Bioarray chip reaction apparatus and its manufacture

Abstract

A body 300 having a cavity 310 for mounting a substrate 120 fabricated with probe sequences at known locations according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 and PCT WO 92/10092 or others, is provided. The cavity includes inlets 350 and 360 for introducing selected fluids into the cavity to contact the probes. Accordingly, a commercially feasible device for use in high throughput assay systems is provided.

1 . A method of making probe chips comprising the steps of: 
 forming a plurality of probe arrays on a wafer;    separating said wafer into a plurality of chips, each of said chips comprising at least one probe array thereon; and    mating at least one of said chips to a package, said package comprising a reaction chamber, said reaction chamber comprising inlets for flowing fluid therein, said at least one probe array in fluid communication with said reaction chamber.    
     
     
         2 - 92 . (canceled)  
     
     
         93 . A method of assaying a sample, said method comprising: (a) contacting said sample with a surface of a first substrate to produce a substrate supported sample; (b) contacting said substrate supported sample with a ligand array comprising two or more biopolymeric ligands immobilized on a surface of a second substrate; and (c) reading said array to assay said sample.  
     
     
         94 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said ligand array is a nucleic acid array.  
     
     
         95 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said ligand array is a polypeptide array.  
     
     
         96 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said first substrate comprises a planar surface bounded on at least one side by a fluid barrier.  
     
     
         97 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein said first substrate comprises a planar surface bounded on each side by a fluid barrier.  
     
     
         98 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said substrate supported sample produced by step (a) is incubated for a period of time prior to said contacting step (b).  
     
     
         99 . The method according to  claim 98 , wherein said period of time is at least about 5 minutes.  
     
     
         100 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said surface of said first substrate is an unmodified glass surface.  
     
     
         101 . The method according to  claim 93 , wherein said surface of said first substrate is a modified glass surface.  
     
     
         102 . The method according to  claim 101 , wherein said modified glass surface comprises a sample component binding agent.  
     
     
         103 . A method comprising transmitting data representing a result obtained by the method of  claim 93  from a first location to a second location.  
     
     
         104 . The method according to  claim 103 , wherein said second location is a remote location.  
     
     
         105 . A method comprising receiving said result obtained by the method of  claim 93 .  
     
     
         106 . A backing element for use in a array assay, said backing element comprising: (a) a substrate having a first surface bounded on at least one side with a fluid barrier; and (b) a sample component binding agent on said first surface; wherein said backing element is dimensioned to be joined with an array to produce a defined reaction volume.  
     
     
         107 . The backing element according to  claim 106 , wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.  
     
     
         108 . The backing element according to  claim 107 , wherein said sample component binding agent is part of a glass surface modification layer.  
     
     
         109 . A system for performing an array assay, said system comprising: (a) an array comprising at least two different ligands; and (b) a backing element comprising: (i) a substrate having a first surface bounded on at least one side with a fluid barrier; and (ii) a sample component binding agent on said first surface; wherein said backing element is dimensioned to be joined with an array to produce a defined reaction volume.  
     
     
         110 . A kit for performing an assay, said kit comprising: (a) a backing element comprising: (i) a substrate having a first surface bounded on at least one side with a fluid barrier; and (ii) a sample component binding agent on said first surface; wherein said backing element is dimensioned to be joined with an array to produce a defined reaction volume; and (b) instructions for using said backing element in a method according to  claim 93 .  
     
     
         111 . The kit according to  claim 110 , wherein said kit further comprises an array comprising at least two different ligands.  
     
     
         112 . The kit according to  claim 110 , wherein said kit further comprises at least one sample preparation reagent.