Patent Issued on Illuminated DNA Microarray

A newly issued U.S. patent covers methods and technologies for coupling optical waveguides with a DNA microarray used for performing biologic operations and illuminating it at an angle that allows the size and complexity of the diagnostic instrument to be reduced. The patent was issued to Nanogen (San Diego, CA, USA).

Common fluorescent detection systems utilize excitation light that arrives at the face of a DNA chip at an angle, which requires a greater working distance. The new patent allows for new positioning of a chip's components, including the substrate, top, and edges, so that light is delivered via integrated waveguides, thus enabling a smaller and more compact device design. The technology also improves fluorescent detection by reducing the amount of excitation light that is reflected back into the sensor array.

"This intellectual property asset can be leveraged by Nanogen for potential product development or by other innovators who, for example, are creating optical waveguides using DNA chips and microscope slides for molecular analysis,” noted Howard C. Birndorf, chairman and CEO of Nanogen.

Clinical reference and research labs use the Nanogen's NanoChip molecular biology workstation, NanoChip electronic microarrays, and analyte-specific reagents to develop tests that detect mutations associated with genetic diseases. Nanogen's next-generation instrument system, the NanoChip 400, is expected to be available in 2005.




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