| 摘要 |
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for apportionment and manipulation of sample volumes into smaller discrete volumes. The method exploits the interplay of hydrophilic and hydrophobic forces to partition sample volumes. These compartmentalized volumes allow for isolation of samples and partitioning into a localized array that can subsequently be manipulated and analyzed. The partition into extremely small volumes along with the device's inherent portability render our invention versatile for use in many areas, including but not limited to PCR, digital PCR, biological assays for diagnostics and prognostics, cancer diagnosis and prognosis, high throughput screening, single molecule and single cell reactions or assays, the study crystallization and other statistical processes, protein crystallization, drug screening, environmental testing, and the coupling to a wide range of analytical detection techniques for biomedical assays and measurements. |
