Edc Biosystems, Inc.

Obsidian, Inc.

Charles A Reichel

Roger O Williams

Jon A Hoshizaki

Michael R Van Tuyl

Lawrence L Lee

Humphrey W Chow

Richard De Geus

James D Buhler

William K Hollywood

Michael James Forbush

Tarlochan S Jhutty

James E Sinclair

Marina Nasilevich

James Chiao

A method and apparatus for determining the amount of water in an organic solvent solution, such as a DMSO solution. The apparatus comprises an infrared LED for emitting near infrared light; a laser diode collimator for forming a collimated light beam from the light emitted by the LED; a sample container holder for accepting a sample container containing a sample solution; a photodiode for generating an output signal that is related to the intensity of the collimated light beam after the collimated light beam has passed through the sample solution; and a control means for controlling the stability of the near infrared light emitted by the infrared LED by controlling an amount of current flowing through the infrared LED.

Method and apparatus for determining the water content of organic solvent solutions

An apparatus for high-throughput screening and generation of chemical libraries. The apparatus comprises computer controlled mechanical displacement devices and storage queues capable of managing a large number of source well plates and target well plates. In one aspect of the invention, precession alignment mechanisms are provided for efficient transfer of liquid from source well plates to target well plates. The apparatus may be configured such that any source fluid in any of the source well plates may be transferred to any target location within any of the target well plates in any sequence defined by the user. The computer controller may track the location of all the source well plates and target well plates and allow user defined association of any source well with any target well in any order defined by the user, thus providing an effective platform for chemical and biochemical synthesis and screening.

Source and target management system for high throughput transfer of liquids

Devices useful in liquid transfer applications and in particular, devices for controlling the free surface of a source liquid in acoustic liquid ejection systems are disclosed. The devices advantageously maintain a source liquid to be transferred at a constant height and reduce disturbances formed in the liquid due to droplet ejection. In one variation, a well plate includes a plurality of wells each having a capillary. Source liquid in a well moves up the capillary due to capillary action and arrives at a certain height. The height arrived at remains constant despite the source liquid depleting from the well during the ejection process. The capillary can be separately joined or integral with the well plate. An acoustic wave emitter positioned adjacent to the well plate emits a focused acoustic beam that causes at least some of the liquid in the capillary to be ejected.

Apparatus for controlling the free surface of a liquid in a well plate

An apparatus for high-throughput screening and/or generation of chemical libraries. In one aspect of the invention, a database is provided to track various parameters related to the source fluids in the source containment structure. Tracking changes of the source fluids in each source well may allow efficient utilization of source fluid and may also facilitate the high-throughput fluid transfer process. In one variation, data related to fluid level in each source well is maintained such that proper positioning of acoustic wave focus may be achieved. In another aspect of the invention, a database associated with one or more source fluid containment structure is provided and updated during the fluid transfer process. A second database providing a mapping profile with information regarding which fluid is to be transferred to what target is also provided. A third database may be generated to track fluid information in the target well plates.

Acoustically mediated liquid transfer method for generating chemical libraries

A method and apparatus is disclosed for polishing the face of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer is held in position by a tooling head and is contacted by an abrasive pad. A table is provided on to which the abrasive pad is fixedly attached, both of which move in directions parallel to the face of the wafer being polished. A controller controls the motion of the table according to a predetermined polishing pattern and is capable of maintaining a constant velocity between the wafer and the abrasive pad. The tooling head includes a circular platen and a retention ring peripherally oriented about the outer edge of the platen which resists lateral forces on the wafer caused by engagement of the face of the wafer with the polishing surface. An adjustable coupling is mounted to the platen and the ring, and serves to adjustably position during polishing the height of the ring relative to the face of the wafer as well as to rigidly support during polishing the position of the retaining ring. A flexible disk is fixedly mounted between a support post and the platen and oriented substantially parallel to the face of the platen. The flexible disk is adapted to prevent rotation of the platen about the axis of the support post and to transmit forces between the platen and the post in directions parallel to the face of the platen.

Apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing

An apparatus for polishing wafers, preferably by chemical mechanical polishing. The apparatus includes a table defining a planar polishing surface adapted to contain a polishing medium and a wafer carrier assembly adapted to hold a wafer against the polishing surface. The wafer carrier assembly includes a wafer carrier and prevents rotation of the wafer carrier with respect to the polishing table even when the wafer carrier is moved in a circular or orbital path on the polishing surface. Polishing is carried out relative movement between the wafer carrier and the polishing surface in any direction within the plane of the polishing surface. The relative movement can be accomplished by moving the wafer carrier, the polishing table, or a combination of movements of the wafer carrier and polishing table.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Charles A Reichel