Integrated polymerase chain reaction/electrophoresis instrument
First Claim
1. An integrated polymerase chain reaction/capillary electrophoresis instrument, comprising:
- a substrate;
said substrate containing at least one capillary column formed therein;
said at least one capillary column including end sections having a cross-section smaller than a main section thereof;
said substrate including at least one well for polymerase chain reactions located adjacent one end of said capillary column;
said substrate including at least one well for capillary electrophoresis buffer material located adjacent said one end of said capillary column;
said substrate including a passageway interconnecting said wells and said one end of said capillary column located intermediate said wells;
means for providing electrical power to said wells and said capillary column; and
means for detecting material passing through said at least one capillary column.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A new approach and instrument for field identification of micro-organisms and DNA fragments using a small and disposable device containing integrated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enzymatic reaction wells, attached capillary electrophoresis (CE) channels, detectors, and read-out all on/in a small hand-held package. The analysis instrument may be made inexpensively, for example, of plastic, and thus is disposable, which minimizes cross contamination and the potential for false positive identification between samples. In addition, it is designed for multiple users with individual applications. The integrated PCR/CE is manufactured by the PCR well and CE channels are "stamped" into plastic depressions where conductive coatings are made in the wells and ends of the CE microchannels to carry voltage and current to heat the PCR reaction mixtures and simultaneously draw DNA bands up the CE channels. Light is transmitted through the instrument at appropriate points and detects PCR bands and identifies DNA fragments by size (retention time) and quantifies each by the amount of light generated as each phototransistor positioned below each CE channel detects a passing band. The instrument is so compact that at least 100 PCR/CE reactions/analyses can be performed easily on one detection device.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An integrated polymerase chain reaction/capillary electrophoresis instrument, comprising:
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a substrate; said substrate containing at least one capillary column formed therein; said at least one capillary column including end sections having a cross-section smaller than a main section thereof; said substrate including at least one well for polymerase chain reactions located adjacent one end of said capillary column; said substrate including at least one well for capillary electrophoresis buffer material located adjacent said one end of said capillary column; said substrate including a passageway interconnecting said wells and said one end of said capillary column located intermediate said wells; means for providing electrical power to said wells and said capillary column; and means for detecting material passing through said at least one capillary column. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system which detects and identifies organisms by polymerase chain reactions followed by capillary electrophoresis, comprising:
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an integrated polymerase chain reaction/capillary electrophoresis instrument which includes at least one well for polymerase chain reactions, at least one capillary column, at least one well for capillary electrophoresis buffer material, and means for detecting material passing through said at least one capillary column, wherein polymerase chain reactions from said at least one well for polymerase chain reactions are passed directly into one end of said capillary column along with buffer material from said at least one well for capillary electrophoresis buffer material for electrophoresis identification, said capillary column including end sections having a cross-section smaller than a main section thereof, said means for detecting material passing through said at least one capillary column being located in said main section of said at least one capillary column. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification