Method for making probe support and apparatus used for the method

• US 20020182610A1
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tomohiro, Okamoto, Tadashi, Watanabe, Hidenori, Yamamoto, Nobuko
• Granted Patent: US 7,731,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• 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 2219/0036 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00529 DNA chips
• 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 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• 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: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14137 Resistor surrounding the nozzle opening
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/1437 Back shooter
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries

Abstract

A liquid discharging device includes a plurality of liquid discharge sections. Each liquid discharge section includes a reservoir, a nozzle that discharges a solution supplied from the reservoir, and discharge energy generating means that generates energy to discharge the solution from the nozzle. The number of the liquid discharge sections corresponds to the number of probe types to be formed. The nozzles are two-dimensionally arranged. Using this liquid discharging device, probe liquids are discharged from the corresponding reservoirs onto a solid-phase substrate to form a predetermined two-dimensional probe array of high-purity probes on the substrate. This process exhibits high reproducibility and processability, and the resulting probe array has high array density.

Claims

1. A method for making a probe support having a plurality of types of probe at different positions thereon, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a liquid discharging device including reservoirs for containing liquids containing the probes and discharge nozzles connecting with the corresponding reservoirs, the number of reservoirs and discharge nozzles being at least the number of probes;

aligning the discharge nozzles and the support relatively; and

discharging the liquids containing the probes from the discharge nozzles to different positions on the support.

2. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein the probes are at least parts of nucleic acids.

3. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein the discharge nozzles have opening arranged in a line or in lines and rows.

4. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein the reservoirs are arranged in a position opposite to the liquid-discharging direction of the discharge nozzles.

5. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein each of the reservoirs communicates with another solution container.

6. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein the liquid discharging device further comprises a thermal energy generator unit for discharging the liquids from the discharge nozzles by thermal energy.

7. The method for making the probe support according to claim 6, wherein bubbles formed by thermal energy imparted to the liquids communicate with the environmental atmosphere of the outside of the nozzles to discharge the liquids.

8. The method for making the probe support according to claim 1, wherein the liquids are discharged onto the support at the same density as the density of the discharge nozzles of the liquid discharging device.

9. The method for making the probe support according to claim 6, wherein the relative movement between the liquid discharging device and the support is repeated several times to discharge the liquids containing the probes so that the density of the discharged liquids is higher than the density of the discharge nozzles of the liquid discharging device.

10. A liquid discharging device for making a probe support having a plurality of types of probe at different positions thereon, the device comprising:

reservoirs for containing liquids containing the probes; and

discharge nozzles connecting with the corresponding reservoirs, the number of reservoirs and discharge nozzles being at least the number of the types of the probes.

11. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the probes are at least parts of nucleic acids.

12. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the discharge nozzles have opening arranged in a line or in lines and rows.

13. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the reservoirs are arranged in a position opposite to the liquid-discharging direction of the discharge nozzles.

14. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein each of the reservoirs communicates with another solution container.

15. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the liquid discharging device further comprises a thermal energy generator unit for discharging the liquids from the discharge nozzles by thermal energy.

16. The liquid discharging device according to claim 15, wherein bubbles formed by thermal energy imparted to the liquids communicate with the environmental atmosphere of the outside of the nozzles to discharge the liquids.

17. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the liquids are discharged onto the support at the same density as the density of the discharge nozzles of the liquid discharging device.

18. The liquid discharging device according to claim 10, wherein the relative movement between the liquid discharging device and the support is repeated several times to discharge the liquids containing the probes so that the density of the discharged liquids is higher than the density of the discharge nozzles of the liquid discharging device.

19. An apparatus for making a probe support having a plurality of types of probe at different positions on the support, the apparatus comprising the liquid discharging device according to claim 10.

20. An apparatus for making a probe support having a plurality of types of probe at different positions thereon, the apparatus comprising:

a liquid discharging device including reservoirs for containing liquids containing the probes and discharge nozzles connecting with the corresponding reservoirs, the number of reservoirs and discharge nozzles being at least the number of the types of the probes; and

aligning means for aligning the discharge nozzles and the support relatively.