Patent ID: 8663577

Claim:
A spotter comprising: a plurality of spotting heads, each of the plurality of spotting heads having a discharging portion at a tip portion, the plurality of spotting heads form an m×n array (m, n>1) with m spotting heads arranged lengthwise and n spotting heads arranged crosswise; and a pitch varying mechanism configured to continuously vary an array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in a lengthwise direction and an array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in a crosswise direction, the pitch varying mechanism comprising: a first movable member being supported movably with respect to the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the crosswise direction, the first movable member having m first open grooves, the n spotting heads arrayed in the crosswise direction being inserted into each of the m first open grooves, respectively, and a second movable member being supported movably with respect to the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the lengthwise direction, the second movable member having n second open grooves, the m spotting heads arrayed in the lengthwise direction being inserted into each of the n second open grooves, respectively, each of the m first open grooves comprising: a first pitch portion setting the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the lengthwise direction to a first pitch, a second pitch portion setting the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the lengthwise direction to a second pitch, the second pitch being different from the first pitch, and a connecting portion connecting between the first pitch portion and the second pitch portion, each of the n second open grooves comprising: a third pitch portion setting the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the crosswise direction to a third pitch, a fourth pitch portion setting the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the crosswise direction to a fourth pitch, the fourth pitch being different from the third pitch, and a connecting portion connecting between the third pitch portion and the fourth pitch portion, wherein the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the lengthwise direction is varied between the first pitch and the second pitch by a reciprocation of the first movable member, and the array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in the crosswise direction is varied between the third pitch and the fourth pitch by a reciprocation of the second movable member, wherein each of the plurality of spotting heads extends through both the first movable member and the second movable member, and wherein the array pitch in the lengthwise direction or the array pitch in the crosswise direction is adjustable to a desirable pitch between the first and second pitches or between the third and fourth pitches.