Patent ID: 6391559
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B01J,B01L,C07H,C12Q,C40B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
An assembly for containing a portion of fluid material, said assembly comprising: a substrate and a cover having facing surfaces spaced from one another, the facing surface of at least one of said substrate and cover comprising a first material; a flow-through channel between said substrate and said cover; and a first fluid retaining means located in said flow-through channel and being in communication with said flow-through channel, said first fluid retaining means having a first affinity to a first fluid and a second affinity to a displacing fluid, said flow through channel having a third affinity to said first fluid and a fourth affinity to said displacing fluid, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth affinities are such that: (1) the first fluid retaining means retains at least a portion of the first fluid when the first fluid is loaded into the assembly; and (2) the displacing fluid displaces first fluid from the flow-through channel without substantially displacing first fluid from the first fluid retaining means when the displacing fluid is loaded into the assembly after the first fluid is loaded into the assembly.