Non-Contact Dispensing for High-Speed Microarray Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microarray diagnostic systems face challenges in achieving high throughput and efficiency due to slow processing speeds, wastage of reagents, and difficulties in handling small liquid quantities, which limits their application in large-scale diagnostic markets and point-of-sample testing.
Innovation Solution
The development of high-speed array printing, hybridization, and assaying systems utilizing non-contact dispensing technologies with a dispense module and controller, enabling precise delivery of reagent drops onto substrates with advanced configurations and motion control to achieve high-density array manufacturing and rapid hybridization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional aspiration and dispense processes are used for microarray manufacturing, then reagents can be transferred from microtiter plates to array substrates, but the process requires careful cleaning between reagent changes which reduces production throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the reagent delivery function into multiple independent non-contact dispensers, each capable of dispensing different reagents without requiring cleaning of shared components. This segmentation eliminates the cleaning bottleneck while maintaining the ability to handle multiple reagents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces non-contact dispensing technology as an intermediary between reagent sources and array substrates. This intermediary system allows reagent transfer without physical contact, eliminating the need for cleaning mechanical contact components while maintaining precise delivery capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional contact dispensing is used to achieve high spot density, then reagents can be precisely deposited, but the cleaning and drying processes waste valuable reagents and reduce throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact dispensing systems with non-contact dispensing technology. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical cleaning and drying processes that waste reagents, while maintaining precise spot placement through controlled droplet ejection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the harmful cleaning and drying steps from the dispensing process by using non-contact methodology. The reagents are deposited directly without requiring subsequent cleaning or drying operations, eliminating reagent wastage associated with these processes.
3Quantity of substance
If small spot sizes (100-300 microns) are used to achieve high spot density, then array information capacity increases, but the cost of reagents for large spotting libraries increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-contact dispensing system enables self-service reagent delivery where reagents are deposited precisely without requiring excess reagent for cleaning or handling. This reduces the total reagent consumption for large spotting libraries while maintaining high spot density capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly enhances production throughput, reduces reagent wastage, and enables rapid test times, making it suitable for large-scale diagnostic applications and point-of-sample testing by achieving high-density array manufacturing and efficient hybridization processes.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric dispenser operable to dispense drops of a reagent
Data Source
AI summary
Novel and improved systems and methods for high speed arraying, hybridization, quantitative development and/or assaying are provided. Some embodiments provide a web based arraying format. Some other embodiments provide a sheet based arraying format. Some embodiments use a drop on drop assaying or hybridization mode. In some embodiments, a substantially inert substrate is utilized. In some other embodiments, an interactive substrate is utilized.