DNA amplification device

• US 20060166226A1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThermoGen, Inc. (Medichem Research, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ThermoGen, Inc. (Medichem Research, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Ryoji, Kudoh, Seiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1844 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046

Abstract

A processing block 2 is composed of a base 5, where an upper substrate 6 formed with a metal material M and a lower substrate 7 formed with the metal material M or a ceramic material E are adhered, and cells C . . . supported by this base 5; and the cells C . . . are secured to the upper substrate 6 and/or the lower substrate 7 at least via cell positioners 6s . . . established in the upper substrate 6 for positioning the cells C . . . , respectively.

At the same time, at least the thickness Ld of regions Xc . . . situated under the cells C . . . in the lower substrate 7 is selected to be 1.0 [mm] or thinner, and, a thermo-module(s) comes into contact with the lower surface of the base 5.

Claims

1. A DNA amplification device, wherein, in a DNA amplification device equipped with a processing block, which has cells that can contain a reaction solution including a DNA sample, respectively, a thermo-module(s) using peltiert elements for heating and cooling the processing block, and a controller that controls the electrification at least to the thermo-module(s), wherein the processing block is comprised of a base, which is constructed by adhering an upper substrate formed with a metal material and a lower substrate formed with a metal material or a ceramic material, and the cells supported by this base;

and the cells are secured to the upper substrate and/or the lower substrate via at least cell positioners established in the upper substrate for positioning the cells, and at the same time, at least the thickness of the regions situated under the cells in the lower substrate is selected to be 1.0 [mm] or thinner, and, the thermo-module(s) comes into contact with the lower surface of the base.

2. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, for the upper substrate, a copper material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used.

3. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, in the lower substrate, a copper material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used at least for the regions situated under the cells.

4. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, in the lower substrate, a ceramic material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used at least for the regions situated under the cells.

5. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the upper substrate, and that is fitted into the lower side of the outer circumferential surface of the cell, respectively.

6. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the upper substrate, and that is inserted into a hole perforated in the bottom surface of the cell, respectively.

7. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, slits for warp absorption, which are situated in a cross direction from an end edge relative to the end edge, and which are formed with a pre-determined length, are established along the end edge at a pre-determined interval in the upper substrate and/or the lower substrate formed with a metal substrate, respectively.

8. The DNA amplification device according to claim 1, wherein, the DNA amplification device is equipped with a heat radiation copper board, which comes into contact with the heat radiation side of the thermo-module(s), and which is formed with a copper material whose thickness is selected to be 4 [mm] or thicker, and a cooling means to cool down the heat radiation copper board.

9. The DNA amplification device, wherein, in a DNA amplification device equipped with a processing block, which has cells that can contain a reaction solution including a DNA sample, respectively, a thermo-module(s) using peltiert elements for heating and cooling the processing block, and a controller that controls the electrification at least to the thermo-module(s), the processing block is comprised of a substrate formed with a metal material and cells supported by the substrate;

cell positioners formed with a cylinder burling where the protrusion upward from a pre-determined position results in fitting into the lower side of an outer circumferential surface of the cell, respectively, are established;

the cells are fitted into the cell positioners, and they are secured, respectively; and

, the thermo-module(s) comes into contact with the lower surface of the substrate, and at the same time, slits for warp absorption, which are situated in crossing direction to an end edge of the substrate, and which are formed with a pre-determined length, are established along the end edge at a pre-determined interval in the end edge

10. The DNA amplification device according to claim 9, wherein, for the substrate, a copper material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used.

11. The DNA amplification device according to claim 9, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the substrate, and that is fitted into the lower side of the outer circumferential surface of the cell, respectively.

12. The DNA amplification device according to claim 9, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the substrate, and that is inserted into a hole perforated in the bottom surface of the cell, respectively.

13. The DNA amplification device, wherein, in a DNA amplification device equipped with a processing block, which has cells that can contain a reaction solution including a DNA sample, respectively, a thermo-module(s) using peltiert elements for heating and cooling the processing block, and a controller that controls the electrification at least to the thermo-module(s), the processing block is comprised of a substrate formed with a metal material and cells supported by the substrate;

cell positioners formed with a cylinder burling, where the protrusion upward from a pre-determined position results in fitting into the lower side of an outer circumferential surface of the cell, respectively, are established;

the cells are fitted into the cell positioners, and they are secured, respectively; and

, the thermo-module(s) comes into contact with the lower surface of the substrate. At the same time, a retainer plate that has control holes engaged or joined with the upper side of each cell, and corresponding to the position of each cell, respectively, are established.

14. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, for the upper substrate, a copper material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used.

15. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, for the retainer plate, a copper material formed to have 0.1-0.5 [mm] [of thickness] is used.

16. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the upper substrate, and that is fitted into the lower side of the outer circumferential surface of the cell, respectively.

17. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, the cell positioners are formed with a cylinder burling that protrudes upward from a pre-determined position of the upper substrate, and that is inserted into a hole perforated in the bottom surface of the cell, respectively.

18. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, slits for warp absorption, which are situated in a crossing direction from an end edge relative to the end edge, and which are formed with a pre-determined length, are established along with the end edge at a pre-determined interval in the substrate formed with a metal material.

19. The DNA amplification device according to claim 13, wherein, position retainers that have cylinders and flanges, which fit into the control holes by re-press working a mark generated when squeeze-molding and cutting the cells using press-working a thin plate material, are established at the upper end of the cells, respectively.