THERMAL CYCLER FOR AUTOMATIC PERFORMANCE OF THE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION WITH CLOSE TEMPERATURE CONTROL
First Claim
1. An apparatus for the controlled automated performance of polymerase chain reactions in at least one sample tube containing a known volume of a liquid sample mixture, which apparatus comprises:
- a. a sample block having at least one well for said at least one sample tube, b. a computing apparatus, c. heating and cooling means controlled by said computing apparatus for hanging the temperature of said sample block, and d. means for determining the temperature of said block in a first sample interval, wherein said first sample interval is an interval of time designated as time n;
wherein said computing apparatus includes means for determining the temperature of said liquid sample mixture as a function of the temperature of said sample block over time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing a sample block in microtiter tray format. The sample block has local balance and local symmetry. A three zone film heater controlled by a computer and ramp cooling solenoid valves also controlled by the computer for gating coolant flow through the block controls the block temperature. Constant bias cooling is used for small changes. Sample temperature is calculated instead of measured. A platen deforms plastic caps to apply a minimum acceptable threshold force for seating the tubes and thermally isolates them. A cover isolates the block. The control software includes diagnostics. An install program tests and characterizes the instrument. A new user interface is used. Disposable, multipiece plastic microtiter trays to give individual freedom to sample tubes are taught.
69 Citations
218 Claims
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1. An apparatus for the controlled automated performance of polymerase chain reactions in at least one sample tube containing a known volume of a liquid sample mixture, which apparatus comprises:
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a. a sample block having at least one well for said at least one sample tube, b. a computing apparatus, c. heating and cooling means controlled by said computing apparatus for hanging the temperature of said sample block, and d. means for determining the temperature of said block in a first sample interval, wherein said first sample interval is an interval of time designated as time n;
wherein said computing apparatus includes means for determining the temperature of said liquid sample mixture as a function of the temperature of said sample block over time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 113, 116, 117, 121, 125, 126, 127, 209, 210)
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65. In an apparatus comprising a servomechanism, the improvement comprising means for dynamically adjusting gain to compensate for dynamic changes in damping.
- 66. In an apparatus comprising temperature control servo system, the improvement comprising means for dynamically adjusting gain to compensate for dynamic changes in damping.
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128. A method for computer control of the automated performance of polymerase chain reactions in at least one sample tube containing a known volume of liquid sample mixture by means of a computer-controlled thermocycler including a computing apparatus, a sample block having at least one well for said at least one sample tube, a block temperature sensor thermally applied to said sample block, wherein said computer-controlled cooling means comprises selectively operable ramp cooling means for selectively delivering a cooling fluid to said sample block, and wherein the step of controlling said selectively operable ramp cooling means includes the steps of
(viii) determining that a sample temperature ramp direction is downward, (ix) determining the temperature of said cooling fluid, (x) determining as a function of said sample temperature a theoretical cooling power to apply to said block in said current sample interval without accounting for power losses, (xi) determining a cooling breakpoint as a function of the difference between the block temperature and the temperature of said cooling fluid in the current sample interval, and (xiii) selectively operating said ramp cooling means as a function of said theoretical cooling power and said cooling breakpoint.
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132. Thermocycler apparatus suitable for automated performance of the polymerase chain reaction comprising
a. a metal sample block having a major top surface and a major bottom surface, b. an array of spaced-apart sample wells formed in said major top surface, c. bias cooling constantly applied to said sample block at a rate sufficient to cause said block, if at a temperature within the range of 35-100° - C., to cool uniformly at a rate of at least about 0.1°
C./sec unless external heat is supplied, andd. computer-controllable heating means responsive to said computer system capable of uniformly raising the temperature of said block at a rate greater than the bias cooling rate, said thermocycler apparatus being capable, under the control of a computer, of maintaining the array of sample wells at a constant in the range of 35-100°
C. within a tolerance band of plus or minus about 0.5°
C.
- C., to cool uniformly at a rate of at least about 0.1°
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156. Thermocycler apparatus suitable for automated, rapid performance of the polymerase chain reaction comprising
a. a thermally homogeneous metal sample block of low thermal mass having a major top surface and a major bottom g. cover displacing means for raising said cover and for lowering said cover and maintaining its vertical position against a resisting force of at least about 3000 grams, said thermocycler apparatus being capable of maintaining the array of sample wells at a constant temperature in the range of 35-100° - C. within a tolerance band of plus or minus 0.5°
C.
- C. within a tolerance band of plus or minus 0.5°
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166. A two-piece plastic holder for loosely holding up to 96 microliter sample tubes of a preselected design, each having a cylindrically shaped upper section open at its top end and a closed, tapered lower section extending downwardly therefrom, each tube being of circular cross section and having a circumferential shoulder extending outwardly from said upper section at a position on said upper section spaced from the open end thereof, comprising
- 206. A tube according to claim 205 wherein said first wall portion has a thickness of about 0.009 inches wherein said plastic is autoclavable polypropylene, and wherein said first wall portion comprises the frustrum of a cone with an included angle of about 17 degrees.
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211. In a combination of a thermal cycler suitable for performing the polymerase chain reaction comprising a temperature-controlled metal block having an array of tapered wells in its top surface, and a plurality of individual reaction tubes having similarly tapered lower sections and upper sections which project above the top surface of the block when the tubes are placed in said wells, the improvement comprising means for seating said tubes in said wells, said seating means comprising:
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a) resiliently deformable sealing caps removably attached to said tubes, b) a platen, c) support means for supporting the platen above the block, d) displacement means associated with the support means for raising the platen above said caps and for lowering it so as to apply a force of at least 30 grams to each cap. - View Dependent Claims (212, 213, 214, 218)
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Specification