Evaluation of three-dimensional microchannel glass biochips for multiplexed nucleic acid fluorescence hybridization assays

Three-dimensional, flow-through microchannel glass substrates have a potential for enhanced performance, including increased sensitivity and dynamic range, over traditional planar substrates used in medium-density microarray platforms. This paper presents a methodology for the implementation of multiplexed nucleic acid hybridization fluorescence assays on microchannel glass substrates. Fluorescence detection was achieved, in a fist instance, using conventional low-magnification microscope objective lenses, as imaging optics whose depth-of-field characteristics match the thickness of the micro-channel glass chip. The optical properties of microchannel glass were shown, through experimental results and simulations, to be compatible with the quantitative detection of heterogeneous hybridization events taking place along the microchannel sidewalls, with detection limits for oligonucleotide targets in the low-attomole range.