Method for continuous mode processing of multiple reaction receptacles in a real-time amplification assay
First Claim
1. A method for processing the contents of multiple reaction receptacles to quantitatively determine the amount of a target nucleic acid present in each of said reaction receptacles, said method comprising the automated steps of:
- a) successively providing to a heater a plurality of reaction receptacles, each reaction receptacle being provided with reagents sufficient to amplify and detect the presence of a target sequence, or its complement, contained within a target nucleic acid under the temperature conditions of said heater;
b) periodically measuring the amount of a signal associated with the presence of an amplification product containing said target sequence or its complement in each reaction receptacle provided to said heater in accordance with step a); and
c) quantifying the amount of said target nucleic acid present in each reaction receptacle based upon said measurements obtained in step b), wherein at least a portion of said reaction receptacles are being successively provided to said heater in accordance with step a) as the contents of at least a portion of said reaction receptacles are being processed in accordance with steps b)-c).
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Abstract
An automated analyzer for performing multiple diagnostic assays simultaneously includes multiple stations in which discrete aspects of the assay are performed on fluid samples contained in sample vessels. The analyzer includes stations for automatically preparing a sample, incubating the sample, preforming an analyte isolation procedure, ascertaining the presence of a target analyte, and analyzing the amount of a target analyte. An automated receptacle transporting system moves the sample vessels from one station to the next. A method for performing an automated diagnostic assay includes an automated process for isolating and amplifying a target analyte, and, in one embodiment, a method for real-time monitoring of the amplification process.
109 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for processing the contents of multiple reaction receptacles to quantitatively determine the amount of a target nucleic acid present in each of said reaction receptacles, said method comprising the automated steps of:
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a) successively providing to a heater a plurality of reaction receptacles, each reaction receptacle being provided with reagents sufficient to amplify and detect the presence of a target sequence, or its complement, contained within a target nucleic acid under the temperature conditions of said heater;
b) periodically measuring the amount of a signal associated with the presence of an amplification product containing said target sequence or its complement in each reaction receptacle provided to said heater in accordance with step a); and
c) quantifying the amount of said target nucleic acid present in each reaction receptacle based upon said measurements obtained in step b), wherein at least a portion of said reaction receptacles are being successively provided to said heater in accordance with step a) as the contents of at least a portion of said reaction receptacles are being processed in accordance with steps b)-c). - 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)
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Specification