THERMAL CYCLING SYSTEM COMPRISING TRANSPORT HEATER

• US 20110236901A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biocartis NV (Biocartis Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Biocartis NV (Biocartis Group NV)
• Inventors: Kolesnychenko, Aleksey, Geijselaers, Martinas L.J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,434,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6.12
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips

Abstract

To provide a thermal cycling system allowing an efficient thermal cycling and an optical detection during the diagnostic process a thermal cycling system is proposed, comprising: at least one heating device (10a, 10b) having a transparent substrate (11a, 11b) and a heating element (12a, 12b), and a chamber (30) adapted to receive a sample, the chamber (30) is placed adjacent to at least one heating device (10a, 10b), wherein at least a part of the chamber (30) comprises a transparent area (31) aligned with the transparent substrate (11a, 11b) of the at least one heating device (10a, 10b). Thereby, the speed and efficiency of the thermal system is increased. Moreover, an optical detection of the sample is possible.

Claims

1. Thermal cycling system, comprising:

at least one heating device having a transparent substrate and a heating element, and

a chamber adapted to receive a sample, the chamber is placed adjacent to at least one heating device, wherein at least a part of the chamber comprises a transparent area,

wherein at least during operation, the transparent area is aligned with the transparent substrate of the at least one heating device.

2. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the thermal cycling system is arranged for coupling light from a light source into the chamber.

3. Thermal cycling system of claim 2, wherein the light from the light source is coupled through a major surface of the transparent substrate and the transparent area.

4. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, comprising a first heating device and a second heating device, the first heating device being placed on one side of the chamber, whereas the second heating device is placed at the opposing side of the chamber, to thereby place the chamber between the first and second heating device.

5. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate having a heat conductivity lower than 120 W/cm*K.

6. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate comprises a sapphire substrate.

7. Thermal cycling of claim 1, wherein the heating element is transparent.

8. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the heating element is in direct contact to the transparent substrate.

9. Thermal cycling of claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises at least one sensor for detecting the temperature of the transparent substrate.

10. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a top and a bottom face, at least one of the top or bottom face comprises a transparent foil.

11. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one holding element for holding the heating device.

14. Diagnostic device including a cartridge having a plurality of thermal cycling systems as claimed in claim 1.

16. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the thermal cycling system is arranged for coupling light emanating from the chamber to a detector through the transparent substrate.

17. Thermal cycling system of claim 16, wherein the light emanating from the chamber is coupled through a major surface of the transparent substrate and the transparent area.

18. Thermal cycling system of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate having a a specific heat value lower than 0.9 J/g*K.

19. Thermal cycling system of claim 7, wherein the heating element is made of indium oxide.

20. Thermal cycling system of claim 9, wherein the sensor is placed in a groove of the transparent substrate.

12. Thermal cycling system as claimed in 11, wherein the holding element is coupled to a spring for pressing the transparent substrate and the heating element against the chamber.

13. Heating device having at least a transparent substrate and a heating element, wherein the transparent substrate is transparent to at least one of an excitation signal and a response to an excitation signal.

15. Method for diagnostically analyzing a sample, comprising the steps of:

bringing a chamber including the sample to be analyzed in contact with at least one heating device having a transparent substrate and a heating element,

thermal cycling the chamber by generating heat with the heating element conducted to the chamber via the transparent substrate,

optically detecting the sample inside the chamber sequentially or simultaneously to the thermal cycling step.