Signal measuring system for conducting real-time amplification assays
First Claim
1. A system for processing the contents of multiple reaction receptacles to detect a target nucleic acid present in each of said reaction receptacles, said system comprising:
- (A) a temperature-controlled incubator comprising;
(1) a housing defining an incubation chamber therein, said housing having one or more reaction receptacle access openings for allowing movement of a reaction receptacle into or out of said incubation chamber through said reaction receptacle access openings;
(2) a heat source in thermal communication with said incubation chamber; and
(3) a reaction receptacle carrier disposed within said incubation chamber and including a plurality of reaction receptacle stations, each of said reaction receptacle stations being constructed and arranged to carry at least one reaction receptacle, said reaction receptacle carrier being constructed and arranged to present any of said plurality of reaction receptacle stations in a reaction receptacle transfer position with respect to said reaction receptacle access openings;
(B) a reaction receptacle transport system including at least one transport mechanism constructed and arranged to transport reaction receptacles to or from said reaction receptacle carrier through said reaction receptacle access openings;
(C) a signal measuring device constructed and arranged to measure the amount of a signal emitted by the contents of a reaction receptacle placed in operative proximity to said signal measuring device, said signal measuring device being positioned with respect to said reaction receptacle carrier such that reaction receptacles carried on said reaction receptacle carrier are successively moved into operative proximity to said signal measuring device as said reaction receptacle carrier moves the reaction receptacles within said incubation chamber, wherein said reaction receptacle carrier is controlled so as to move reaction receptacles within said incubation chamber to successively and periodically place reaction receptacles carried thereby in operative proximity to said signal measuring device, and said signal measuring device is controlled so as to make periodic measurements of the amount of signal emitted by the contents of reaction receptacles placed in operative proximity to said signal measuring device; and
(D) a microprocessor adapted to quantify the amount of the target nucleic acid in the reaction receptacles based upon the periodic measurements made by said signal measuring device.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for processing the contents of multiple reaction receptacles to detect a target nucleic acid present in each of said reaction receptacles, said system comprising:
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(A) a temperature-controlled incubator comprising;
(1) a housing defining an incubation chamber therein, said housing having one or more reaction receptacle access openings for allowing movement of a reaction receptacle into or out of said incubation chamber through said reaction receptacle access openings;
(2) a heat source in thermal communication with said incubation chamber; and
(3) a reaction receptacle carrier disposed within said incubation chamber and including a plurality of reaction receptacle stations, each of said reaction receptacle stations being constructed and arranged to carry at least one reaction receptacle, said reaction receptacle carrier being constructed and arranged to present any of said plurality of reaction receptacle stations in a reaction receptacle transfer position with respect to said reaction receptacle access openings;
(B) a reaction receptacle transport system including at least one transport mechanism constructed and arranged to transport reaction receptacles to or from said reaction receptacle carrier through said reaction receptacle access openings;
(C) a signal measuring device constructed and arranged to measure the amount of a signal emitted by the contents of a reaction receptacle placed in operative proximity to said signal measuring device, said signal measuring device being positioned with respect to said reaction receptacle carrier such that reaction receptacles carried on said reaction receptacle carrier are successively moved into operative proximity to said signal measuring device as said reaction receptacle carrier moves the reaction receptacles within said incubation chamber, wherein said reaction receptacle carrier is controlled so as to move reaction receptacles within said incubation chamber to successively and periodically place reaction receptacles carried thereby in operative proximity to said signal measuring device, and said signal measuring device is controlled so as to make periodic measurements of the amount of signal emitted by the contents of reaction receptacles placed in operative proximity to said signal measuring device; and
(D) a microprocessor adapted to quantify the amount of the target nucleic acid in the reaction receptacles based upon the periodic measurements made by said signal measuring device. - 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)
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Specification