Holders for arrays

Abstract

A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate. The holder may include a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position. A holder identifier may include data on a characteristic of the holder or seated array or be linkable to a file containing such information. An apparatus, method, and computer program product which may be used with such a holder are also provided.

1 . A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties at addressable features on a surface of the substrate, the holder comprising: 
 a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position, such that an array unit can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the seated position in which it is retained in the holder; and    a machine readable holder identifier which includes data selected from the group consisting of suitability of use of the holder in an array scanner, dimensions of the holder, dimensions of a seated array unit in the holder, data on the position of a seated array unit in the holder and combinations thereof.    
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . A holder according to  claim 1  wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the x, y, or z positions or dimensions of the substrate of the seated array unit, where x and y are the directions along the length and width of the substrate and z is the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane.  
     
     
         6 . A holder according to  claim 1  wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the z position of the substrate of the seated array unit.  
     
     
         7 . A holder according to  claim 1  wherein the position data includes data on the angular orientation of the substrate of the seated array unit.  
     
     
         8 . A holder according to  claim 1  wherein the holder identifier comprises a bar code.  
     
     
         9 . A holder according to  claim 1  wherein the holder additionally comprises a magnetic or solid state memory attached to the body and the identifier is carried by the memory.  
     
     
         10 . A holder according to  claim 1  additionally comprising a seated array unit.  
     
     
         11 . A holder according to  claim 10  wherein the seated array unit additionally includes an array unit identifier.  
     
     
         12 . A holder according to  claim 11  wherein the array unit identifier is a machine readable identifier.  
     
     
         13 . A holder according to  claim 12  wherein the array unit identifier comprises a bar code or is carried in a memory attached to the remainder of the array unit.  
     
     
         14 . A holder according to  claim 1  which has a maximum length and width each no greater than 50 cm, and a thickness no greater than 10 cm.  
     
     
         15 . A method of reading an array of chemical moieties on a substrate of an array unit, the method comprising: 
 seating the array unit in a holder, which holder carries a holder identifier;    mounting the holder with seated array unit into an array reader;    reading the holder identifier and retrieving data on a position or dimension of the seated array unit based on the read holder identifier; and    reading the array.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the x, y, or z positions or dimensions of the seated array unit, where x and y are the directions along the length and width of the substrate and z is the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the position or dimension data includes data on the z position of the seated array unit.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the position data includes data on the angular orientation of the seated array unit.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 15  additionally comprising reading an array unit identifier carried by the array unit.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein the array unit identifier is machine read.  
     
     
         21 . A holder according to  claim 12  wherein the holder identifier comprises a bar code or is carried in a memory attached to the remainder of the holder.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the reading of the array comprises scanning an interrogating light over the array.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the interrogating light is a spot scanned across the array in an x and y direction, where x and y are the directions along a length and width of the array.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein a position or dimension of an area over which the interrogating light is scanned is based on data retrieved using the read holder identifier.  
     
     
         25 . A method comprising forwarding data representing a result of a reading obtained by the method of  claim 15 .  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein the data is communicated to a remote location.  
     
     
         27 . A method comprising receiving data representing a result of a reading obtained by the method of  claim 15 .  
     
     
         28 . A method of reading an array of chemical moieties on a substrate of an array unit, the method comprising: 
 seating the array unit in a holder, which holder carries a holder identifier;    reading the holder identifier and retrieving a characteristic of the holder or seated array based on the read holder identifier; and    when the retrieved characteristic does not meet a predetermined condition, rejecting the seated array unit for reading or generating an operator alert.    
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 28  wherein the retrieved characteristic of the holder or seated array comprises a spatial characteristic.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for reading an array of chemical moieties on a substrate of an array unit, the apparatus comprising: 
 a receptacle into which is mountable a holder carrying a seated array unit, which holder carries a holder identifier;    a reader system to read the holder identifier and data from different chemical moieties of the array; and    a processor which retrieves data on a characteristic of the holder or seated array based on the read holder identifier.    
     
     
         31 . An apparatus according to  claim 30  wherein the processor retrieves data on a spatial characteristic of the holder or seated array based on the holder identifier.  
     
     
         32 . An apparatus according to  claim 31  wherein the processor retrieves data on a spatial characteristic which comprises data on a position or dimension of an array unit seated in the holder.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein the reader system comprises a first identifier reader to read the holder identifier, and an array reader to read the data from different chemical moieties of the array.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein the processor retrieves data which includes data on the x, y, or z positions or dimensions of the seated array unit, where x and y are the directions along the length and width of the substrate and z is the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane.  
     
     
         35 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein the reader system also reads an array unit identifier carried by a seated array unit in the mounted holder.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus according to  claim 33  additionally comprising a second identifier reader to read an array unit identifier carried by a seated array unit in the mounted holder.  
     
     
         37 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein the reader system comprises a light system which provides and scans an interrogating light over the array.  
     
     
         38 . An apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the light system provides a light spot which is scanned in an x and y direction across the array of the seated array unit in the mounted holder, where x and y are the directions along a length and width of the array.  
     
     
         39 . An apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the processor controls a position or dimension of an area over which the interrogating light is scanned based on data retrieved using the read holder identifier.  
     
     
         40 . An apparatus according to  claim 30  wherein the processor retrieves data on a spatial characteristic of the holder and compares this with a predetermined condition in a memory and when the retrieved spatial characteristic does not meet the retrieved condition generates a user alert or inhibits reading of data from different chemical moieties of the array.  
     
     
         41 . An apparatus according to  claim 35  wherein: 
 the reader system comprises a light system which provides and scans an interrogating light over the array;    the processor controls a position or dimension of an area over which the interrogating light is scanned based on data retrieved using the read holder identifier; and    a position or dimension of the area over which the interrogating light is scanned is also based on data retrieved using the read array unit identifier.    
     
     
         42 . An apparatus according to  claim 32  wherein the array reader comprises a detector having a focal plane, wherein the position of the focal plane is adjusted relative to an array based on the data retrieved using the read holder identifier.  
     
     
         43 . A computer program product for use with an apparatus of  claim 32 , comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for reading the holder identifier and retrieving data on the position or dimension of the seated array unit based on the read holder identifier  
     
     
         44 . A computer program product according to  claim 43  wherein the program additionally reads an array identifier carried by a seated array unit in the mounted holder and retrieves data on the position or dimension of the array also based on the read array identifier.  
     
     
         45 . A computer program product according to  claim 44  wherein the program additionally controls a position or dimension of an area on the array of the seated array unit in the mounted holder, over which an interrogating light is scanned.  
     
     
         46 . A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate, the holder comprising: 
 a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position, such that an array unit can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the seated position in which it is retained in the holder;    a pair of guides that extend away from an end of the holder; and    a machine readable holder identifier which includes data on a characteristic of the holder or seated array.    
     
     
         47 . A holder for an array unit having a planar substrate and an array of chemical moieties on a surface of the substrate, the holder comprising: 
 a body with a retaining mechanism which releasably retains an array unit in a seated position, such that an array unit can be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the seated position in which it is retained in the holder, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises rear clamp member sets comprising ledges and front clamp member sets wherein the sets urge against side edge portions of a seated array unit causing the array unit to be retained in a seated position; and    a machine readable holder identifier which includes data on a characteristic of the holder or seated array.    
     
     
         48 . A holder according to  claim 47  further comprising springs that urge the rear clamp member sets and the front clamp member sets.