is less than the distance between adjacent dispenser sets.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the advancing and dispensing comprises:

(a) while the head system is in one position in the first direction, depositing drop sets from different dispenser sets for feature sets of different positions within multiple arrays;

(b) advancing the head system in the first direction to a next position; and

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for successive feature sets within the arrays using for each of those feature sets during a cycle, a corresponding dispenser set which deposited at a same feature set position of a previous array in step (a) during a previous cycle.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the feature sets are rows of features, the sets of dispensers are rows of dispensers, and the dispensed drop sets are rows of drops.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the dispensers are pulse jets.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the head system is loaded with biomonomers.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the head system is loaded with polynucleotides, peptides, nucleotides, or amino acids.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the head system is loaded with polynucleotides or peptides.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the head system is loaded with polynucleotides.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the head system is loaded with nucleotides or amino acids.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the head system is loaded with nucleotides.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for use with an apparatus for fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array, which apparatus has:

(i) a head system with multiple successive sets of dispensers wherein the head system is loaded with biopolymers or biomonomers;

(ii) a transport system to advance the head system in a first direction with respect to a substrate; and

(iii) a processor communicating with the head system and transport system;

the computer program product, when loaded into the processor, performs the steps of;

advancing the head system in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing drop sets for each array from dispenser sets in an order the reverse of that from which the dispenser sets pass over a given location on the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction, with each dispenser set depositing a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set, so as to form the arrays.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the distance between adjacent feature sets within the arrays is less than the distance between adjacent dispenser sets.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the advancing and dispensing comprises:

(a) while the head system is in one position in the first direction, depositing drop sets from different dispenser sets for feature sets of different positions within multiple arrays;

(b) advancing the head system in the first direction to a next position; and

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for successive feature sets within the arrays using for each of those feature sets during a cycle, a corresponding dispenser set which deposited at a same feature set position of a previous array in step (a) during a previous cycle.