Sequencing System With Memory

• US 20100262379A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frazier, Jeffery D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,697,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/20
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6869 Methods for sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44721 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44782 of a plurality of samples

Abstract

The present teachings provide a device including a memory. According to various embodiments, the memory is readable, writable, and rewritable. The present teachings further provide processing stations, e.g., for carrying out electrophoresis, per, genetic analysis, sample preparation, and/or sample cleanup, etc., that are capable of reading from and/or writing/rewriting to such memory.

Claims

1. A DNA sequencing system, comprising:

a processing station configured to carry out sample processing, the processing station comprising a computing portion that comprises integrated computing capabilities and a memory;

a substrate comprising a plurality of channels, wherein each channel has at least one detection zone;

a detector array configured to detect emission data from the at least one detection zone of each of the plurality of channels; and

a laser source adapted to direct an excitation beam at the at least one detection zone of one or more of the plurality of channels,

wherein the memory is configured to collect and analyze data detected by the detector array, and the computing portion, the substrate, the detector array, and the laser source are all disposed within the processing station.

2. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, wherein the processing station includes integrated computing capabilities programmed for receiving and processing data.

3. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, wherein the processing station is free of an operable link to an external computing device.

4. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate is generally rectangular and has a width dimension of no greater than 2 cm.

5. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least 5 channels disposed within.

6. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, further comprising a human interface device comprising an externally accessible keyboard adapted to allow a user to input information to the system.

7. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, further comprising a thermal control module configured to regulate the temperature of the substrate.

8. The DNA sequencing system of claim 1, further comprising a display for outputting information to a user, wherein the processing station is enclosed in a box, and the box has an exterior, and the display is mounted on the exterior of the box.

9. The DNA sequencing system of claim 8, further comprising a keypad mounted on the exterior of the box and configured to write information to the memory.

10. The DNA sequencing system of claim 8, further comprising an interface device on the exterior of the box, wherein the interface device comprises a keypad and a display.

11. A biomolecule sequence analysis system, comprising:

an enclosure;

a substrate disposed in the enclosure and comprising one or more sample manipulation structures;

a biomolecule sample supported by the substrate, the biomolecule sample comprising a sequence;

a detector disposed in the enclosure and operatively positioned with respect to the substrate, the detector being adapted to generate electronic signals;

a computing portion disposed in the enclosure and in electrical communication with the detector, the computing portion comprising programs installed thereon; and

a reader-writer unit disposed in the enclosure and adapted for communication with the computing portion;

wherein the one or more programs are configured to collect the electronic signals generated by the detector.

12. The biomolecule sequence analysis system of claim 11, wherein the sequence information comprises DNA sequence information.

13. The biomolecule sequence analysis system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more sample manipulation structures comprises a microscale sample manipulation structure.

14. The biomolecule sequence analysis system of claim 11, wherein the substrate further comprises a memory and the reader-writer unit is configured to write the sequence information to the memory.

15. The biomolecule sequence analysis system of claim 11, wherein the sequence comprises a sequence of nucleotides.

16. The biomolecule sequence analysis system of claim 11, wherein the one or more programs are configured to enhance the sequence information.

17. A method of analyzing a biomolecule sequence, comprising:

providing a biomolecule sequence analysis system comprising an enclosure, a substrate comprising one or more sample manipulation structures, a detector, a computing portion in electrical communication with the detector, a reader-writer unit adapted for communication with the computing portion, and a display;

manipulating a biomolecule sample with the one or more sample manipulation structures, the biomolecule sample comprising a sequence;

generating electronic signals with the detector, resulting from manipulating the biomolecule sample;

collecting the electronic signals using the computing portion;

generating sequence information from the electronic signals; and

displaying the sequence information on the display,

wherein each of the biomolecule containing sample, the substrate, the computing portion, the detector, and the reader-writer unit are disposed in the enclosure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the substrate further comprises a memory disposed therein, and the method further comprises writing the sequence information to the memory.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the sequence comprises a sequence of nucleotides.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing portion comprises programs installed thereon and the method further comprises enhancing the sequence information using the programs.