Apparatus and methods for integrated sample preparation, reaction and detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101421-A1
Application number	US-201514974382-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Feb 23, 2010
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus includes a housing, a reaction vial and a transfer mechanism. The housing defines a first flow path and a second flow path. The housing has transfer port defining an opening in fluid communication with the second flow path and a volume outside of the housing. The transfer port includes a flow control member to limit flow through the opening. The reaction vial is coupled to the housing and defines a reaction volume, which is in fluid communication with the transfer port via the second flow path. The transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a sample from an isolation chamber of an isolation module to the reaction chamber via at least the first flow path when the transfer mechanism is actuated. The transfer mechanism configured to produce a vacuum in the reaction vial to produce a flow of a sample from the isolation chamber to the reaction volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . An apparatus, comprising:
a housing defining a flow path; a reaction vial coupled to the housing, the reaction vial defining a reaction volume, the reaction volume in fluid communication with the flow path; a transfer mechanism configured to transfer a sample from the reaction chamber into the flow path when the transfer mechanism is actuated; and a plurality of movable members movably coupled to the housing, the plurality of movable members configured to separate the flow path into a plurality of PCR volumes, each PCR volume from the plurality of PCR volumes being fluidically isolated from an adjacent PCR volume from the plurality of PCR volumes.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each movable member from the plurality of movable members is configured to move between a first position and a second position, the plurality of movable members configured to separate the flow path into a plurality of PCR volumes when the plurality of movable members is in the second position.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the flow path is a first flow path; the transfer mechanism is a first transfer mechanism; and the housing defines a second flow path, the housing configured to be coupled to an isolation module such that the sample can be conveyed from an isolation chamber of the isolation module to the reaction volume via the second flow path when a second transfer mechanism is actuated.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a first movable member from the plurality of movable members is configured to move between a first position and a second position independently from the movement of a second movable member from the plurality of movable members.

19 . A method, comprising:
conveying sample from a reaction volume into a flow path defined by a housing, the sample including a plurality of target nucleic acid molecules; moving a plurality of movable members to divide the flow path into a plurality of PCR volumes such that each PCR volume from the plurality of PCR volumes includes no more than one target nucleic acid molecule from the plurality of target nucleic acid molecules; and activating a heating element to thermally cycle the contents each PCR volume from the plurality of PCR volumes.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the moving includes moving a first movable member from the plurality of movable members at a different time than moving a second movable member from the plurality of movable members.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
heating the sample within the reaction volume before the conveying.

22 . The method of claim 19 wherein each PCR volume is approximately 20 microliters.

23 . The method of claim 19 wherein each PCR volume is between approximately 500 nL and approximately 10 microliters.

24 . The method of claim 19 wherein each PCR volume is between approximately 500 nL and approximately 5 microliters.

25 . The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each PCR volume is approximately 20 microliters.

26 . The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each PCR volume is between approximately 500 nL and approximately 10 microliters.

27 . The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each PCR volume is between approximately 500 nL and approximately 5 microliters.

28 . The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the reaction vial comprises a lyophilized substance comprising PCR reagents.

Assignees

• Luminex Corp

Inventors

• Ching Jesus
• Lee Phillip You Fai
• Richardson Bruce

Classifications

• B01L3/502 Primary

  with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures · CPC title

• B01L2200/028

  Modular arrangements · CPC title

• B01L7/525 Primary

  with physical movement of samples between temperature zones · CPC title

• B01F35/7174

  using pistons, plungers or syringes · CPC title

• B01F35/715

  Feeding the components in several steps, e.g. successive steps · CPC title