Amplification system with spatial separation

• US 9,365,895 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bernet, Roland, Gisler, Andreas, Kaeppeli, Marcel, Ochsenbein, Raymond, Schlaubitz, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/962,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20130323826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6.1, 435/6.11, 435/6.12, 435/91.1, 435/91.2, 435/283.1, 435/287.1, 435/287.2, 436/94, 436/501, 536/23.1, 536/24.3, 536/24.33, 536/25.3, 422/50, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/04 Closures and closing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0275 Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips
• 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 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6848 characterised by the means for preventing contamination or increasing the specificity or sensitivity of an amplification reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

An automated nucleic acid analysis method and analytical system are described comprising separate modules, wherein the air flow of any one of said modules is controlled and wherein at least the air flow between the module for isolation and purification of the analyte and the module for analysis of the analyte are separated.

Claims

1. An automated analytical apparatus for processing an analyte, comprising:

a sample module comprising a sample dispensing station configured to dispense liquid samples comprising an analyte from a sample vessel to a processing vessel containing magnetic particles with pipette tips held in a rack;

a processing module comprising a separation device for isolating and purifying said analyte, the separation device comprising at least one movable magnet arranged to interact with said processing vessel, wherein said processing module has a first air flow and comprises an air pressure;

an analytical module for analyzing said analyte contained in a reaction vessel, wherein said analytical module has a second air flow;

a transfer system for transferring said analyte from the processing vessel to the reaction vessel and transferring the reaction vessel from the processing module to the analytical module;

wherein, the first air flow and the second air flow are separated from each other, and wherein said sample module has an air flow which is separate from said first air flow of said processing module and said second air flow of said analytical module, and wherein said sample module comprises an air pressure that is the same as the air pressure of said processing module.

2. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said analytical module comprises a second air pressure that is lower than said air pressure of said sample module and said air pressure of said processing module.

3. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 1, wherein an air-lock is located between said processing module and said analytical module.

4. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 3, wherein said transfer system comprises a first handler for transferring said reaction vessel from said processing module to said air-lock, and a second handler for transferring said reaction vessel from said air-lock to said analytical module.

5. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises separation walls located among said sample module, said processing module and said analytical module.

6. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sample module comprises a filter for filtration of air flowing in said sample module.

7. The automated analytical apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising gaskets in an upper housing of said processing module.