Patent ID: 8021888

Claim:
A method for performing comparative genomic hybridization to immobilized nucleic acid, comprising the following steps: a) performing a prehybridization step comprising contacting a solid support comprising one or more immobilized nucleic acid probe molecules under hybridization conditions with a non-specific blocking nucleic acid at a concentration of at least 0.9 mg/ml, said one or more immobilized nucleic acid probe molecules capable of hybridizing with a sequence complementary thereto; b) hybridizing a test sample containing genomic nucleic acid target molecules comprising a first detectable fluorescent label and a reference sample containing genomic nucleic acid reference molecules comprising a second detectable fluorescent label to the solid support under hybridizing conditions; c) applying acoustic surface waves during step a) and step b), wherein the acoustic surface waves are generated by an alternating-voltage electrical signal, such that the acoustic surface waves cause movement of the test sample and the reference sample through impulse transfer; d) washing the solid support following step a), step b), or both step a) and b); e) determining the relative hybridization of the test sample and the reference sample to one or more nucleic acid probes of the solid support by detecting the fluorescence from the detectable labels on the target nucleic acid molecules and the reference nucleic acid molecules, wherein the relative hybridization indicates the comparative hybridization of the test and reference samples.