Method of forming polymeric microarray support

Abstract

In combination, a polymeric microarray support for an optical assay arrangement, that includes an optical detection instrument having a known depth of focus for detecting light emitted from said microarray support. The polymeric microarray support has a support surface made from a polymeric support material having a thickness varying over the area of the support surface by a thickness variation value. The said support includes formed microfeatures made up of grooves arranged to have a predetermined depth at the time of forming, the groove depth being selected based on the depth of focus of the optical detection instrument and the thickness of the support. The sum of the depth for the grooves and the thickness variation value of the polymeric support surface substantially corresponds to the depth of focus of the optical detection instrument in order to reduce noise, the polymeric support surface having attached thereto probe molecules to form binding sites.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 556,961, filed on Nov. 15, 2005, which is a U.S. National Stage application of International Application number PCT / SE2004 / 000761, filed May 18, 2004 under 35 U.S.C. §371, which claims priority to Swedish Application Serial No. SE 0301470-1, filed May 20, 2003, the entire contents of each noted document herein being incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to an improved polymeric microarray support for an optical assay arrangement, the microarray support provided with microfeatures comprising a surface enlarging pattern. The invention also relates to an optical assay arrangement comprising an improved polymeric microarray support provided with microfeatures comprising a surface enlarging pattern, and to a method of forming microfeatures comprising a surface enlarging pattern in a polymeric microarray support for an optical assa...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The polymeric microarray support for an optical assay arrangement comprises optical means having a depth of focus for detecting light emitted from the support. The thickness of said support varies over the surface area by a thickness variation value, and the support is provided with selected microfeatures comprising a surface enlarging pattern. The surface enlarging pattern comprises grooves arranged to have a selected depth adapted to said depth of focus of the optical means and to said thickness variation value of the support. By adapting the depth of the grooves such that the sum of said depth and of said thickness variation value substantially corresponds to said depth of focus of the optical means, an improved performance of the optical assay can be achieved, e.g. an increased signal to noise ratio. The increase of the signal-to-noise ratio is accomplished both by the increase of the signal due to the enlargement of the support surface area caused by the grooves, resulting in more binding sites, and by the reduced noise / background signal due to the reduced volume of material within the depth of focus.

[0022]Particles, e.g. solid or porous, may be provided between the pillars, which further increases the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0023]In the method of forming microfeatures comprising grooves in a polymeric microarray support of an optical assay arrangement comprising optical means having a depth of focus for detecting light emitted from said support, the thickness of said support varies over the surface area of the support by a thickness variation value. The depth of said grooves is adapted to said depth of focus and to said thickness variation value by the depth being selected such that the sum of said depth and of said thickness variation value substantially corresponds to said depth of focus, thereby causing an improved performance.

Problems solved by technology

However, a drawback with the use of polymer slides is that a higher background signal occurs from autofluorescence in comparison with glass slides.

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