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TopSpot Vario: a novel microarrayer system for highly flexible and highly parallel picoliter dispensing
Chris P Steinert1, Kiril Kalkandjiev, Roland Zengerle
1Laboratory for MEMS Applications, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 106, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
Biomedical Microdevices
|February 25, 2009
Summary
The new TopSpot Vario technology enhances microarray printing by using an incompressible fluid for precise nanoliter dispensing. This improved printhead design ensures bubble-free priming, enabling reliable fabrication with various proteins.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Standard TopSpot technology is established for parallel nanoliter dispensing in microarray printing.
- This technology utilizes pneumatically actuated printheads for non-contact microarray fabrication with a 500-micrometer pitch.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize the novel TopSpot Vario technology for enhanced microarray printing.
- To address printhead filling issues and implement a bubble-free priming system for improved performance.
Main Methods:
- The TopSpot Vario technology incorporates an incompressible material between the piezo actuator and dispensing medium.
- A new printhead design featuring microchannels for bubble-free priming of blind channels was developed and implemented.
- Characterization involved microarray fabrication using four distinct protein types.
Main Results:
- The incompressible medium establishes a direct relationship between piezo actuator displacement and ejected liquid volume.
- The new printhead design successfully achieved bubble-free priming, a critical factor for reliable dispensing.
- Microarray fabrication was successfully demonstrated with four different protein types, validating the technology's versatility.
Conclusions:
- TopSpot Vario technology offers a significant improvement over standard TopSpot for precise nanoliter dispensing in microarray fabrication.
- The innovative printhead design with bubble-free priming overcomes previous limitations, enhancing reliability and performance.
- This advancement facilitates robust microarray printing applications across various biochemical substances, including proteins.
