System and method for processing large number of biological microarrays

1 . A system for processing biological sensors, the system comprising:

a support component configured to support a fluidic component, the fluidic component including at least a first container and a second container, the first container capable of holding a first volume of a first fluid, the second container capable of holding a second volume of a second fluid;

a hybridization component configured to perform a hybridization process on a first sensor and a second sensor;

a transport component configured to:

move the first sensor, directly or indirectly, from the hybridization component into the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid;

move the second sensor, directly or indirectly, from the hybridization component into the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid;

wherein the transport component is further configured to move the first sensor and the second sensor substantially simultaneously.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transport component is further configured to move the first sensor and the second sensor automatically.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the hybridization component includes an oven.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transport component is further configured to:

move the first sensor into the hybridization component, the first sensor being coupled to a first hybridization well;

move the second sensor into the hybridization component, the second sensor being coupled to a second hybridization well.

5 . The system of claim 1 , and further comprising an unclamping component.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the unclamping component includes a unclamping station.

7 . The system of claim 5 wherein the transport component is further configured to:

move the first sensor from the hybridization component to the unclamping component, the first sensor being coupled to a first hybridization well;

move the second sensor from the hybridization component to the unclamping component, the second sensor being coupled to a second hybridization well.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the unclamping component is configured to decouple the first sensor from the first hybridization well and decouple the second sensor from the second hybridization well.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the transport component is further configured to:

move the first sensor to a first location for scan;

move the second sensor to a second location for scan.

10 . The system of claim 1 wherein:

when the first sensor is inside the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid, the first volume of the first fluid remains completely within the first container;

when the second sensor is inside the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid, the second volume of the second fluid remains completely within the second container.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is attached to a first support member.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the first support member is a peg.

13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the second sensor is attached to a second support member.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein each of the first support member and the second support member is a part of a plate.

15 . The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first sensor is associated with a sensor length, a sensor width, and a sensor thickness;

the sensor length is equal to or shorter than 10 mm;

the sensor width is equal to or narrower than 10 mm;

the sensor thickness is equal to or thinner than 1000 μm.

16 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is a biological sensor.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the biological sensor includes a microarray.

18 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first volume of the first fluid is equal to or smaller than 5 ml.

19 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are the same or different in kind.

20 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first volume and the second volume are the same or different in size.

21 . The system of claim 1 wherein each of the first container and the second container is a well.

22 . The system of claim 1 wherein the first container and the second container are two of a plurality of containers, the plurality of containers being attached, directly or indirectly, to a common component.

23 . The system of claim 22 wherein the plurality of containers are arranged in one or more rows and one or more columns.

24 . A system for processing biological sensors, the system comprising:

a support component configured to support a fluidic component, the fluidic component including at least a first container and a second container, the first container capable of holding a first volume of a first fluid, the second container capable of holding a second volume of a second fluid;

a hybridization component configured to perform a hybridization process on a first sensor and a second sensor based on at least information associated with a predetermined temperature;

a transport component including a gripper and at least one motor;

wherein:

the support component includes a drawer for supporting at least the first container and the second container, the first container and the second container being substantially stationary with respect to the drawer;

the gripper is capable of gripping the first sensor and the second sensor substantially simultaneously and of releasing the first sensor and the second sensor substantially simultaneously;

the at least one motor is configured to:

move the gripped first sensor into the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid;

move the gripped second sensor into the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid;

move the first sensor and the second sensor substantially simultaneously.

25 . The system of claim 24 includes a detector configured to detect an indicator associated with the first sensor and the second sensor, the indicator being related to the predetermined temperature.

26 . The system of claim 25 wherein

the indicator includes a barcode;

the detector includes a barcode reader.

27 . The system of claim 24 wherein the gripper is further capable of placing the first sensor and the second senor onto the drawer, and of removing the first sensor and the second sensor from the drawer.

28 . The system of claim 24 wherein the gripper is further capable of pushing the drawer from a first location to a second location, and of pulling the drawer from the second location to the first location.

29 . The system of claim 24 wherein:

the at least one motor is capable of moving the gripped first sensor in at lest six directions;

each of the six directions is opposite to another direction of the six directions and is perpendicular to four directions of the six directions;

the four directions of the six directions are different from the another direction.

30 . The system of claim 24 wherein:

the support component includes an heating object associated with a second temperature;

the heating object includes a heater configured to heat up the first volume of the first fluid and the second volume of the second fluid;

the heating object further includes a thermometer configured to measure the first temperature.

31 . The system of claim 30 wherein the heating object is a plate.

32 . The system of claim 24 , and further comprising a temperature controller coupled to the heater and the thermometer and configured to raise the second temperature to a predetermined value.

33 . The system of claim 24 wherein the transport component is coupled to a processing system, the processing system configured to provide instructions to the transport component for gripping, releasing, or moving the first sensor and the second sensor.

34 . The system of claim 33 wherein the processing system includes a computer.

35 . The system of claim 24 wherein the system is configured to process the first sensor and the second sensor so that the processed first sensor and the processed second sensor are ready for scan.

