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Methods and apparatus for depositing a high density biological or chemical array onto a solid support. Specifically, the apparatus is made up of a plurality of open ended channels collectively forming a matrix. The matrix has been redrawn and cut such that the pitch of the channels on the loading en

Methods and apparatus for depositing a high density biological or chemical array onto a solid support. Specifically, the apparatus is made up of a plurality of open ended channels collectively forming a matrix. The matrix has been redrawn and cut such that the pitch of the channels on the loading end is larger than the pitch of the channels on the liquid delivery end. The upper portion of each channel serves as a reservoir, while the opposing end, which has been formed by the redrawing process, is diametrically sized such that liquid in the reservoir is retained by capillary pressure at the delivery end. At any point along the height of the capillary reservoir device, all cross-sectional dimensions and areas are uniformly reduced. In other words, the on-center orientation of any two channels, also referred to as the pitch between 2 channels, measured as a function of the diameter of any cross section, is constant throughout the structure. The liquid within the channels is either printed directly from the tool onto a substrate or transferred to a substrate by a typographical pin plate. In another embodiment, the device may be used in transferring sample between multiwell plates of different well density.

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1. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins face the o

1. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins face the output ends of the passages;contacting the pins with liquid from the corresponding passages to transfer droplets of liquid from the corresponding passages to the pins;maintaining liquid that remains in the passages after transfer of the droplets of liquid to the pins, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force; andmoving the pins relative to the substrate to transfer the droplets of liquid onto the substrate. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting step includes moving the pins into contact with liquid from the corresponding passages. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining step includes maintaining beads of liquid at the output ends. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining step includes forming a meniscus of liquid at the output ends. 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moving step includes moving the pins a sufficient distance such that the droplets of liquid directly contact the substrate. 6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer device is a typographic pin plate. 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passages each have an input end, and wherein the method further comprises the step of dropping the level of liquid at the input ends of the passages by a volume of liquid transferred to the pins, while maintaining the level of liquid at the output ends of the passages. 8. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins face the output ends of the passages;contacting the pins with liquid from the corresponding passages to transfer droplets of liquid from the corresponding passages to the pins;maintaining liquid at the output ends of the passages via capillary force; andmoving the pins relative to the substrate to transfer the droplets of liquid onto the substrate. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing step further includes cutting the redrawn portion in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the passages to expose a face having a cross sectional area less than a cross sectional area of the extruded honeycomb structure. 10. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins face the output ends of the passages;contacting the pins with liquid from the corresponding passages to transfer droplets of liquid from the corresponding passages to the pins;maintaining liquid at the output ends of the passages via capillary force; andmoving the pins relative to the substrate to transfer the droplets of liquid onto the substrate,wherein the providing step includes extruding material through a die thereby forming a block having the passages, and redrawing the block such that a circumference of the block is reduced. 11. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins are opposite the output ends of the passages;contacting the pins with liquid from the corresponding passages to transfer droplets of liquid from the corresponding passages to the pins;maintaining liquid at the output ends of the passages via capillary force; and moving the pins relative to the substrate to transfer the droplets of liquid onto the substrate. 12. A method for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising the steps of:providing a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each having an output end and an input end of different cross sectional area than the output end, a ratio of the cross sectional area of one of the passages relative to a cross sectional area of the reservoir device is substantially identical at a liquid-input end of the reservoir device and a liquid-output end of the reservoir device;positioning a transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom such that the pins face the output ends of the passages;contacting the pins with liquid from the corresponding passages to transfer droplets of liquid from the corresponding passages to the pins;maintaining liquid at the output ends of the passages via capillary force; andmoving the pins relative to the substrate to transfer the droplets of liquid onto the substrate. 13. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force. 14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a drive member adapted to move the pins relative to the corresponding passages. 15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the drive member moves the pins into the output ends of the corresponding passages. 16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the passages are configured to prevent fluid communication therebetween. 17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reservoir device is approximately one inch square at the output ends of the passages. 18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reservoir device has an input and an output in the same plane as the input. 19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the passages of the reservoir device have an input end in the same plane as the output end. 20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pins are dimensioned to extend into the output ends of the corresponding passages. 21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pins have a radius less than 50 μm. 22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pins have a radius of about 40 μm. 23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a boxed unit in which the reservoir device is mounted. 24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pins are mounted on a flexible mount, and the drive member is coupled to the flexible mount to flex the pins toward the output ends of the corresponding passages. 25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the pins are dimensioned to enter into the corresponding passages. 26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the passages have interior walls having a wetting surface, and the output ends of the passages have a non-wetting end surface. 27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reservoir device is comprised of an organic polymer. 28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reservoir device is comprised of an inorganic polymer. 29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the inorganic polymer is glass. 30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein each passage is dimensioned to contain 5 to 500 microliters of liquid. 31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transfer device is a typographic pin plate. 32. The apparatus as claimed i n claim 13, wherein the passages each have an input end, and the passages are configured such that the level of liquid at the input ends of the passages drops by a volume of liquid received by the pins, while the level of liquid at the output ends of the passages is maintained. 33. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force, wherein the reservoir device has an input and an output in the same plane as the input, and wherein the reservoir device has a substantially U-shape. 34. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force, and wherein the reservoir device has an input and an output in a different plane from the input. 35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the reservoir device has a substantially conical shape. 36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the reservoir device has a substantially L-shape. 37. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force, wherein the passages of the reservoir device have an input end in the same plane as the output end, and wherein the passages of the reservoir device form a substantially U-shape. 38. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force, and wherein the passages of the reservoir device have an input end in a different plane from the output end. 39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein the passages of the reservoir device form a substantially conical shape. 40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein the passages of the reservoir device form a substantially L-shape. 41. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate,wherein the passages are configured to retain liquid that remains in the passages after the pins receive liquid, at the output ends of the passages via capillary force, wherein the passages of the reservoir device have an input end in the same plane as the output end, and wherein the reservoir device contains approximately 10,000 individual passages. 42. An apparatus for transferring individual droplets of liquid to a substrate, comprising:a reservoir device having a plurality of individual passages, each of the passages having an output end and an input end of different cross sectional area than the output end, a ratio of the cross sectional area of one of the passages relative to a cross sectional area of the reservoir device being substantially identical at a liquid-input end of the reservoir device and a liquid-output end of the reservoir device, the passages being configured to retain liquid at the output ends thereof via capillary force; anda transfer device having an array of pins extending therefrom, the transfer device positionable such that the pins face the output ends of the passages, the pins being adapted to receive liquid from corresponding passages for transfer of individual droplets of liquid to the substrate.