Electro-optics manufacturer Photonis USA announced that the US Patent Office has awarded it a patent for an etching manufacturing process used to create glass microwell plates. The patent is the second to be awarded to the company in 2010 and the 13th awarded overall. Used to hold samples for biologic and genomic analysis, the glass wafer plates comprise millions of individual glass wells that are typically less than 32 µm in diameter and have a uniform depth of less than the thickness of the overall plate. The well depth prevents samples from co-mingling on the same plate while allowing multiple sample analyses to be performed simultaneously. The company was awarded the patent for its unique etching process, which provides uniformity of depth to each well while preserving the rigidity of the glass sample plate. Both qualities are important to ensure that samples are undiluted and to prevent damage to the analytical equipment. For more information, visit: www.photonis.com