Patent ID: 7138270

Claim:
An assay device comprising a base and a lid, wherein, the base comprises a plurality of wells each having a wall, and an overspill cavity between the wells, each well wall has a rim, the well rims and the lid comprise means for forming a capillary gap suitable to retain excess liquid sample forming a seal around each well, the lid comprises a flat plate and the well rims are co-planar; the rim width is in the range of 0.2 mm to 3.0 mm; the well width is in the range of 1.00 mm to 10 mm, and the depth is in the range of 10 μm to 1,000 μm; and the base further comprises a frame configured to form an outer barrier with the lid and surrounding a plurality of wells, the overspill cavities are bounded by the outer surfaces of the wells and by the frame, and the frame and the rims are co-planar.