Automated system for isolating, amplifying and detecting a target nucleic acid sequence

• US 20040029260A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Thomas, Bradley S., Fort, Thomas L., Collis, Matthew P., Hansen, Timothy R.
• Application Number:
  US10/440,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040029260A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0405 manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1053 for separating part of the liquid, e.g. filters, extraction phase
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 Multiple transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]

Abstract

A system and method for preparing and testing of targeted nucleic acids is presented. The system integrates a pipetter, extractor, assay reader, and other components, including a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA). This synergistic integration of previously separate diagnostic tools creates a system and method whereby a minimum of human intervention is required. The resulting system provides a substantially more accurate and precise method of isolating, amplifying and detecting targeted nucleic acids for diagnosing diseases.

Claims

1. An automated system for processing a component of interest contained in at least one sample, comprising:

an extraction device, adapted to extract said component of interest from the sample;

a detection device, adapted to detect for the presence of said component of interest extracted by said extraction device; and

a robot, adapted to automatically transfer said extracted component of interest from said extraction device to said detection device, wherein, said robot includes a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA).

2. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said component of interest includes a nucleic acid;

said extraction device is adapted to extract said nucleic acid from the sample;

said detection device is adapted to detect the presence of said extracted nucleic acid; and

said robot is adapted to automatically transfer said extracted nucleic acid to said detection device.

3. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said extracted component of interest includes a nucleic acid; and

said detection device includes a device for amplifying said nucleic acid.

4. An automated system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said amplifying device includes a heater.

5. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said extraction device is adapted to perform non-specific capture of said component of interest to extract said component of interest from the sample.

6. An automated system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said component of interest is a nucleic acid.

7. An automated system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said component of interest is a protein.

8. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said robot is further adapted to transfer fluid to and remove fluid from said extractor to assist said extractor in extracting said component of interest.

9. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction device and detection device are integrated as a single unit.

10. An automated system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a sample rack, adapted for receiving at least one container containing the sample; and

said robot being adapted to automatically transfer the sample from the container to the extraction device.

11. An automated system for extracting nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:

a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA); and

an extractor adapted to extract the nucleic acid from the sample.

12. An automated system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said SCARA is adapted to move the sample from a container to an extractor.

13. An automated system as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said SCARA is further adapted to move said extracted nucleic acid from said extractor to a detector which is adapted to detect for the presence of said nucleic acid.

14. An automated system for extracting a target nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:

an extractor, adapted to perform non-specific capture of the target nucleic acid, to extract the nucleic acid from the sample without separating the target nucleic acid from non-target nucleic acid that may exist in the sample;

an amplifier, adapted to amplify said extracted nucleic acid; and

a robot, adapted to automatically convey said extracted nucleic acid to the amplifier.

15. An automated system as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said robot is further adapted to transfer the sample from a container to said extractor.

16. An automated system as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said robot is further adapted to transfer fluid to the extractor to assist the extractor in extracting the target nucleic acid.

17. A method for processing a component of interest contained in a sample, comprising:

operating an extraction device to extract said component of interest from the sample;

operating a detector to detect for the presence of said component of interest extracted by said extraction device; and

automatically transferring said extracted component of interest from said extraction device to said detection device, wherein said automatically transferring includes operating a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA) to perform said transferring.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said component of interest includes a nucleic acid;

said extraction device operating step extracts said nucleic acid from the sample;

said detection device operating step detects the presence of said extracted nucleic acid; and

said automatically transferring step transfers the sample to the extraction device, and automatically transfers said extracted nucleic acid to said detection device.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said extracted component of interest includes a nucleic acid; and

said detection device operating step includes amplifying said nucleic acid.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

said amplifying includes heating said nucleic acid.

21. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said extraction device operating step performs non-specific capture of said component of interest to extract said component of interest from the sample.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said component of interest is a nucleic acid.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said component of interest is a protein.

24. A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

automatically transferring fluid to said extractor to assist said extractor in extracting said component of interest.

25. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the extraction device and detection device are integrated as a single unit.

26. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving at least one container containing the sample in a sample rack; and

automatically transferring the sample from the container to the extraction device using said SCARA.

27. A method for automatically extracting nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:

operating a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA); and

extracting the nucleic acid from the sample with an extractor.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the step of operating said SCARA comprises:

moving the sample from a container to the extractor.

29. A method as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

operating said SCARA to move said extracted nucleic acid from said extractor to a detector which is adapted to detect for the presence of said nucleic acid.

30. A method for automatically extracting a target nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:

operating an extractor to perform non-specific capture on the target nucleic acid to extract the nucleic acid from the sample without separating the target nucleic acid from non-target nucleic acid that may exist in the sample;

operating an amplifier to amplify said extracted nucleic acid; and

automatically transferring said extracted nucleic acid from said extractor to the amplifier.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

automatically transferring the sample from a container to said extractor.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

automatically transfer fluid to the extractor to assist the extractor in extracting the target nucleic acid.

33. An automated process for isolating and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence that may be present in a sample, said process comprising:

automatically separating the target sequence from the fluid sample at a separation station by performing non-specific binding on the target sequence without the need to separate the target sequence from any non-target sequence that may exist in the sample; and

automatically transporting the separated target sequence from the separation station to an amplifying incubation station.