Opinion ID: 208605
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Besemer's Disclosure of Fluid Mixing

Text: Affymetrix's Besemer application, entitled Bioarray Chip Reaction Apparatus and its Manufacture, describes microarray chips and chip packages onto which chips are mounted. The chip package serves as a sealed thermostatically controlled chamber in which fluids can easily be introduced, a practical medium for sequencing by hybridization.... Besemer Application at 2. Figure 3 illustrates a chip packaging device: The invention mounts a microarray chip above the cavity 310. Inlets 350 and 360 communicate with cavity 310 such that fluids are circulated through the cavity via inlets 350 and 360. Id. at 9. The Besemer application discloses three embodiments, called agitation systems, for mixing fluid through the cavity during hybridization. Figures 28 and 30 represent particular embodiments that circulate fluid through the chip package. For purposes of this appeal, these circulator embodiments are not materially different. The embodiment in Figure 28 illustrates this mixing technology: The hybridization chip and cavity 310 attach to containers 2810 and 2820. These containers hold fluid targets for hybridization with probes on the chip. Agitator 2801 holds a gas, e.g., nitrogen. Using ports, vents, and valves, the agitator injects gas into the containers in an alternating manner, thereby forcing fluid into and out of the cavity 310. As the fluid flows in and out of the cavity 310, the targets and probes mix to effect hybridization. Notably, in the discussion of this embodiment, Besemer teaches that [t]he bubbles formed by the N2 agitate the fluid as it circulates through the system. Id. at 28. The embodiment in Figure 29, the vortexer system, accomplishes fluid mixing in a different manner: This embodiment mounts a hybridization chip package on vortexer 2910. Container 2930 then fills with fluid containing targets. At that point, various valves open to allow nitrogen gas from 2901 to enter container 2930, thereby forcing fluid into the cavity 310. The valves then seal fluid in the cavity and the vortexer vibrates the chip package similar to a paint mixer at 3000 cycles per minute. Id. at 29. This motion mixes the targets in the fluid, completing the hybridization reaction.