Chemical and biological detection arrays

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing a device having: a first substrate; a plurality of first raised elements on the first substrate, the first raised elements mutually spaced apart by first channel regions on the first substrate, each of the first raised elements having a first lateral surface and a first distal end, the first distal ends being hydrophobic and forming a first array; hydrophobic molecules on the first lateral surfaces and on the first distal ends; and primary reactive molecules on the first distal ends for generating hydrophilic reaction products;

bringing a hydrophilic liquid into contact with first raised elements; and

determining whether a hydrophobicity-changing reaction occurs between primary reactive molecules on first distal ends of first raised elements and the hydrophilic liquid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device further includes providing: a second substrate; a plurality of second raised elements on the second substrate, the second raised elements mutually spaced apart by second channel regions on the second substrate, each of the second raised elements having a second lateral surface and a second distal end, the second distal ends being hydrophobic and forming a second array, the first and second arrays being spaced apart and facing toward each other to enable confinement of the hydrophilic liquid between them; hydrophobic molecules on the second lateral surfaces and on the second distal ends; and secondary reactive molecules on the second distal ends for generating hydrophilic reaction products; and wherein the method further includes: bringing the hydrophilic liquid into contact with second raised elements; and determining whether a hydrophobicity-changing reaction occurs between secondary reactive molecules on second distal ends of second raised elements and the hydrophilic liquid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device further includes providing a system configured for controllably moving the hydrophilic liquid across the first array; and wherein the method further includes the step of utilizing the system to controllably move the hydrophilic liquid across the first array.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of providing a system includes providing a pathway collectively formed by ones of the first raised elements having first lateral surfaces extending over shorter lengths away from the first substrate than first lateral surfaces of others of the first raised elements extending away from the first substrate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of providing a system includes providing a pathway collectively formed by ones of the first distal ends being less hydrophobic than the first distal ends of others of the first raised elements.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the primary reactive molecules further includes providing a first plurality of the primary reactive molecules located on the first distal ends of the first raised elements within a first portion of the first array, and

wherein the method further includes providing a second plurality of the primary reactive molecules, having a different structure than the first plurality of the primary reactive molecules, located on the first distal ends of the first raised elements within a second portion of the first array; and

wherein the method includes the step of determining whether a hydrophobicity-changing reaction occurs between the hydrophilic liquid and the first plurality of the primary reactive molecules on the first distal ends of the first raised elements; and

wherein the method further includes the step of determining whether a hydrophobicity-changing reaction occurs between the hydrophilic liquid and the second plurality of the primary reactive molecules on the first distal ends of the first raised elements.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device further includes providing a plurality of the primary reactive molecules on spheres within the first channel regions; and

wherein the method further includes the step of determining whether a reaction occurs between the primary reactive molecules within the first channel regions and the hydrophilic liquid.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of

providing the plurality of the primary reactive molecules on the spheres further includes providing a first of the primary reactive molecules located on a first of the spheres, and a second of the primary reactive molecules located on a second of the spheres and having a different structure than the first of the primary reactive molecules on the first of the spheres; and

wherein the method includes the step of determining whether a reaction occurs between the hydrophilic liquid and the first of the primary reactive molecules located on the first of the spheres; and

wherein the method includes the step of determining whether a reaction occurs between the hydrophilic liquid and the second of the primary reactive molecules located on the second of the spheres.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of providing the spheres includes forming a third array, the first of the spheres having a first location within the third array, and the second of the spheres having a second location within the third array.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of providing the primary reactive molecules located on the spheres includes providing chemically reactive molecules or biologically reactive molecules on the spheres having different known reactivities with specific organic or inorganic chemicals, polymers, or biological species.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of

providing a device further includes providing a light detector for detecting light through a portion of the first substrate; and

wherein the method includes the step of detecting light through the portion of the first substrate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of

providing the first substrate includes providing a microporous membrane; and

wherein the method further includes the step of directing a component of the hydrophilic liquid through the membrane.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of first raised elements includes providing a hydrophobic coating on the first distal ends.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device includes providing the plurality of first raised elements as being arranged in a variable pitch on the first substrate and defining a density gradient of the first distal ends in the first array.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device includes providing the primary reactive molecules on the plurality of first distal ends as being chemically or biologically reactive molecules, and includes providing the primary reactive molecules located on the plurality of the first distal ends as having different known reactivities with specific organic or inorganic chemicals, polymers, or biological species.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a device includes providing the primary reactive molecules located on the plurality of the first distal ends as having different structures being capable of selectively reacting with different chemical or biological components of the hydrophilic liquid to decrease the hydrophobicity of the plurality of the first distal ends.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bringing the hydrophilic liquid into contact with the first raised elements includes causing the primary reactive molecules to react with a biologically active monomer or polymer in the hydrophilic liquid to decrease the hydrophobicity of the first distal ends.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bringing the hydrophilic liquid into contact with the first raised elements includes causing the primary reactive molecules to react with an amino acid, a polynucleotide, a ribonucleic acid, a deoxyribonucleic acid, a protein, a carbohydrate, or a fat in the hydrophilic liquid to decrease the hydrophobicity of the first distal ends.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bringing the hydrophilic liquid into contact with the first raised elements includes causing the primary reactive molecules to react with an antibody or a single stranded polynucleotide in the hydrophilic liquid to decrease the hydrophobicity of the first distal ends.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bringing the hydrophilic liquid into contact with the first raised elements includes causing the primary reactive molecules to react with a herbicide, a pesticide or a heavy metal in the hydrophilic liquid to decrease the hydrophobicity of the first distal ends.