Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Alexander S Williamson

John McEntee

Joseph A Worrall, Iii

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for cutting a sheet of material into single supports where each of the single supports has an array area to which is bound an array of chemical compounds. The sheet comprises a plurality of score lines. The apparatus comprises an input conveyor, an output conveyor, a driver for moving the sheet from the input conveyor to the output conveyor and a breaking mechanism for breaking the sheet into single supports. The input conveyor, the output conveyor and the driver are each adapted to move the sheet without contacting the array area and an area on a surface of the support opposite the array area. Likewise, the breaking mechanism breaks the sheet into the single supports along the score lines without contacting the array area and an area on a surface of the support opposite the array area.

Manufacture of singulated supports comprising arrays

Methods for producing glass substrates having scribed edges with straight and smooth ends substantially free of edge protrusions, and microarray glass substrates produced thereby, are provided. In certain embodiments, at least one scribe line is scribed in glass using reduced laser power at the beginning and end of each scribe line relative to the laser power used to scribe the remaining portions of each respective scribe line. In other embodiments, a heat absorbing laser element is positioned adjacent the beginning and end of each scribe line. In all embodiments, the scribed glass is singulated to produce a plurality of scribed glass pieces, each having straight and smooth ends substantially free of edge protrusions. The scribed glass can be used as substrates for biopolymeric microarrays. Also provided are biopolymeric microarrays produced from the subject methods and kits which include the subject microarrays, as well as methods for using the same.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Alexander S Williamson