Patterned Polymer Sheets for Low-Waste Sequencing Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing polymer-coated substrates for nucleic acid sequencing waste significant amounts of polymer during polishing, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the deposition of a polymer composition with functional groups on a substrate, forming a polymer sheet, and removing excess material to create patterned polymer sheets for nucleic acid sequencing, which can be used in automated roll-to-roll processes for high-throughput sequencing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a polishing process is used to remove excess polymer from flow cells, then the polymer surface is smoothed and prepared for sequencing, but significant amounts of polymer are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the excess polymer removal step from the traditional polishing process and replaces it with a selective etching process that removes only the excess polymer while preserving the patterned regions. This extraction approach eliminates the need for mechanical polishing that wastes significant polymer material, thereby reducing polymer waste while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of polymer removal from mechanical polishing to chemical etching. By changing the removal mechanism from physical abrasion to selective chemical dissolution, the process achieves precise surface preparation with minimal material waste. The etching parameters (chemical composition, concentration, exposure time) are optimized to remove excess polymer without affecting the patterned regions.
2Reliability
If traditional flow cell fabrication is used with multiple processing steps, then functional polymer surfaces are created for sequencing, but the process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fabrication steps into a more integrated process. The patterned polymer deposition and excess polymer removal are combined into a single etching step that simultaneously defines the functional regions and removes excess material. This merging reduces the number of separate processing steps while maintaining the reliability of creating functional polymer surfaces for sequencing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary patterning of the polymer deposition before the etching step. By pre-defining the regions where polymer should remain during the deposition phase, the subsequent etching process only needs to remove excess material rather than selectively process different regions. This preliminary action simplifies the overall fabrication workflow while ensuring reliable functional surface creation.
3Manufacturing precision
If excess polymer is removed through polishing, then the flow cell is prepared for sequencing, but production efficiency is reduced due to material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of excess polymer (which needs to be removed) into a benefit by using the excess polymer as a sacrificial material during the etching process. The etching chemistry is designed to selectively remove the excess polymer while leaving the patterned regions intact. This approach transforms the waste problem into a useful feature where the excess polymer serves as a temporary mask or sacrificial layer that facilitates precise pattern definition, thereby improving production efficiency.
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
Reduces polymer waste and enables low-cost, high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing by utilizing flexible, patterned polymer sheets that can be repeatedly used in sequencing processes, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
the forming of the polymer sheet comprises dehydrating the polymer composition
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present application relate to patterned polymer sheets and processes to prepare the same for sequencing applications. In particular, flexible micro- and nano-patterned polymer sheets are prepared and used as a template surface in sequencing reaction and new polish-free methods of forming isolated hydrogel plugs in nanowells are described.