Patent ID: 7943093

Claim:
A hybridization apparatus of the type providing a chamber for containing a hybridization liquid over a hybridization material immobilized on a substrate comprising: a substrate comprising a substantially flat top surface adapted to support an immobilized hybridizable material; a cover slip comprising a thickness of at least 0.85 mm, a substantially flat bottom surface, two substantially parallel, opposed longitudinal edges bounding the bottom surface and extending a longitudinal length of the cover slip, and a pair of noncontiguous spacer segments attached to the bottom surface of the cover slip, each spacer segment extending substantially contiguously with a full length of a different one of the opposed longitudinal edges and forming a hybridization chamber between the spacer segments, the bottom surface of the cover slip and the top surface of the substrate, the hybridization chamber comprising a substantially constant distance between the bottom surface of the cover slip and the top surface of the substrate, the hybridization chamber extending substantially to opposite ends of the cover slip and comprising an area between the spacer segments of at least 500 square mm, and the hybridization clamber adapted to contain the hybridization material when the cover slip is placed on the substrate with the spacer segments sandwiched therebetween, the cover slip thickness being sufficient to provide a cover slip beam stiffness that prevents adhesion forces from substantially changing the substantially constant distance between the bottom surface of the cover slip and the top surface of the substrate, the adhesion forces being created by the introduction of hybridization liquid into the hybridization chamber.