Image Locking System for Dna Micro-Array Synthesis

a technology of image locking and dna microarray, which is applied in the direction of instruments, optical elements, chemical/physical/physical-chemical processes, etc., can solve the problems of specialized robotics and imaging equipment that are generally not commercially available, and the “whole picture” of gene function is difficult to obtain

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-10-30
WISCONSIN ALUMNI RES FOUND
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  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The system effectively stabilizes the image, reducing drift to less than 1 μm, maintaining accurate oligonucleotide exposure and distribution, and preventing defects in microarray synthesis, even under varying environmental conditions.

Problems solved by technology

However, traditional methods in molecular biology generally work on a “one gene in one experiment” basis, which means that the throughput is very limited and the “whole picture” of gene function is hard to obtain.
Microarrays require specialized robotics and imaging equipment that generally are not commercially available as a complete system.
It is not practical to try to completely eliminate these drifts.

Method used

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  • Image Locking System for Dna Micro-Array Synthesis
  • Image Locking System for Dna Micro-Array Synthesis
  • Image Locking System for Dna Micro-Array Synthesis

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0032]FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of an optical system 10 of a gene synthesizer according to an exemplary embodiment. The system 10 includes a maskless array synthesizer 12 comprising a mercury (Hg) arc lamp 14, a condenser 18, a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) 20, and a microarray reaction cell 22. The digital micromirror device (DMD) 20 may consist of a 1024×768 array of 16 μm wide micro-mirrors. Preferably, these mirrors are individually addressable and can be used to create any given pattern or image in a broad range of wavelengths. Each virtual mask is generated in a bitmap format by a computer and is sent to the DMD controller, which forms the image onto the DMD 20.

[0033]The maskless array synthesizer 12 can generate several μm of drift over several hours due to the thermal expansion of optics parts. The optical path between the DMD 20 and DNA cell 22 is about 1 meter. Due to the thermal expansion caused by the temperature and humidity fluctuation of surrounding environme...

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Abstract

An image locking system for DNA micro-array synthesis provides a feedback system to stabilize or lock the image with respect to an image capture device, such as a camera and / or microscope. The image locking system includes the use of detection or reference marks. When a shift in image position is detected, a correction signal is sent to one of two mirrors, moving the image to correct for the shift in image position. The system comprises a first light beam directed towards a micromirror device that forms an alignment pattern on a reaction cell and a second light beam directed towards the micromirror device that forms a micro-array image on an active surface of the reaction cell. A camera captures the alignment pattern and an alignment mark. A computer calculates a correction signal to realign the alignment pattern with the alignment mark when movement is detected.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to the field of DNA micro array and synthetic DNA strands manufacturing. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image locking system for DNA micro-array synthesis.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Researchers believe that thousands of genes and their products (i.e., RNA and proteins) in a given living organism function in a complicated and orchestrated way. However, traditional methods in molecular biology generally work on a “one gene in one experiment” basis, which means that the throughput is very limited and the “whole picture” of gene function is hard to obtain. In the past several years, a new technology, called DNA microarray, has attracted tremendous interests among biologists. This technology attempts to monitor the whole genome on a single chip so that researchers can have a better picture of the interactions among thousands of genes simultaneously.[0003]An array is an orderly arrangement of...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & AuthorityApplications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G01B11/00B01J19/00G02B7/182G02B17/00G02B26/08G02F1/33G06K9/00
CPCB01J19/0046B01J2219/00439B01J2219/0054B01J2219/00608B01J2219/00612B01J2219/00626B01J2219/00693B01J2219/00722G02B7/1827G02B17/008G02B17/0615G02B26/0833G02B19/0095G02B19/0023G02B19/0047
InventorCERRINA, FRANCESCOLI, MO-HUANGKIM, CHANG-HAN
OwnerWISCONSIN ALUMNI RES FOUND