Systems and methods for preparing low volume analyte array elements

A fluid dispensing apparatus for dispensing nanoliter volumes of a fluid in chemical or biological procedures into one or more wells of a multi-well substrate, comprising

• a housing having a plurality of sides and a bottom portion having formed therein a plurality of apertures, said sides and bottom portion defining an interior volume,
• a plurality of fluid transmitting vesicles, each vesicle for holding a nanoliter volume of a fluid, mounted within said apertures having a fluid holding chamber disposed in communication with said interior volume of said housing,
• a fluid volume selection and dispensing means in communication with said interior volume of said housing for variably selecting an amount of the fluid loaded into said fluid holding chambers of said vesicles to be dispensed from a single set of plurality of fluid transmitting vesicles, and
• whereby said dispensing means dispenses a selected amount of the fluid into the wells of the multi-well substrate when the apparatus is disposed over and in registration with the substrate, wherein the selected amount of fluid is a nanoliter volume.

A system for dispensing nanoliter volumes of fluid in chemical or biological procedures onto the surface of a substrate, comprising:

• an assembly, comprising a capillary element for containing a volume of fluid to be dispensed through an orifice of the capillary and a transducer element in contact with the capillary for effecting physical deformation of the capillary causing ejectment of a nanoliter volume of fluid from the capillary;
• a robotic arm for holding an assembly and for aligning the assembly adjacent to the surface of the substrate to dispense nanoliter volumes of fluid from the capillary to the surface of the substrate aligned therewith;
• and
• mounting means for securing the robotic arm to the assembly.