Automated liquid dispensing pin for DNA microarray applications

This paper describes a new liquid dispensing/aspirating system that is capable of producing micron-size spots/droplets for molecular biology research and analysis. In particular, the application is focused on deoxyribonucleic-acid microarray fabrication with the goals of uniform spot morphology, smaller spot size, higher yield, more efficient use of biological materials, and the capacity to handle high viscosity liquids. The new system is based on active sensing and control and it is part of a fully integrated robotic microarray system for genomic and proteomic applications. The prototype system handles thick liquids such as 100% glycerol as well as aqueous solutions and generates uniform spots in a contactless manner with controllable spot size ranging from 80 microns to 200 microns.