US Patent 6466690 was filed on December 19, 2000.  The patent teaches
the use of virtual (digital) images taken with a camera mounted on a
microscope where these images are of a tissue microarray. The patent
also teaches how these digital images can be moved around networks and
the internet. It also teaches how the individual tissue spots on the
array can be registered, etc. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were first
proposed in 1998 and it seems obvious to study TMAs with microscopes
and cameras just like whole pieces of tissue are studied in this way.
I need evidence of publications or product sales literature that
predates the patent filing date. The evidence should be specific
enough to obviate the claims in the patent.

---

Request for Question Clarification by ragingacademic-ga on 23 Dec 2002 00:47 PST

Dear Michaellutz -

Thanks for your question.

I have identified and can provide citations for three academic sources
that discuss a similar system.  The sources are from 1998.  However,
they discuss applications to "microarrays" and not to "tissue
microarrays."  From the context, the application is in the area of
biochemistry.  Therefore, I'm not sure whether it relates to tissue or
not.

How would you like to proceed?  I could post what I had found as an
answer and you could then verify it.  In the event it turns out to be
irrelevant, I could continue working with you (to a reasonable extent)
to try and find an alternative example.

Does this sound reasonable - or do you have alternative suggestions?

thanks,
ragingacademic

---

Clarification of Question by michaellutz-ga on 23 Dec 2002 08:34 PST

There are two types of microarrays used for medical analysis. The
first is the gene chip or DNA array. This is of no interest here. The
second is where tiny 1mm dots of actual tissue are arranged on a
microscope slide. This is a tissue microarray. Since we are actually
looking at tissue in each dot, we look at it through a microscope
after it has been stained or treated with a molecular probe (ISH or
IHC). An acceptable answer to this question would provide a minimum of
3 references dated prior to 12/19/00 that address the electronic
images of tissue microarrays, moving these images around networks and
the internet, and performing some image processing for the analysis of
these dots.

---

Request for Question Clarification by tehuti-ga on 02 Jan 2003 09:00 PST

I’m not sure if I totally understand, but is this the sort of thing
you are looking for?

Survey of Gene Amplifications during Prostate Cancer Progression by
High-Throughput Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization on Tissue
Microarrays
Cancer Research 59, 803-806, February 15, 1999
full text at http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/59/4/803

Tissue Microarrays for Gene Amplification Surveys in Many Different
Tumor Types
Clinical Cancer Research Vol. 5, 1966-1975, August 1999
full text at: http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/5/8/1966

---

Clarification of Question by michaellutz-ga on 02 Jan 2003 10:00 PST

No, I am not looking for gene microarrays. Please see the previous
clarification for details.

Hi michaellutz-ga,

This is an interesting topic. The technology is relatively new and it
takes a while for research to make its way into publications. Setting
the limit at 2000 for a technique introduced in 1998 does not leave
much time to complete research and get a paper accepted by a peer
review journal. Add to that the constraint that the paper needs to
discuss the process itself rather than the results obtained and it
becomes even more difficult. Then there is the natural hesitation to
adopt a new technique that may call results into question because of
sensitivity issues...

The bulk of the reports refer to cDNA microarrays which is not the
technique that you are interested in… all in all a difficult search. I
can understand your seeking assistance with this one!

I believe that the first few citations are exactly what you are
looking for. The rest are papers that use tissue microarrays - not
gene chip or cDNA arrays -and may be applicable to this problem.


Tissue Microarray For Rapid Molecular Profiling
Inventors:
O Kallioniemi, G Sauter (NHGRI)
Patent Status:
Serial No. 60/106,038 filed 28 Oct 1998
PCT/US99/0400 filed 24 Feb 1999
http://ott.od.nih.gov/textonly/0-106038.htm

Human Molecular Genetics, 2001, Vol. 10, No. 7 657-662
© 2001 Oxford University Press 

Tissue microarray technology for high-throughput molecular profiling
of cancer
Olli-P. Kallioniemi1,+, Urs Wagner1, Juha Kononen2 and Guido Sauter3 
1Cancer Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA, 2Laboratory of
Cancer Genetics, University of Tampere and Tampere University
Hospital, FIN-33520 Tampere, Finland and 3Institute of Pathology,
University of Basel, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
http://hmg.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/10/7/657

