Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Roy H Kanemoto

Michel G M Perbost

Carol T Schembri

Steven M Lefkowitz

Jay K Bass

Michael P Caren

Eric M Leproust

John McEntee

Bill J Peck

Maryam Mobed-Miremadi

Michelle M Maranowski

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products to form arrays of polymers each having a pattern of features on a surface of a flexible elongated web, comprising. In a method polymers or their precursor units are applied at an application station to the surface. Multiple features are covered at a reagent station with a continuous volume of reagent which chemically reacts with precursors or the web. The flexible elongated web is driven in a lengthwise direction through the application station. This sequence may be repeated as needed to form the arrays along the web. Also provided is a method preparing a surface of a flexible elongated web to receive a biopolymer array.

Chemical arrays

A method and apparatus for using arrays of polymers each having a pattern of features over a corresponding array region on a surface of a flexible elongated web. In this method each array region may be exposed to a corresponding continuous volume of a sample fluid. A method and apparatus are also provided for reading arrays disposed along a surface of a flexible elongated web. In one such method the web with the arrays thereon may be transported in a lengthwise direction past a reading location at which a characteristic of the features is read, while restraining the web on both surfaces on either side of the reading location to assist in maintaining the reading location flat.

A method and system for economically packaging microarrays into sealed reaction chambers and storage vessels. A pocket strip is manufactured as a linear sequence of pockets, or wells, into which microarrays are positioned. A cover strip is then heat sealed to the upper surface of the pocket strip to create a linear sequence of sealed reaction chambers or storage vessels each containing a microarray. Mechanical features or optical features are included along the length of the pocket strip to facilitate mechanical translation and positioning of microarrays embedded within the microarray strip. Septa are affixed to, or embedded within, the cover strip to provide resealable ports through which solutions can be introduced into, or extracted from, the reaction chambers.

Automation-optimized microarray package

Methods are disclosed for synthesizing a plurality of compounds on the surface of supports. The synthesis comprises a series of cycles of steps in which reagents for conducting the synthesis are deposited on the surface of the support to form the chemical compounds. At least one physical parameter of the deposition varies between cycles The method comprises conducting the synthesis in at least two sets of cycles, arbitrarily designated as a first set and a second set. Each cycle comprises at least one step of depositing reagents on a surface by means of droplet dispensing elements that traverse the surface of the support. At least one, and desirably all, of the following deposition parameters are employed as indicated: The number of times of repetition for a step of depositing reagents in at least one cycle of the second set is less than the number of times of repetition for a corresponding step in at least one cycle of the first set. The rate of deposition in at least one cycle of the second set is slower than or equal to the rate of deposition in at least one cycle of the first set. The rate of traversal of the dispensing elements over the surface of the support in at least one cycle of the second set is greater than such rate of traversal in at least one cycle of the first set.

Manufacture of arrays with varying deposition parameters

A wash reagent employed for the bulk washing of the surface of a high-density array to remove unreacted reactants from cells of the array while, at the same time, reacting with the unreacted monomer in order to prevent reaction of the reacted monomer with functional groups on the surface of the HDA outside of the region of the surface to which the reactive monomer is applied. The wash reagent is chosen for a particular solid-state synthesis so that the unreacted reactants and catalyzing agents are soluble in the wash reagent, so that the wash reagent does not react with, or catalyze, reactions of the substrate or the biopolymers bound to the substrate, and so that the wash reagent reacts with unreacted reactive monomer in order to prevent subsequent reactions of the unreacted reactive monomer.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Roy H Kanemoto