Instrument for monitoring DNA replication

• US 8,921,098 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gambini, Michael R., Atwood, John G., Lakatos, Edward J., Cerrone, Anthony L., Young, Eugene F.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOBBS, MICHAEL L
• Application Number:
  US11/406,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,178 Days
• Field of Search: 378/42, 378/45, 435/286.1, 435/287.2, 435/288.7, 422/82.08, 2504591-4612
• US Class Current: 435/288.7
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1811 using electromagnetic induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• 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: C12Q 1/686 Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2545/101 with an internal standard/control
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/107 fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6463 Optics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6482 Sample cells, cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• 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 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0245 with insertable-removable part
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 : Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0628 : Organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0635 : Structured illumination, e.g. with grating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0636 : Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/068 : Optics, miscellaneous

Abstract

An instrument for monitoring replication of DNA is provided.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;

a light source adapted to direct an excitation beam toward the plurality of reaction regions;

a detector disposed to receive emission beams from the reaction regions;

an excitation beam path disposed along an optical path between the light source and one of the reaction regions;

an emission beam path disposed along an optical path between the reaction regions and the detector; and

a lens located in front of the reaction regions, the lens disposed along the excitation beam path and along the emission beam path, the lens configured to direct the excitation beam to more than one of the reaction regions simultaneously.

2. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising reaction ingredients disposed in each of the plurality of reaction regions, the reaction ingredients comprising components for DNA replication.

3. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the components for DNA replication comprise DNA primer strands.

4. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise a fluorescent dye.

5. The instrument of claim 2, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise fluorescent dye labeled probes.

6. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the lens is a field lens that provides a telecentric optical system.

7. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lenses corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of reaction regions, the plurality of lenses being disposed between the lens and the plurality of reaction regions, wherein emission light from at least two of the reaction regions simultaneously passes through the lens and onto the detector.

8. The instrument of claim 1, further comprising emission beams from at least two of the reaction regions that is produced by the excitation beam, wherein the at least two emission beams simultaneously pass through the lens and onto the detector.

9. An instrument comprising:

a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;

a light source adapted to direct an excitation beam toward the plurality of reaction regions;

a focusing optic disposed along an excitation beam path between the light source and the plurality of reaction regions;

a plurality of lenses, each lens being disposed between the focusing optic and a corresponding one of the plurality of reaction regions;

a detector disposed to receive emission beams from the focusing optic; and

an emission beam path disposed from the plurality of reaction regions to the detector;

wherein the excitation beam path and the emission beam path are disposed along a same optical path through the focusing optic;

wherein the light source, the focusing optic, and the lenses together are configured to simultaneously illuminate two or more reaction regions of the plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions.

10. The instrument of claim 9, further comprising reaction ingredients disposed in each of the plurality of reaction regions, the reaction ingredients comprising components for DNA replication.

11. The instrument of claim 10, wherein the components for DNA replication comprise DNA primer strands.

12. The instrument of claim 10, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise a fluorescent dye.

13. The instrument of claim 10, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise fluorescent dye labeled probes.

14. The instrument of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of reaction regions comprises a vial including one of the plurality of lenses.

15. The instrument of claim 14, wherein the focusing optic and the plurality of lenses are disposed to cooperatively effect focusing of the excitation beam into the reaction regions.

16. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the focusing optic is a field lens that provides a telecentric optical system.

17. An instrument comprising:

an apparatus configured to hold a plurality of spaced-apart reaction regions;

a light source configured to direct an excitation beam toward the plurality of reaction regions;

a detector configured to receive emission beams from the reaction regions;

an excitation beam path disposed from the light source to the plurality of reaction regions;

an emission beam path disposed from the plurality of reaction regions to the detector; and

a lens disposed along the excitation beam path and along the emission beam path, the lens configured to direct the excitation beam to more than one of the reaction regions simultaneously.

18. The instrument of claim 17, wherein lens is a focusing optic.

19. The instrument of claim 17, wherein the lens is located in front of, and proximal to, all of the reaction regions.

20. The instrument of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of lenses corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of reaction regions, the plurality of lenses being disposed between the field lens and the plurality of reaction regions, wherein emission light from at least two of the reaction regions simultaneously passes through the field lens and onto the detector.

21. The instrument of claim 17, further comprising emission beams from at least two of the reaction regions that is produced by the excitation beam, wherein the at least two emission beams simultaneously pass through the field lens and onto the detector.

22. The instrument of claim 17, wherein the focusing optic is a field lens that provides a telecentric optical system.

23. The instrument of claim 17, wherein the components for DNA replication comprise DNA primer strands.

24. The instrument of claim 23, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise a fluorescent dye.

25. The instrument of claim 23, wherein the reaction ingredients further comprise fluorescent dye labeled probes.

26. The instrument of claim 23, further comprising reaction ingredients disposed in each of the plurality of reaction regions, the reaction ingredients comprising components for DNA replication.