Nucleic acid sequencing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435371-B2
Application number	US-202519030771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2025
Priority date	Jan 26, 2007
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A system for sequencing nucleic acid comprising a plurality of stations and a system control. The system control configured to direct the first substrate to progress and retrogress between the first processing station and the imaging station, direct the second substrate to progress and retrogress between the second processing station and the imaging station, and direct a chemistry cycle of a first sequencing procedure to occur within one of the first processing station or the second processing station while an imaging cycle of a second sequencing procedure occurs within the imaging station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for sequencing nucleic acids, comprising:
a plurality of flow cells for performing sequencing procedures;
a plurality of fluidics stations for performing chemistry cycles of the sequencing procedures, the plurality of fluidics stations comprising:
(i) a first fluidics station configured to receive a first flow cell of the plurality of flow cells, and
(ii) a second fluidics station configured to receive a second flow cell of the plurality of flow cells,
wherein the first fluidics station comprises a pin and a corresponding receptacle, the pin insertable into the receptacle to trigger a response at the first fluidics station, and
wherein the first and second fluidics stations are configured to fluidically communicate with reagent reservoirs and deliver reagents to nucleic acid sites on the first and second flow cells, respectively;

an imaging station for performing imaging cycles of the sequencing procedures, the imaging station comprising a light source and a camera, wherein the imaging station is configured to detect signals indicative of nucleotides present at the nucleic acid sites; and
a system control configured to:
direct repeated relative movement between the first flow cell and the imaging station such that the imaging cycles of a first sequencing procedure can be performed on the first flow cell while the chemistry cycles of a second sequencing procedure are performed on the second flow cell,
direct repeated relative movement between the second flow cell and the imaging station such that the imaging cycles of the second sequencing procedure can be performed on the second flow cell while the chemistry cycles of the first sequencing procedure are performed on the first flow cell,
direct one or more of the chemistry cycles in one of the first sequencing procedure or the second sequencing procedure to occur within a corresponding one of the first fluidics station or the second fluidics station while one or more imaging cycles in the other one of the first sequencing procedure or the second sequencing procedure occurs within the imaging station, and
monitor system quality.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the chemistry cycles comprises adding a single nucleotide to the nucleic acid sites and de-blocking the added single nucleotide.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the reagent reservoirs, wherein the reagent reservoirs contain reagents comprising a polymerase and one or more types of nucleotides.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to optically image fluorescence of fluorescent tags at the nucleic acid sites.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the light source comprises a laser to direct a beam of light at the nucleic acid sites having fluorescent tags.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system control is further configured to:
monitor a system parameter, and
end at least one of the sequencing procedures.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system control is further configured to generate recommendations regarding the sequencing procedures.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system quality comprises a status of the sequencing procedures.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the camera is configured to generate image data, and
the system control is configured to derive sequencing data from the image data.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system quality comprises a quality of the sequencing data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the quality of the sequencing data is determined based on one or more known sequences of nucleotides.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system quality comprises a sample quality.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the sample quality is determined based on a density of nucleic acid sites.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system control is further configured to re-focus the first flow cell and the second flow cell within the imaging station.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an access panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position for inserting the first flow cell and the second flow cell into the system; and
a lock configured to prevent removal of the first flow cell and the second flow cell until at least one of the first flow cell or the second flow cell is ready to be released by the system.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system control is configured to detect a position of the access panel.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system control is configured to detect the position of the access panel being in an open position.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system control is configured to detect the position of the access panel being in a closed position.

19. A system for sequencing nucleic acids, comprising:
an access panel that is movable between an open position and a closed position for inserting a plurality of flow cells into the system;
a plurality of fluidics stations comprising:
(i) a first fluidics station configured to receive a first flow cell of the plurality of flow cells, and
(ii) a second fluidics station configured to receive a second flow cell of the plurality of flow cells,
wherein the first fluidics station comprises a projection for detecting a presence of the first flow cell at the first fluidics station and comprises a display to provide feedback indicating a status at the first fluidics station, and
wherein the first and second fluidics stations are configured to fluidically communicate with reagent reservoirs and deliver reagents to nucleic acid sites on the first and second flow cells, respectively;

an imaging station comprising a light source and a camera, wherein the imaging station is configured to detect signals indicative of nucleotides present at the nucleic acid sites; and
a system control configured to:
direct repeated relative movement between the first flow cell and the imaging station such that imaging cycles of a first sequencing procedure can be performed on the first flow cell while chemistry cycles of a second sequencing procedure are performed on the second flow cell,
direct repeated relative movement between the second flow cell and the imaging station such that imaging cycles of the second sequencing procedure can be performed on the second flow cell while chemistry cycles of the first sequencing procedure are performed on the first flow cell,
direct one or more of the chemistry cycles in one of the first sequencing procedure or the second sequencing procedure to occur within a corresponding one of the first fluidics station or the second fluidics station while one or more imaging cycles in the other one of the first sequencing procedure or the second sequencing procedure occurs within the imaging station, and
monitor system quality.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the projection interacts with a surface at the first fluidics station when detecting the presence of the first flow cell at the first fluidics station.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein first flow cell comprises the surface.

22. The system of claim 19 , further comprising a lock configured to prevent removal of the plurality of flow cells from the system until a condition is met.

23. A system for sequencing nucleic acids, comprising:
an access panel and a lock, the access panel movable between an open position and a closed position for inserting a plurality of flow cells into the system, and the lock

Assignees

• Illumina Inc

Inventors

• Kain Robert C
• Heiner David L
• Zhao Chanfeng
• Gunderson Kevin

Classifications

• C12Q1/6869 Primary

  Methods for sequencing · CPC title

• C12Q1/686

  Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] · CPC title

• C12Q1/6874 Primary

  involving nucleic acid arrays, e.g. sequencing by hybridisation · CPC title