Affymetrix of Santa Clara, Calif., has received US Patent No. 6,789,040, “System, method, and computer software product for specifying a scanning area of a substrate.” Systems, methods, and computer program products are described for specifying a scanning area of a substrate. In accordance with one method, steps include receiving location data corresponding to a plurality of probe-feature locations on the substrate, storing the location data, accessing the location data, and scanning the substrate based on the accessed location data. A scanning system is described that includes a computer, a scanner, and a computer program product.
Corning of Corning, N.Y., has received US Patent No. 6,787,312, “Treatment of substrates for immobilizing biomolecules.” A method of treating a substrate for immobilizing a biomolecule and substrates produced by the method are disclosed in the patent. The method includes contacting at least a portion of a substrate with a reducing agent such as a hydride. Treatment with an appropriate reducing agent substantially eliminates autofluorescence on substrates.
Amersham Biosciences, now part of GE Healthcare, of Sunnyvale, Calif., has received US Patent No. 6,787,111, “Apparatus and method for filling and cleaning channels and inlet ports in microchips used for biological analysis.” The patent covers an apparatus for filling and cleaning channels and inlet ports of a microchip substrate. A device of the apparatus comprising an array of tubes is inserted into each of the inlet ports of the microchip. The array of tubes of the device comprises a plurality of pressure tubes, surrounded by a plurality of vacuum tubes. In conjunction with this, pressurized solutions such as matrix or wash are introduced into common openings on the microchip that provide a passage to microchannels of the microchip with the use of pressure tip injectors of the apparatus.
Solexa of Essex, U.K., has received US Patent No. 6,787,308, “Arrayed biomolecules and their use in sequencing.” A device comprising an array of molecules immobilised on a solid surface is disclosed, wherein the array has a surface density which allows each molecule to be individually resolved, for example, by optical microscopy. Therefore, the arrays of the present invention consist of single molecules that are more spatially distinct than the arrays of the prior art.