COMBINED THERMAL DEVICES FOR THERMAL CYCLING

• US 20110081136A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon USA, Inc. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: DALE, Gregory A., Hasson, Kenton C., Zeng, Shulin
• Granted Patent: US 8,507,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/407
• 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 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/18 Means for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1811 using electromagnetic induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1877 using chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• 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 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/686 Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2561/113 Real time assay
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/71 thermally excited
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/08 : using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 : Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30072 : Microarray; Biochip, DNA array; Well plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 : Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 : Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/117497 : with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods including a combination of thermal generating device technologies to achieve more efficiency and accuracy in PCR temperature cycling of nucleic samples undergoing amplification.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A nucleic acid sample heating system, comprising:

a nucleic acid sample container operable to receive a nucleic acid sample;

a first heating device; and

a second heating device, wherein

the first heating device is configured to heat the nucleic acid sample to at least about a first temperature,

the second heating device is configured to heat the nucleic acid sample to a second and third temperature,

the first temperature is associated with a denaturing phase of a PCR process,

the first heating device is a non-contact heating device, and

the second heating device is a contact heating device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first heating device has a first temperature resolution;

the second heating device has a second temperature resolution, and the second temperature resolution is finer than the first temperature resolution.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first heating device comprises a source configured to produce infra-red radiation and the second heating device is a Peltier heating element.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the container comprises a microfluidic device having a microfluidic channel configured to receive the nucleic acid sample.

19-27. -27. (canceled)