Micromachined Si Printhead for Microarray Fabrication

描述（由申请人提供）：如果更高质量的DNA微阵列能够以更快的速度和更低的成本制造出来，那么新的应用，如实时基因表达的测量可能变得可行。目前，许多微阵列都是用机械车间手工制作的钢针印刷的，每针售价高达625美元。我们建议使用标准的微加工程序设计和制造一个单片微加工硅打印头，它应该能够同时打印数百甚至数千个DNA斑点样本。第一代设计将包括一个完整的0.5-1.0 uL储液器，用于打印流体和打印元件，其尖端直径可从20-75微米选择，每个都是单独的弹簧加载，以补偿印刷表面的局部高度变化。第一个原型设计将包含75微米的打印尖端，在2.25毫米中心（1536微滴板格式）上有10 x 10 = 100的尖端阵列，或在1.125毫米中心（6144格式）上有20 x 20 = 400的尖端。这项技术应该很容易适应当前的高通量协议，并允许微阵列用户快速受益于高精度，规模经济和来自并行硅微加工和制造的增加的吞吐量。

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.