Nucleic acid amplification/detection device and nucleic acid inspection device using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016144366-A1
Application number	US-201414898286-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

When taking in outside air with a fan to control the temperature inside a covered portion where a specimen is installed, the internal temperature may change depending on an environment temperature to cause a difference in temperature control. The wind generated by the fan may blow against a reaction container depending on its loading position and it may influence the temperature control over individual specimens and lead to problems with temperature accuracy, temperature rise speed, and temperature drop speed A reaction container avoiding these problems has a covered portion which performs temperature control on the reaction container and in which a cover and a fin cover have a heat insulating structure. A heat source is provided for controlling an internal temperature of an internal covered space. The internal temperature is kept constant and the influence of the environment temperature over the temperature control of the reaction container is minimized.

First claim

1 . A nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus which amplifies a nucleic acid of a reaction solution being a mixture of a specimen and a reagent, the nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus comprising:
a holder provided with a plurality of temperature control blocks each holding at least one reaction container containing a reaction solution; first temperature adjustment devices provided respectively to the plurality of temperature control blocks to adjust the temperatures of the reaction solutions; a cover with a heat insulating structure, which covers the plurality of temperature control blocks and the temperature adjustment devices provided respectively to the plurality of temperature control blocks; a second temperature adjustment device provided to the cover to adjust an ambient temperature inside the cover; a mechanism provided inside the cover to increase heat dissipation efficiency; and a mounting member provided inside the cover between the mechanism which increases heat dissipation efficiency and the reaction container.

2 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting member is a fin cover which prevents the influence of an environment temperature on the reaction container containing a reaction solution being a mixture of a specimen and a reagent.

3 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction containers containing a reaction solution being a mixture of a specimen and a reagent are sequentially loaded in the holder.

4 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction container after a lapse of a predetermined time is transferred out of the holder at any time.

5 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least any of the temperature control blocks is controllable at a constant temperature during nucleic acid amplification.

6 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least any of the temperature control blocks performs thermal cycling corresponding to PCR amplification.

7 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein different nucleic acid amplification methods among the temperature control blocks are performed.

8 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction containers are placed apart from each other.

9 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein heat insulation is performed between the reaction containers.

10 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature adjustment device is a Peltier device.

11 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second temperature adjustment device which adjusts the ambient temperature inside the cover is a heater.

12 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each temperature control block is removable from the holder.

13 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holder has the temperature control blocks having different materials and temperature adjustment devices.

14 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cover is provided with a loading portion through which the reaction container is loaded.

15 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the holder has a disc shape rotatably provided in a circumferential direction with a central shaft facing upward, and the first temperature control blocks are arranged in an outer side of and along an outer periphery of the holder.

16 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the holder has a ring shape rotatably provided in a circumferential direction with a central shaft facing upward, and the first temperature control blocks are arranged in an inner or outer side of and along an inner or outer periphery of the holder.

17 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a loading position of the reaction container is determined, and the holder is rotated up to the predetermined loading position upon the loading of the reaction container.

18 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction container is loadable in an arbitrary reaction container installation position of the holder at rest.

19 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising at least one fluorescence detector which detects fluorescence caused by excitation light applied from a light source to the reaction solution in the reaction container.

20 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus 1 according to claim 19 , wherein a plurality of the fluorescence detectors is provided, and detects fluorescence independently of each other.

21 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder temperature control unit which controls a temperature of a portion of the holder excluding the temperature control blocks.

22 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the holder temperature control unit is a Peltier device.

23 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 22 , comprising a mechanism which increases heat dissipation efficiency of the holder temperature control unit.

24 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the mechanism which increases the heat dissipation efficiency of the holder temperature control unit includes a fan and a fin.

25 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the fin cover is attached to a holder base.

26 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the fin cover is provided such that an upper end thereof is inclined toward a direction away from the fan.

27 . The nucleic acid amplification/detection apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a secondary temperature control mechanism which stably controls the temperatures of the plurality of temperature control blocks; and a fan which exhausts heat of the secondary temperature control mechanism.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyama Kimikazu
• Sano Minoru
• Shoji Yasunori
• Shoji Yoshiyuki
• Kikuchi Yuki
• NAMMOKU Manami
• Inaba Ryoji

Classifications

• B01L2300/1844

  using fans · CPC title

• B01L2300/0803

  Disc shape · CPC title

• B01L2300/1822

  using Peltier elements · CPC title

• B01L2300/046

  Function or devices integrated in the closure · CPC title

• B01L2300/1883

  using thermal insulation · CPC title