Received 10 January 2001; Accepted 22 January 2001.
This paper based on the work involved in the patent application.
“Analysis and scoring of TMA slides can be carried out with a regular
bright-field microscope. Without the use of any sophisticated
instruments, pathologists can carry out such scoring very rapidly, up
to hundreds of tissue spots per hour. It is also possible to acquire
digital images from all of the tissue spots, followed by scoring of
the results in silico. This allows construction of image archives
linked to the database of molecular and clinical information. A more
experimental approach involves automated analysis of staining
intensities and features on TMA slides using sophisticated image
analysis techniques. We recently demonstrated an excellent correlation
between manual and automated scoring of the HER-2 oncoprotein staining
intensity on breast cancer TMAs (4).”
***

12.    G.H. Hostetter, A.M. Grigoryan, C.L. Andersen, L. Bubendorf, J.
Kononen, E.R.  Dougherty, and O. Kallioniemi, “Design of an Automated
Spot Counting Program for Interphase FISH on the Tissue Microarray”
[318] 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics,
Philadelphia, October 3 - 7, 2000.

13.    L. Bubendorf, A.M. Grigoryan, J. Kononen, M. Barlund, O. Monni,
A. Kallioniemi, G. Sauter, E.R. Dougherty, and O. Kallioniemi, “FISH
on tissue microarrays: Towards automated analysis of genetic
alterations in thousands of tumors with multiple probes,” The Eighth
International Workshop on Chromosomes in Solid Tumors, Tucson, AZ,
January 30 - February 1, 2000.

15. L. Bubendorf, J. Kononen, M. Barlund, A. Kallioniemi, A.
Grigoryan, G. Sauter, E. R. Dougherty, and O.-P. Kallioniemi, “Tissue
microarray FISH and digital imaging: towards automated analysis of
thousands of tumors with thousands of probes” [316] Cancer Genetics,
49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Moscone
Center in San Francisco, California, October 19 - 23, 1999. (The
author has received Postdoctoral translation Research Award at ASHG)
http://www.eng.utsa.edu/~grigoryan/proceedings.html
***

Lab Invest 2000 Dec;80(12):1943-9
Validation of tissue microarray technology in breast carcinoma.
Camp RL, Charette LA, Rimm DL.
Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11140706&dopt=Abstract
***

Mol Diagn 2000 Dec;5(4):287-99
The role of the pathologist as tissue refiner and data miner: the
impact of functional genomics on the modern pathology laboratory and
the critical roles of pathology informatics and bioinformatics.
Becich MJ.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11172493&dopt=Abstract
***

Hum Pathol 2000 Apr;31(4):406-14
Erratum in: 
Hum Pathol 2000 Jun;31(6):778 
Neuroendocrine expression in metastatic prostate cancer: evaluation of
high throughput tissue microarrays to detect heterogeneous protein
expression.
Mucci NR, Akdas G, Manely S, Rubin MA.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
48109-0054, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10821485&dopt=Abstract
***

Nat Biotechnol 1999 Jan;17(1):53-7
High-throughput quantitative histological analysis of Alzheimer's
disease pathology using a confocal digital microscanner.
Hanzel DK, Trojanowski JQ, Johnston RF, Loring JF.
Molecular Dynamics, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA 94086, USA. 
dhanzel@mdyn.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9920269&dopt=Abstract
***

Biotechniques 1999 Oct;27(4):778-80, 782-6, 788
High-throughput microarray-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA).
Mendoza LG, McQuary P, Mongan A, Gangadharan R, Brignac S, Eggers M.
Genometrix, The Woodlands, TX, USA. lmendoza@genometrix.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10524321&dopt=Abstract
***

