Process for producing probe carrier and apparatus thereof

A process for producing a probe carrier by discharging plural kinds of liquids respectively containing plural kinds of probes capable of being specifically bonded to a target substance on a carrier, comprising the steps of:

• (i) respectively discharging the plural kinds of liquids from a liquid discharging device on the basis of discharge data while changing a relative position between the liquid discharging device and the carrier, thereby applying the liquids to the carrier;
• (ii) detecting application information of the liquids applied to the carrier by a detection device;
• (iii) detecting defective spots where the liquids are not applied, to which defective spots the respective liquids should have been applied on the basis of the discharge data, by comparing the discharge data with the detected application information;
• (iv) redrawing by discharging the liquids to the detected defective spots from a nozzle, which is different from a nozzle that caused the defective spots, of the liquid discharging device when the defective spots are detected, thereby applying the liquids to the defective spots;
• and
• (v) counting a number of redrawings
• wherein at least said steps (i), (ii), and (iv) are conducted with the carrier placed on a stage attached to an apparatus comprising the liquid discharging device and the detection device,
• wherein said step (i) of discharging the liquids to the carrier on the basis of the discharge data and said step (iv) of discharging the liquids to the defective spots further comprise the step of moving the carrier in a secondary scanning direction parallel to a liquid-application surface thereof and perpendicular to a main scanning direction, and
• wherein when the number of redrawings exceeds a prescribed number a message of abnormality is outputted to stop redrawing.

A production apparatus for producing a probe carrier by discharging plural kinds of liquids respectively containing plural kinds of probes capable of being specifically bonded to a target substance on a carrier, comprising:

• a liquid discharging device having nozzles in different nozzle groups for discharging the liquids respectively containing the plural kinds of probes capable of being specifically bonded to the target substance on the carrier;
• a positioning means for determining a relative position between said liquid discharging device and the carrier, said positioning means comprises a driver for moving the carrier in a secondary scanning direction parallel to a liquid-application surface thereof and substantially perpendicular to a main scanning direction;
• an application information detector that detects application information of a liquid to be discharged on the carrier from said liquid discharging device on the basis of discharge data;
• a defective spot detector for detecting defective spots, the defective spots being positions where the liquids are not applied, but where the liquids should be applied according to comparison of the discharge data with the application information detected by said application information detector;
• discharge data forming means for forming discharge data as to the defective spots on the basis of defective spot information from said defective spot detector;
• and
• a processor for counting a number of redrawings,
• wherein said discharge data forming means comprises means for switching-over to a nozzle from a next nozzle group, to execute redrawing from the nozzle by applying the liquids respectively to the defective spots according to the discharge data formed by said discharge data forming means, when a non-discharging nozzle from which no liquid can be discharged has occurred among the nozzles of a previous nozzle group, and
• wherein when the number of redrawings exceeds a prescribed number a message of abnormality is outputted to stop redrawing.

A process for producing a probe carrier by discharging plural kinds of liquids respectively containing plural kinds of probes capable of being specifically bonded to a target substance on a carrier, comprising the steps of:

• respectively discharging the plural kinds of liquids from nozzles in different nozzle groups of a liquid discharging device on the basis of discharge data while changing a relative position between the liquid discharging device and the carrier, thereby applying the liquids to the carrier;
• detecting application information of the liquids applied to the carrier;
• detecting defective spots where the liquids are not applied, to which spots the respective liquids should be applied on the basis of the discharge data, by comparing the discharge data with the detected application information;
• and
• redrawing by discharging the liquids to the detected defective spots from a nozzle from a next nozzle group, thereby applying the liquids to the defective spots, when a non-discharging nozzle from which no liquid can be discharged has occurred among the nozzles of a previous nozzle group,
• wherein when the number of redrawings exceeds a prescribed number a message of abnormality is outputted to stop redrawing, and
• wherein discharging the liquids to the carrier on the basis of the discharge data and discharging the liquids to the defective spots further comprise the step of moving the carrier in a secondary scanning direction parallel to a liquid-application surface thereof and perpendicular to a main scanning direction.