Device and methods for quantifying analytes

• US 8,623,282 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beaudet, Matthew P., Hagen, David C., Hendrickson, Jill, Meyer, Rich B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xu, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/611,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20130011829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/82.02
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• 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: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices and methods for measuring the quantity of multiple analytes in a sample. The device is designed such that each of the analyte sensing elements is configured to measure the quantity of a predetermined analyte and where the machine executable instructions are configured to select the proper analyte sensing element corresponding to the analyte to be measured.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the quantity of one or more predetermined analytes, comprising:

an integrated unit including a receptacle for holding a sample container having an analyte, a photodetector, two or more distinct and operably linked analyte sensing elements (ASE) and a computer processing unit with machine executable instructions, wherein each ASE comprises;

a distinct energy source for exciting the sample, wherein the energy source is configured to emit a predetermined peak wavelength of light; and

wherein each ASE is configured to facilitate the measurement of the quantity of the predetermined analyte and wherein the machine executable instructions are configured to select the proper ASE corresponding to the analyte to be measured.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each ASE further includes an emission filter configured to isolate a predetermined range of wavelengths of light emitted from the excited sample.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined analyte is selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, protein, eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells, carbohydrates, lipids, viruses, pH, dyes and metals ions.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine executable instructions are further configured to determine the concentration of the specific analyte based upon an emitted light from the excited sample.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a user interface.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the user interface comprises a display and a non-numerical keypad.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the sample container receptacle is configured to fit an optically clear 0.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises an internal power source.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one communications port.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the communications port is selected from the group consisting of a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio/video serial bus (IEEE 1394), an infrared (IR) port and a radio frequency (RF) port.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a first and second ASE.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first ASE comprises a LED that emits light with a peak wavelength of about 470 nm, an excitation filter that filters out light with a wavelength of greater than about 490 nm and an emission filter that filters out light with a wavelength of less than about 520 nm and greater than about 580 nm.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the second ASE comprises a LED that emits light with a peak wavelength of about 640 nm, an excitation filter that filters out light with a wavelength of less than about 570 and greater than about 647 nm and an emission filter that filters out light with a wavelength of less than about 652 nm.

14. The device of claim 5, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select the analyte for measurement.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the machine executable instructions are capable of selecting the analyte for measurement without user input.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the device are about 30-300 mm on a minor axis, 100-500 mm on a major axis, and a variable thickness of about 10 to 100 mm;

with the proviso that the dimension of the major axis is greater than the minor axis.