Am J Pathol 2000 Sep;157(3):787-94  
High-throughput tissue microarray analysis of cyclin E gene
amplification and overexpression in urinary bladder cancer.
Richter J, Wagner U, Kononen J, Fijan A, Bruderer J, Schmid U,
Ackermann D, Maurer R, Alund G, Knonagel H, Rist M, Wilber K,
Anabitarte M, Hering F, Hardmeier T, Schonenberger A, Flury R, Jager
P, Fehr JL, Schraml P, Moch H, Mihatsch MJ, Gasser T, Kallioniemi OP,
Sauter G.
Institute for Pathology and Urologic Clinics, University of Basel,
Basel, Switzerland.
http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/full/157/3/787?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&fulltext=tissue+microarray&searchid=1041532078316_1773&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/1996&tdate=12/31/2000&resourcetype=1
***
Hum Pathol 2000 Apr;31(4):406-14
Erratum in: 
Hum Pathol 2000 Jun;31(6):778 
Neuroendocrine expression in metastatic prostate cancer: evaluation of
high throughput tissue microarrays to detect heterogeneous protein
expression.
Mucci NR, Akdas G, Manely S, Rubin MA.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
48109-0054, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10821485&dopt=Abstract
***
Am J Pathol 1999 Apr;154(4):981-6
Comment in: 
Am J Pathol. 1999 Apr;154(4):979-80.   
High-throughput tissue microarray analysis to evaluate genes uncovered
by cDNA microarray screening in renal cell carcinoma.
Moch H, Schraml P, Bubendorf L, Mirlacher M, Kononen J, Gasser T,
Mihatsch MJ, Kallioniemi OP, Sauter G.
Institute for Pathology and Clinics for Urology, University of Basel,
Basel, Switzerland. moch@ubaclu.ubibas.ch
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10233835&dopt=Abstract
***

Clinical Cancer Research Vol. 5, 1966-1975, August 1999
© 1999 American Association for Cancer Research 
Tissue Microarrays for Gene Amplification Surveys in Many Different
Tumor Types
Peter Schraml1, Juha Kononen, Lukas Bubendorf, Holger Moch, Heidi
Bissig, Antonio Nocito, Michael J. Mihatsch, Olli-P. Kallioniemi and
Guido Sauter
Institute for Pathology, University of Basel, CH-4003 Basel,
Switzerland [P. S., H. M., H. B., A. N., M. J. M., G. S.], and
Laboratory for Cancer Genetics, National Human Genome Research
Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4470 [J. K., L. B., O-P. K.]
http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/5/8/1966?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&fulltext=tissue+microarray&searchid=1041532078316_1773&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/1996&tdate=12/31/2000&resourcetype=1
***


Nat Med. 1998 Jul;4(7):767-8. 
Tissue microarrays for high-throughput molecular profiling of tumor
specimens.
Kononen J, Bubendorf L, Kallioniemi A, Barlund M, Schraml P, Leighton
S, Torhorst J, Mihatsch MJ, Sauter G, Kallioniemi OP.
Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, National Human Genome Research
Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4470,
USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9662379&dopt=Abstract
***

Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol 1999;83:225-32
[Identification of prognostic parameters for renal cell carcinoma by
cDNA arrays and cell chips]
[Article in German]
Moch H, Schraml P, Bubendorf L, Mirlacher M, Kononen J, Gasser T,
Mihatsch MJ, Kallioniemi OP, Sauter G.
Institut fur Pathologie und Klinik fur Urologie, Universitat Basel,
Schweiz.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10714215&dopt=Abstract
***

J Natl Cancer Inst 2000 Aug 2;92(15):1252-9  
Detecting activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase by complementary
DNA and tissue microarray analysis.
Barlund M, Forozan F, Kononen J, Bubendorf L, Chen Y, Bittner ML,
Torhorst J, Haas P, Bucher C, Sauter G, Kallioniemi OP, Kallioniemi A.
Cancer Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10922410&dopt=Abstract
***

Nat Biotechnol 1999 Jan;17(1):53-7
High-throughput quantitative histological analysis of Alzheimer's
disease pathology using a confocal digital microscanner.
Hanzel DK, Trojanowski JQ, Johnston RF, Loring JF.
Molecular Dynamics, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA 94086, USA. dhanzel@mdyn.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9920269&dopt=Abstract
***

J Natl Cancer Inst 1999 Oct 20;91(20):1758-64 Related Articles, Links
Hormone therapy failure in human prostate cancer: analysis by
complementary DNA and tissue microarrays.
Bubendorf L, Kolmer M, Kononen J, Koivisto P, Mousses S, Chen Y,
Mahlamaki E, Schraml P, Moch H, Willi N, Elkahloun AG, Pretlow TG,
Gasser TC, Mihatsch MJ, Sauter G, Kallioniemi OP.
Cancer Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute,
Bethesda, MD, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10528027&dopt=Abstract
***