36 . The system of claim 24 wherein:

when the first sensor is inside the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid, the first volume of the first fluid remains completely within the first container;

when the second sensor is inside the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid, the second volume of the second fluid remains completely within the second container.

37 . The system of claim 24 wherein the first sensor is attached to a first support member.

38 . The system of claim 37 wherein the first support member is a peg.

39 . The system of claim 37 wherein the second sensor is attached to a second support member.

40 . The system of claim 38 wherein each of the first support member and the second support member is a part of a plate.

41 . The system of claim 24 wherein:

the first sensor is associated with a sensor length, a sensor width, and a sensor thickness;

the sensor length is equal to or shorter than 10 mm;

the sensor width is equal to or narrower than 10 mm;

the sensor thickness is equal to or thinner than 1000 μm.

42 . The system of claim 24 wherein the first sensor is a biological sensor.

43 . The system of claim 42 wherein the biological sensor includes a microarray.

44 . The system of claim 24 wherein the first volume of the first fluid sensor is equal to or smaller than 5 ml.

45 . A method for processing biological sensors, the method comprising:

transferring a first sensor and a second sensor into a system for processing biological sensors, the system including at least a transport component, a hybridization component, and a fluidic component, the transport component including a gripper, the fluidic component including a first container and a second container, the first container holding a first volume of a first fluid, the second container holding a second volume of a second fluid;

after the transferring a first sensor and a second sensor, performing a hybridization process on at least the first sensor and the second sensor by the hybridization component;

after the hybridization process, moving the first sensor from the hybridization component, directly or indirectly, into the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid;

after the hybridization process, moving the second sensor from the hybridization component, directly or indirectly, into the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid;

wherein:

the moving the first sensor and the moving the second sensor are performed by at least the gripper;

the moving the first sensor and the moving the second sensor are performed substantially simultaneously.

46 . The method of claim 45 wherein the moving the first sensor and the moving the second sensor are performed automatically.

47 . The method of claim 45 , and further comprising:

after the transferring a first sensor and a second sensor, moving the first sensor into the hybridization component by at least the gripper, the first sensor being coupled to a first hybridization well;

after the transferring a first sensor and a second sensor, moving the second sensor into the hybridization component by at least the gripper, the second sensor being coupled to a second hybridization well.

48 . The method of claim 47 , and further comprising:

after the hybridization process, moving the first sensor from the hybridization component to an unclamping component, the first sensor being coupled to a first hybridization well;

after the hybridization process, moving the second sensor from the hybridization component to the unclamping component, the second sensor being coupled to a second hybridization well;

wherein the unclamping component is a part of the system for processing biological sensors.

49 . The method of claim 48 , and further comprising decoupling the first sensor from the first hybridization well and decouple the second sensor from the second hybridization well by the unclamping component.

50 . The method of claim 45 , and further comprising after the moving the first sensor from the hybridization component and the moving the second sensor from the hybridization component, processing the first sensor and the second sensor so that the processed first sensor and the processed second sensor are ready for scan.

51 . The method of claim 50 wherein the processing the first sensor and the second sensor includes performing at least a low stringency wash, at least a high stringency wash, and at least a stain process to the first sensor and the second sensor.

52 . The method of claim 45 , and further comprising moving, by at least the gripper, the first sensor and the second sensor to a handoff location within the system for processing biological sensors.

53 . The method of claim 52 , and further comprising:

transferring the first sensor and the second sensor from the handoff location out of the system for processing biological sensors;

performing a scanning process on the processed first sensor and the processed second sensor.

54 . The method of claim 52 wherein between the transferring a first sensor and a second sensor into a system for processing biological sensors and the moving, by at least the gripper, the first sensor and the second sensor to a handoff location:

the first volume of the first fluid is not in contact with any sensor other than the first sensor;

the second volume of the second fluid is not in contact with any sensor other than the second sensor.

55 . The method of claim 52 wherein between the transferring a first sensor and a second sensor into a system for processing biological sensors and the moving, by at least the gripper, the first sensor and the second sensor to a handoff location:

the first container is not provided with any volume of any fluid that is different from the first volume of the first fluid and is not provided by the first sensor;

the second container is not provided with any volume of any fluid that is different from the second volume of the second fluid and is not provided by the second sensor.

56 . The method of claim 45 wherein:

the moving the first sensor from the hybridization component includes when the first sensor is inside the first container and in contact with the first volume of the first fluid, keeping the first volume of the first fluid completely within the first container;

the moving the second sensor from the hybridization component includes when the second sensor is inside the second container and in contact with the second volume of the second fluid, keeping the second volume of the second fluid completely within the second container.

57 . The method of claim 45 wherein the first sensor is attached to a first support member.

58 . The method of claim 57 wherein the first support member is a peg.

59 . The method of claim 57 wherein the second sensor is attached to a second support member.

60 . The method of claim 59 wherein each of the first support member and the second support member is a part of a plate.

61 . The method of claim 45 wherein the first sensor is a biological sensor.

62 . The method of claim 61 wherein the biological sensor includes a microarray.

63 . The method of claim 45 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are the same or different in kind.

64 . The method of claim 45 wherein the first volume and the second volume are the same or different in size.