Micromachined Si Printhead for Microarray Fabrication

描述（由申请人提供）：如果可以以更快的速度和更低的成本制造更高质量的DNA微阵列，那么新的应用，如真实的时间基因表达的测量可能变得可行。目前，许多微阵列都是用钢钉打印的，这些钢钉是在机器车间手工制作的，售价高达625美元/针。我们建议设计和制造，使用标准的微加工程序，单片微加工的硅打印头，它应该能够同时打印数百甚至数千个DNA点样本。第一代设计将包括用于打印流体的一体式0.5-1.0 μ L储存器和具有从20-75 μ m可选择的尖端直径的打印元件，每个打印元件被单独地弹簧加载以补偿打印表面中的局部高度变化。第一个原型设计将在2.25 mm中心（1536微量滴定板格式）上的10 x 10 = 100尖端阵列或在1.125 mm中心（6144格式）上的20 x 20 = 400尖端阵列中结合75 μ m打印尖端。这种技术应该很容易适应目前的高通量协议，并允许微阵列用户迅速受益于高精度，规模经济和增加的吞吐量来自并行硅微加工和制造。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): If higher quality DNA microarrays could be fabricated at a much faster rate and at significantly lower cost, then new applications such as the measurement of real time gene expression might become feasible. Many microarrays are currently printed with steel pins that are made manually in a machine shop and sell for up to $625/pin. We propose to design and fabricate, using standard micromachining procedures, a monolithic micromachined silicon printhead which should be capable of printing hundred or even thousands of DNA spot samples simultaneously. The first generation design will include an integral 0.5-1.0 uL reservoir for the printing fluid and print elements with tip diameters selectable from 20-75 um each of which is individually spring loaded to compensate for local height variations in the printing surface. The first prototype designs will incorporate 75 um print tips in either a 10 x 10 = 100 array of tips on 2.25 mm centers (1536 microtiter plate format) or a 20 x 20 = 400 on 1.125 mm centers (6144 format). This technology should be easily adaptable to current high throughput protocols and allow microarray users to rapidly benefit from the high precision, economy of scale and increased throughput derived from the parallel silicon micromachining and fabrication.