Nucleic acid amplification device, nucleic acid amplification apparatus, and nucleic acid amplification method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016199840-A1
Application number	US-201414909840-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nucleic acid amplification device includes: an introduction unit into which a reaction solution including a target nucleic acid is introduced; a nucleic acid amplification reaction section in which at least two temperature zones of different temperature are present, for amplifying the target nucleic acid included in the reaction solution introduced into the introduction unit; and a channel arranged to pass back and forth or in cyclic fashion through the at least two temperature zones, and having a capillary force transport mechanism for feeding the reaction solution by capillary force.

First claim

1 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A nucleic acid amplification device comprising:
an introduction unit into which a reaction solution including a target nucleic acid is introduced; a nucleic acid amplification reaction section in which at least two temperature zones of different temperature are present, for amplifying the target nucleic acid included in the reaction solution introduced into the introduction unit; a channel arranged to pass back and forth or in cyclic fashion through the at least two temperature zones, and having a capillary force transport mechanism for feeding the reaction solution by capillary force; a fed solution retention section for retaining the reaction solution; and a discharge unit configured to discharge the reaction solution including the target nucleic acid after amplification, wherein the channel includes a first channel disposed in the nucleic acid amplification reaction section and a second channel disposed in the fed solution retention section, a first end of the second channel is connected to the first channel, a second end of the second channel is connected to the discharge unit, and the second channel retains the reaction solution fed from the first channel.

23 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 , wherein
the channel is connected to an external space only in the introduction unit and the discharge unit.

24 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 , wherein
the channel has, as the capillary force transport mechanism, a wall surface that is a hydrophilic surface and has an acute contact angle.

25 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 24 , wherein
wall surfaces around an entire perimeter of the channel in a cross section taken perpendicular to a feeding direction of the reaction solution are hydrophilic surfaces.

26 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 24 , wherein
the hydrophilic surface of the channel is a surface of a hydrophilic film formed in the channel.

27 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 26 , wherein
the hydrophilic film is formed of a material including a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group.

28 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 27 , wherein
the hydrophilic film is formed by a surfactant.

29 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 28 , wherein
the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant.

30 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 , wherein
a volumetric capacity of the second channel is 10% or more of a total volumetric capacity of the channel.

31 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 , wherein
the introduction unit comprises a plurality of introduction units, the nucleic acid amplification device further comprises a mixing unit disposed between the nucleic acid amplification reaction section and the plurality of introduction units, the plurality of introduction units are connected as one in the mixing unit via introduction channels corresponding to the plurality of introduction units, and a plurality of solutions introduced via the plurality of introduction units mix together in the mixing unit to produce the reaction solution.

32 . The nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 , wherein
the channel includes, at least in the nucleic acid amplification reaction section, a region having a cross-sectional area that decreases in the feeding direction.

33 . A nucleic acid amplification apparatus comprising:
the nucleic acid amplification device according to claim 22 ; and a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature of the nucleic acid amplification reaction section.

34 . The nucleic acid amplification apparatus according to claim 33 , further comprising
a detection unit configured to detect nucleic acid amplification of the target nucleic acid.

35 . The nucleic acid amplification apparatus according to claim 34 , wherein
the detection unit includes: a light output unit configured to output light for irradiating the nucleic acid amplification device; and a light receptor unit configured to receive reflected light of the light irradiating the nucleic acid amplification device.

36 . The nucleic acid amplification apparatus according to claim 35 , wherein
the detection unit further includes an optical scanning unit configured to scan the light over the channel of the nucleic acid amplification device.

37 . A nucleic acid amplification method for amplifying a target nucleic acid using a nucleic acid amplification device, the nucleic acid amplification method comprising:
introducing the target nucleic acid and a reagent for amplifying the target nucleic acid into the nucleic acid amplification device; and as a reaction solution including the target nucleic acid and the reagent is fed by capillary force, amplifying the target nucleic acid included in the reaction solution, wherein the nucleic acid amplification device includes a discharge unit that discharges the reaction solution including the target nucleic acid after amplification, and when a fluid front of the reaction solution fed by capillary force reaches the discharge unit, introduction of a solution including the target nucleic acid into the introduction unit is interrupted.

38 . The nucleic acid amplification method according to claim 37 , wherein
in the introducing, a premixed solution of (i) a solution including the target nucleic acid and (ii) the reagent is introduced into the nucleic acid amplification device as the reaction solution.

39 . The nucleic acid amplification method according to claim 37 , wherein
in the introducing, a first solution including the target nucleic acid and a second solution including the reagent are separately introduced into the nucleic acid amplification device, and in the amplifying, as a solution of the first solution and the second solution mixed together in the nucleic acid amplification device is fed by capillary force as the reaction solution, the target nucleic acid included in the reaction solution is amplified.

40 . The nucleic acid amplification method according to claim 22 , wherein
in the amplifying, the target nucleic acid included in the reaction solution is amplified by subjecting the reaction solution to cyclic temperature changes.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Tachibana Hiroaki
• Shibuya Shogo
• Iwamoto Narimasa
• Tamiya Eiichi
• Saito Masato
• Tsuji Koji

Classifications

• C12Q1/686

  Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] · CPC title

• B01L2400/0406

  capillary forces · CPC title

• B01L2200/06

  Fluid handling related problems · CPC title

• C12Q1/6806

  Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay (C12Q1/6804 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01L2300/165

  Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces · CPC title