Patent ID: 7560417

Claim:
Apparatus for use in synthesis of chain molecules comprising: (a) a conduit having an interior channel with an inlet end and an outlet end, the conduit having at least one wall along the interior channel for at least a portion of the channel that is substantially transparent to selected wavelengths of light; (b) solid carrier particles within at least a portion of the interior channel of the conduit having the transparent wall; (c) a plurality of controllable light sources directed toward the transparent wall at spaced positions along the length of the conduit and positioned to selectively illuminate separated sections of the particles in the conduit in the separated sections, wherein the separated sections are optically isolated such that light from one light source is prevented from passing into a section that is to be illuminated by an adjacent light source; and (d) a reagent supply connected to the inlet end of the conduit to selectively supply reagents thereto.