Micro-pixelated fluid-assay structure

• US 8,231,831 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hartzell, John W., Joshi, Pooran Chandra, Schuele, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAKELARIS, SALLY A
• Application Number:
  US11/827,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C

Abstract

A pixel-by-pixel digitally-addressable, pixelated, fluid-assay, active-matrix micro-structure including plural pixels formed preferably on a glass or plastic substrate, wherein each pixel, formed utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, includes (a) at least one functionalized, digitally-addressable assay sensor including at least one functionalized, digitally-addressable assay site which has been affinity-functionalized to respond to a selected, specific fluid-assay material, and (b) disposed operatively adjacent that sensor and its associated assay site, digitally-addressable and energizable electromagnetic field-creating structure which is selectively energizable to create, in the vicinity of the sensor and its associated assay site, a selected, ambient, electromagnetic field environment which is structured to assist, selectively and optionally only, in the reading-out of an assay-result response from the assay sensor and assay site.

Claims

1. An active-matrix, fluid-assay micro-structure comprising

a substrate having a surface,

plural, TFT-technology-fabricated pixels all formed in common on, and only on, said surface, and

within each pixel,

an assay site which has been affinity-functionalized to respond to a selected, specific fluid-assay material, and,

disposed operatively and laterally adjacent said site, and also formed by TFT-fabrication technology, (1) a control transistor, and (2) a light-field-creating optical medium operatively connected to, and energizable by operation of, said transistor, said optical medium being structured, when energized by operation of said transistor, (a) to create from, and adjacent, its location on said surface, and (b) to bathe said assay site with an ambient light field which is operable to assist in the reading out of an assay-result response from the assay site.

2. The micro-structure of claim 1, wherein at least certain ones of said pixels are constructed each to include plural, differently-affinity-functionalized assay sites.

3. The micro-structure of claim 1, wherein said affinity-functionalized assay site possesses a DNA oligonucleotide probe.