Cancer Res 1999 Feb 15;59(4):803-6
Erratum in: 
Cancer Res 1999 Mar 15;59(6):1388   
Survey of gene amplifications during prostate cancer progression by
high-throughout fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissue
microarrays.
Bubendorf L, Kononen J, Koivisto P, Schraml P, Moch H, Gasser TC,
Willi N, Mihatsch MJ, Sauter G, Kallioniemi OP.
Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, National Human Genome Research
Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4470, USA.
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/59/4/803?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&fulltext=tissue+microarray&searchid=1041532078316_1773&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/1996&tdate=12/31/2000&resourcetype=1
***

Fresenius J Anal Chem 2000 Mar-Apr;366(6-7):752-9
Bio- and chemiluminescence in bioanalysis.
Roda A, Pasini P, Guardigli M, Baraldini M, Musiani M, Mirasoli M.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
roda@alma.unibo.it
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11225786&dopt=Abstract
***

J Pathol 2000 Dec;192(4):549-53  
Multiple tissue core arrays in histopathology research: a validation
study.
Gillett CE, Springall RJ, Barnes DM, Hanby AM.
Hedley Atkins/ICRF Breast Pathology Laboratory, Guy's Hospital, London
SE1 9RT, UK.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11113875&dopt=Abstract
***

Clin Chem 2000 Sep;46(9):1450-5  
Streptavidin-polyvinylamine conjugates labeled with a europium
chelate: applications in immunoassay, immunohistochemistry, and
microarrays.
Scorilas A, Bjartell A, Lilja H, Moller C, Diamandis EP.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital,
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5 Canada.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10973889&dopt=Abstract
***

Cancer Res 2000 Dec 1;60(23):6617-22  
Identification of differentially expressed genes in human gliomas by
DNA microarray and tissue chip techniques.
Sallinen SL, Sallinen PK, Haapasalo HK, Helin HJ, Helen PT, Schraml P,
Kallioniemi OP, Kononen J.
Department of Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11118044&dopt=Abstract
***

Br J Cancer 2000 Mar;82(6):1239-45  
Molecular features of a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line with
spontaneous metastatic progression.
Scholl FA, Betts DR, Niggli FK, Schafer BW.
Department of Paediatrics, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10735512&dopt=Abstract
***

Nat Genet 1999 Jan;21(1 Suppl):25-32
Erratum in: 
Nat Genet 1999 Feb;21(2):241  
Options available--from start to finish--for obtaining expression data
by microarray.
Bowtell DD. Peter MacCallum 
Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 
d.bowtell@pmci.unimelb.edu.au
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9915497&dopt=Abstract
***
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001 Jul 3;98(14):8018-23  
Expression and functional significance of VE-cadherin in aggressive
human melanoma cells: role in vasculogenic mimicry.
Hendrix MJ, Seftor EA, Meltzer PS, Gardner LM, Hess AR, Kirschmann DA,
Schatteman GC, Seftor RE.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA 52242-1109, USA. mary-hendrix@uiowa.edu
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11416160&dopt=Abstract
***

AAPS PharmSci 2000;2(3):E20
Human membrane transporter database: a Web-accessible relational
database for drug transport studies and pharmacogenomics.
Yan Q, Sadee W.
Program in Medical Information Science, University of California, San
Francisco, CA 94143-0446, USA. qyan@itsa.ucsf.edu
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11741236&dopt=Abstract
***
Validation of Tissue Microarray Technology in Breast Carcinoma
Robert L. Camp, Lori A. Charette, and David L. Rimm
Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut
0023-6837/00/8012-1943$03.00/0
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION Vol. 80, No. 12, p. 1943, 2000
Copyright © 2000 by The United States and Canadian Academy of
Pathology, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.
http://www.yalepath.org/dept/research/YCCTMA/Array_Validation.pdf
(Yale Cancer Center Tissue Microarray Facility 
Director: David L. Rimm, M.D.-Ph.D.
Technical Director: Lori Charette,
Department of Pathology - Yale School of Medicine 
310 Cedar ST, P.O. Box 208023 - New Haven, CT 06520
Ph. (203) 737-4204
Yale Tissue Microarray Construction Protocols:
Version 1.0, 1/2001
Although this version of the protocols was published in Jan of 2001,
they probably had been using some of the techniques you are looking
for prior to that date. The article is based on work done at the lab
prior to the end of 2000.)
***

