Method and apparatus for continuous amplification of DNA
First Claim
1. A method for continuous amplification of DNA, the method repeating DNA amplification reactions continuously by:
- with a recirculation path and a pump furnished in the recirculation path, feeding unidirectionally through the recirculation path a reaction mixture containing DNA fragments and a reagent solution, held in a reaction-mixture tank;
sending the reaction mixture within the recirculation path by way of, in order, a denaturing isothermal tank wherein a temperature for dissolving apart the DNA'"'"'s double strands is maintained, an annealing isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which primers contained in the reagent solution anneal to the DNA fragments is maintained, and an elongation isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which complementary chains are extended continuously onto the primers is maintained; and
with heat-exchange fluids within the isothermal tanks, maintaining the reaction mixture for predetermined times at predetermined temperatures, and subsequently recirculating the reaction mixture into the reaction-mixture tank.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Continuous DNA-amplification method and apparatus. Reaction mixture containing reagent solution and DNA fragments serving as templates is continuously temperature-processed by heat-exchange fluids whose temperatures differ, enabling successive DNA amplification reactions to be carried out efficaciously in large volume. Apparatus has a reaction-mixture tank, isothermal denaturing, annealing and elongation tanks, a recirculation path that circuits the isothermal tanks, and a pump that works to feed reaction mixture within the recirculation path unidirectionally through it. The reaction mixture, transferred from tank to tank by the pump, is maintained at prescribed reaction temperatures in the isothermal tanks. Heat-exchange efficiency is improved compared with batch systems, and the reaction mixture—uniformly, swiftly put into prescribed temperature states—can be amplification-reacted under ideal conditions, enabling quantum improvement in the amplification efficiency. Amplification reactions are carried out by circuit-feeding the reaction mixture, which serves to establish per-cycle DNA amplification quantity at large volumes.
6 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method for continuous amplification of DNA, the method repeating DNA amplification reactions continuously by:
-
with a recirculation path and a pump furnished in the recirculation path, feeding unidirectionally through the recirculation path a reaction mixture containing DNA fragments and a reagent solution, held in a reaction-mixture tank;
sending the reaction mixture within the recirculation path by way of, in order, a denaturing isothermal tank wherein a temperature for dissolving apart the DNA'"'"'s double strands is maintained, an annealing isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which primers contained in the reagent solution anneal to the DNA fragments is maintained, and an elongation isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which complementary chains are extended continuously onto the primers is maintained; and
with heat-exchange fluids within the isothermal tanks, maintaining the reaction mixture for predetermined times at predetermined temperatures, and subsequently recirculating the reaction mixture into the reaction-mixture tank. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method for continuous amplification of DNA, the method repeating DNA amplification reactions continuously by:
-
circuit-feeding unidirectionally through an endless recirculation path, using a pump provided therein, a reaction mixture containing DNA fragments and a reagent solution, held within the recirculation path;
circulating the reaction mixture within the recirculation path by way of, in order, a denaturing isothermal tank wherein a temperature for dissolving apart the DNA'"'"'s double strands is maintained, an annealing isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which primers contained in the reagent solution anneal to the DNA fragments is maintained, and an elongation isothermal tank wherein a temperature at which complementary chains are extended continuously onto the primers is maintained; and
with heat-exchange fluids within the isothermal tanks, maintaining the reaction mixture for predetermined times at predetermined temperatures.
-
-
4. An apparatus for continuous amplification of DNA, comprising:
-
a reaction-mixture tank for holding a reaction mixture containing DNA fragments and a reagent solution;
a denaturing isothermal tank for holding a heat-exchange fluid adjusted to a temperature for dissolving apart the DNA'"'"'s double strands;
an annealing isothermal tank for holding a heat-exchange fluid adjusted to a temperature at which primers contained in the reagent solution anneal to the DNA fragments;
an elongation isothermal tank for holding a heat-exchange fluid adjusted to a temperature at which complementary chains are extended continuously onto the primers;
a recirculation-path system through which the reaction mixture in the reaction-mixture tank is fed and guided, the recirculation-path system being arranged such that it circuits from the reaction-mixture tank and goes by way of the denaturing isothermal tank, the annealing isothermal tank, and the elongation isothermal tank back to the reaction-mixture tank; and
a pump working to feed the reaction mixture in said recirculation-path system unidirectionally through it;
whereinthe apparatus is configured such that the reaction mixture in said recirculation-path system is for timed intervals maintained at prescribed temperatures determined by the heat-exchange fluids in the isothermal tanks. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification