Apparatus and method for spotting a substrate
AssigneePE Corporation (NY)
InventorsCharles S. Vann, Zbigniew Bryning
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dispensing a small volume of a selected liquid, such as a biological sample or reagent, onto a substrate. The device includes a tube adapted to contain the liquid. An elongate fiber is disposed within the tube for axial movement therein between raised and lowered positions. Upon shifting or oscillating the fiber between its raised and lowered positions, a liquid spot can be formed at a selected position on the substrate. The device is readily adaptable for the production of micro-arrays having a great number of individual spots.
Claims6
An apparatus for producing an array of liquid-reagent spots on a substrate, comprising:
- a manifold having a plurality of capillary channels, each adapted to hold a selected liquid, said channels having opposite upper-end and lower-end openings, and inner diameters which decrease on progressing from the upper- to the lower-end openings, with said lower openings forming said array,
- a support movable between raised and lowered positions with respect to said manifold, and
- a plurality of fibers carried on said support for movement therewith, each fiber being adapted to move longitudinally within an associated channel, as the support is moved between its raised and lowered positions,
- with movement of the fibers from their raised to lowered positions being effective to deposit a selected volume of liquid from each channel in the manifold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.