Appeal No. 2004-1770 Page 3
Application No. 09/895,050
can now react with a subsequently deposited protected monomer; and (c) depositing
another protected monomer for linking.” Page 2.
“[I]n the conventional in situ methods for polynucleotide arrays, phosphoramidite
nucleoside monomers are used. In order for the phosphoramidite group to link to a
hydroxyl of a previously deposited deprotected polynucleotide monomer, it must first be
activated usually by using a weak acid such as tetrazole. However, an activated
phosphoramidite is highly reactive with moisture in the air.” Id. The reaction of
activated monomer with ambient water leads to a reduction in the amount of monomer
available for reaction with the growing oligonucleotide, a decrease in probe
concentration at the perimeter of each feature in the array, and variability between
batches of arrays. See id.
The specification discloses a “method includ[ing] forming on a region of the
substrate carrying the substrate[-]bound moiety, a solid activator composition. A
biomonomer containing fluid composition is deposited on the region so that the solid
activator activates the first linking group and the biomonomer links to the substrate
bound moiety.” Page 3. “As to . . . forming the solid activator composition at the region,
one way of accomplishing this is to deposit a composition of solid activator as a fluid
composition, and allowing fluid to evaporate. In this case, the fluid composition may
have less than 20% by weight of solid activator content, for example 3% to 20% by
weight.” Id.
The specification defines “solid” and “solid activator” as follows:
A “solid” may still have some amount of a carrier fluid, such as a solvent,
present. However, typically a “solid” will have no more than 20% by
weight (and often less than 10% or 5%, or 1%, by weight, of such carrier
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