Thermocycling apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for thermally cycling a DNA sample, comprising(i) a support;
- (ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers;
(iii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of said heating unit assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures; and
(iv) means for moving the sample in the tube successively between the two chambers;
wherein the sample moving means is effective to move the sample in a reciprocating motion within the tubes.
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Abstract
A thermocycling apparatus comprising a plurality of capillaries for moving DNA-containing samples between two or more discrete zones maintained at selected elevated temperatures.
108 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An apparatus for thermally cycling a DNA sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of said heating unit assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures; and (iv) means for moving the sample in the tube successively between the two chambers;
wherein the sample moving means is effective to move the sample in a reciprocating motion within the tubes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for thermally cycling DNA samples, comprising
(i) a plurality of capillary assemblies, each assembly comprising first and second heating elements, defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers, and means for introducing one such DNA sample into the capillary tube; -
(ii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of such a capillary assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures, wherein one elevated temperature is effective to denature the DNA sample and the other elevated temperature is one at which DNA annealing and primer-directed DNA polymerization can occur; and (iii) means for moving the samples in the tubes successively between the two chambers of each capillary assembly; and wherein the capillary tubes have an interior face that is hydrophobic. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. An apparatus for thermally cycling a DNA sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of said heating unit assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures; and (iv) means for moving the sample in the tube successively between the two chambers;
wherein said moving means includes a syringe body, a plunger, and means for moving the plunger in a reciprocating motion within the syringe body.
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26. An apparatus for thermally cycling a DNA sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of said heating unit assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures; and (iv) means for moving the sample in the tube successively between the two chambers;
wherein the sample moving means is effective to move the samples in all capillaries in a concerted manner.
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27. An apparatus for thermally cycling a DNA sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) means for maintaining the temperatures of the first and second chambers of said heating unit assembly at selected first and second elevated temperatures; and (iv) means for moving the sample in the tube successively between the two chambers; and wherein the heating unit assemblies, sample moving means and temperature maintenance means are all mounted on said support.
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28. An apparatus for thermally cycling a nucleic acid sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) a temperature control in communication with said heating elements; and (iv) a sample position control unit disposed in communication with said tube and operable to alter pressure along one end thereof, said altering of pressure being effective to move a nucleic acid sample in the tube successively and reciprocally between the two chambers.
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29. An apparatus for thermally cycling a nucleic acid sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers;
wherein said capillary tube has an interior face that is hydrophobic;(iii) a temperature control in communication with said heating elements; and (iv) a sample position control unit disposed in communication with said tube and operable to alter pressure along one end thereof, said altering of pressure being effective to move a nucleic acid sample in the tube successively between the two chambers.
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30. An apparatus for thermally cycling a nucleic acid sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) a temperature control in communication with said heating elements; and (iv) a sample position control unit, including a syringe body and a plunger movable within the syringe body, disposed in communication with said tube;
wherein movement of said plunger is effective to alter pressure along one end of said capillary tube, thereby moving a nucleic acid sample in the tube successively between the two chambers.
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31. An apparatus for thermally cycling nucleic acid samples, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a plurality of heating unit assemblies mounted on said support, each such assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said first and second heating chambers being adapted to receive and contact a respective capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) a temperature control in communication with said heating elements; and (iv) a sample position control unit in communication with each capillary tube and operable to alter pressure along one end thereof, said altering of pressure being effective to move all the nucleic acid samples in the tubes successively between the two chambers in a concerted manner.
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32. An apparatus for thermally cycling a nucleic acid sample, comprising
(i) a support; -
(ii) a heating unit assembly mounted on said support, said assembly having first and second heating elements defining first and second heating chambers, respectively, said chambers being adapted to receive and contact a capillary tube extending through the two heating chambers; (iii) a temperature control mounted on said support and disposed in communication with said heating elements; and (iv) a sample position control unit mounted on said support in communication with said tube and operable to alter pressure along one end of said tube, said altering of pressure being effective to move a nucleic acid sample in the tube successively between the two chambers.
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Specification