Manufacture and use of non-standard size microarray slides

Methods and devices are disclosed for microarray analysis. In one embodiment a method is disclosed for processing a non-standard size slide having an array of chemical compounds attached to a surface of the slide. A sample is exposed to the surface of the non-standard size slide wherein components in the sample bind to the chemical compounds on the surface of the slide. The sample and the slide are incubated under conditions for carrying out the binding reactions, and the surface of the non-standard size slide is examined for the results of the binding reactions. Prior to the exposing step or the incubating step or the examining step, the non-standard size slide is placed into a slide holder comprising a slide-holding section a slide-holding section adapted to dispose the non-standard size slide to a processing instrument in a manner similar to that for a standard size slide. The non-standard size slide may also include an identifier such as a bar code.