High density plate filler

A filling apparatus for filling a microplate, said microplate having a plurality of wells, each of said plurality of wells being sized to receive an assay therein, said filling apparatus comprising:

• an output layer having a plurality of capillaries, each of said plurality of capillaries having an inlet and an outlet, said output layer having at least one hydrophobic feature separating a first grouping of said plurality of capillaries from a second grouping of said plurality of capillaries;
• and
• a funnel assembly having a first assay chamber and a second assay chamber, said first assay chamber being in fluid communication with said first grouping of said plurality of capillaries and said second assay chamber being in fluid communication with said second grouping of said plurality of capillaries, said first grouping being separate from said second grouping, said first assay chamber and said second assay chamber delivering separate fluid beads of the assay along a top surface of said output layer and in fluid communication with said first grouping and said second grouping respectively to draw at least a portion of said fluid bead in to at least some of the plurality of capillaries in response to capillary force.