Patent ID: 7597852

Claim:
An apparatus for holding samples for analysis, the apparatus comprising: a substrate having a surface providing a plurality of sample locations for receiving a plurality of samples, each sample location of the plurality of sample locations comprising a first region and a second region, the first region comprising a first material and the second region comprising a second material different from the first material, the first region being adapted to support a portion of a sample material disposed in the corresponding sample location, the first material of the first region being sufficiently transparent to a first form of radiation corresponding to a first wavelength range to permit analysis of the portion of the sample material supported in the first region using a first analytical technique, the second region being adapted to support a portion of the sample material disposed in the corresponding sample location, the second material of the second region being sufficiently opaque to the first form of radiation to prohibit analysis of the portion of the sample material supported in the second region using the first analytical technique, and the second material of the second region being sufficiently transparent to a second form of radiation corresponding to a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range to permit analysis of the portion of the sample supported in the second region using a second analytical technique, the first material of the first region being sufficiently opaque to prohibit analysis of the portion of the sample material supported in the first region using the second analytical technique.