Assembly of arrays on chips segmented from wafers

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for the generation of novel libraries of encoded magnetic particles from sub-libraries of by the generation of novel sub-libraries of magnetic nanoparticles and encoded particles. The sub-libraries are functionalized on demand are useful in the formation of arrays. The present invention is especially useful for performing multiplexed (parallel) assays for qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of binding interactions of a number of analyte molecules in a sample.

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       41 . A process of producing a plurality of application-specific bead arrays on a substrate, comprising: 
 patterning a wafer substrate to delineate a plurality of discrete regions;    cutting the wafer along the lines of delineation to form said plurality of individual chips; and    assembling at least one bead array comprising at least one sub-library of functionalized, encoded beads on at least one chip.    
   
   
       42 . A process of producing a plurality of application-specific bead arrays on a substrate, comprising: 
 patterning a wafer substrate to delineate a plurality of discrete regions;    cutting the wafer along the lines of delineation to form said plurality of individual chips; and    assembling at least a bead array comprising at least a first sub-library of functionalized, encoded beads on a first chip, and assembling a bead array comprising at least a second sub-library of functionalized encoded beads on either the first chip or on a second chip.    
   
   
       43 . The process of  claim 41  or  42  further including the step of fabricating on a surface of the substrate an array of microwells designed to entrap beads.  
   
   
       44 . A method of delineating fluid confinement regions on a chip which is designed to accommodate bead arrays by placing a gasket, which has a plurality of holes defined therein, on the substrate surface.  
   
   
       45 . The process of  claim 41  or  42  wherein the chips are mounted in cartridges.  
   
   
       46 . A process for making an assay device, the process comprising: 
 cutting a wafer substrate into a plurality of chips;    mounting one or more chips into cartridges;    pooling two or more selected functionalized encoded bead populations;    depositing aliquots of a suspension of the pooled beads onto one or more chips mounted in a cartridge to form random encoded bead arrays; and    immobilizing said arrays.    
   
   
       47 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the immobilization is performed by mechanically confining the beads in microwells.  
   
   
       48 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the arrays are optically inspected.  
   
   
       49 . The process of  claim 48  wherein the optical inspection includes a step of decoding the arrays.  
   
   
       50 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the cutting includes the step of patterning multiple designated regions on the substrate, and die cutting patterned substrates into chips, said chips comprising one or more patterned regions.  
   
   
       51 . The process of  claim 50  wherein the substrate regions comprise arrays of microwells.  
   
   
       52 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the substrates are silicon substrates comprising a low impedance region comprising arrays of microwells.  
   
   
       53 . The process of  claim 46  wherein the substrates include multiple compartments which each define one or more designated regions.  
   
   
       54 . The process of  claim 53  wherein the compartments are formed by depositing a thin film of UV-patternable, optically transparent polymer to affix to the substrate a desired layout of fluidic conduits and compartments to confine fluid in said one or several discrete compartments.