Tissue Microarray Project (Tarp)
http://research.nhgri.nih.gov/tma/references.shtml
***

Am J Clin Pathol 1998 Dec;110(6):758-64
Tissue heterogeneity of immunohistochemically detected estrogen
receptor. Implications for image analysis quantification.
Layfield LJ, Saria E, Mooney EE, Liu K, Dodge RR.
Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84132,
USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9844588&dopt=Abstract
***
Clinical Chemistry. 1998;44:2015-2030.
© 1998 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc. 
Oak Ridge Conference 
Ligand assays: from electrophoresis to miniaturized microarrays 
Roger P. Ekins
http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/44/9/2015?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&fulltext=digital+image+spot+counting+tissue+microarray&searchid=1041537039041_2038&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=10&sortspec=relevance&fdate=1/1/1997&tdate=12/31/2000&resourcetype=1
***

Motorola Invests in World's First Virtual Tissue Bank; Web-based
Technology Will Facilitate Drug Discovery and Tissue
Engineering.(Company Business and Marketing)
Issue: April 10, 2000
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0WUB/2000_April_10/61430672/p1/article.jhtml?term=tissue+microarray

Although this article does not specifically discuss microarray
analysis – it is clearly the target - “We also believe this alliance
will accelerate acceptance of both Virtual Tissue Banks and the
biochip technologies in practical clinical uses.”
***

Publication:    ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory  
Issue Date:    9/1/1999  
Search String:    tissue microarray imaging  
Laboratory Technology 
Virtual Tissue Microscopy 
By Russell Kerschmann, MD 
http://www.advanceforal.com/editorial/al/9-1-1999/p83.html?frominc=editorial&pub=ADVANCE+for+Administrators+of+the+Laboratory&issuedate=9%2F1%2F1999&searchstring=tissue+microarray+imaging
(This journal requires free registration to access the articles)
***

The Scientist
Volume 16 | Issue 21 | 39 | Oct. 28, 2002  
Tissue Microarrays: Advancing Clinical Genomics
http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/oct/lcprofile1_021028.html
(This journal requires free registration to access the articles)
A general article on the beginnings of this process may provide some
good leads: “What Kallioniemi and Kononen developed was the tissue
microarray (TMA), an ordered array of tissue cores--up to 1,000 of
them--on a single glass slide.1 “
***
Cancer Res 1999 Jun 1;59(11):2682-9  
Reduced Fhit expression in sporadic and BRCA2-linked breast
carcinomas.
Ingvarsson S, Agnarsson BA, Sigbjornsdottir BI, Kononen J, Kallioniemi
OP, Barkardottir RB, Kovatich AJ, Schwarting R, Hauck WW, Huebner K,
McCue PA.
Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10363992&dopt=Abstract
I’m including this one because it is listed as relevant at:
Beecher Instruments 
Tissue Microarray References
http://www.beecherinstruments.com/references2.html
***
Nat Genet 1999 Jan;21(1 Suppl):25-32
Erratum in: 
Nat Genet 1999 Feb;21(2):241   
Options available--from start to finish--for obtaining expression data
by microarray.
Bowtell DD.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
d.bowtell@pmci.unimelb.edu.au
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9915497&dopt=Abstract
This looks like a report on cDNA microarrays, but I only have the
abstract and it may touch on tissue arrays.
***

Search terms: 
tissue microarray analysis
Tissue microarray interactive processing
Tissue microarray Internet Imaging
microarray-based high throughput screening assays
Analysis and scoring of TMA slides
automated digital image scanning and spot counting of entire tissue
microarray slides

Search on PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Publication Date from 1996/01/01 to 2000/12/01, 10 Years, only items
with abstracts - used as limits to return results published prior to
patent application date.

Also searched on Google, FindArticles, PNAS Online (using “tissue
microarray”) and a host of other places.

If you need additional clarification, please let me know.

bcguide-ga

I think you did a fine job. Thanks.