Nucleic acid analysis apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018071728-A1
Application number	US-201715700791-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nucleic acid analysis apparatus with isothermal based amplification includes a chamber, a fluid delivery unit, a thermal unit, a rotational driven unit and at least one optical unit. The chamber includes a cartridge mounted therein. The fluid delivery unit is connected with the chamber and adapted to transport reagents within the cartridge for sample purification and/or nucleic acid extraction. The thermal unit is disposed in the chamber and adapted to provide a predefined temperature for nucleic acid amplification. The rotational driven unit is connected with the chamber and capable of rotating the cartridge with a predefined program. The at least one optical unit is disposed on the chamber and includes plural optical components for detection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nucleic acid analysis apparatus with isothermal based amplification, comprising:
a chamber comprising a cartridge mounted therein; a fluid delivery unit connected with the chamber and adapted to transport reagents within the cartridge for sample purification and/or nucleic acid extraction; a thermal unit disposed in the chamber and adapted to provide a predefined temperature for nucleic acid amplification; a rotational driven unit connected with the chamber and capable of rotating the cartridge with a predefined program; and at least one optical unit disposed on the chamber and comprising plural optical components for detection.

2 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is able to be opened and comprises a top chamber and a bottom chamber.

3 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the cartridge is mounted in a cavity of the bottom chamber.

4 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one fixing component, wherein during sample purification and/or nucleic acid extraction, the cartridge is locked on the chamber by the at least one fixing component to contact the fluid delivery unit tightly.

5 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the fixing component comprises a clip, and the cartridge comprises a lock slot capable of being engaged with the clip.

6 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the chamber further comprises a release actuator to unlock the cartridge.

7 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises a detection chip and a reagent storing body, and the detection chip is disposed on the top of the reagent storing body.

8 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the detection chip is a planar fluidic chip and comprises plural detection wells and at least one microchannel connected with the detection wells.

9 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the detection wells has at least one planar surface.

10 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the shape of the detection chip is substantially a regular polygon.

11 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the chamber further comprises at least one positioning component, and the detection chip comprises at least one alignment slot capable of being aligned with the at least one positioning component on the chamber.

12 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the reagent storing body comprises plural reagent cells used to store reagents for sample purification and nucleic acid extraction.

13 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the detection chip further comprises at least one opening at a top surface of the detection chip for adding sample to the cartridge.

14 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal unit comprises a heater, a heat spreader, and plural fan blades.

15 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the fan blades are mounted on and driven by the rotational driven unit, and a rotation of the fan blades generates air flow towards the heat spreader to accelerate the thermal mixing within the chamber.

16 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational driven unit comprises a step motor to rotate the cartridge at a predefined angle.

17 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational driven unit comprises a cartridge clamp used to clamp and rotate the cartridge during nucleic acid amplification and/or detection.

18 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the cartridge clamp comprises a magnetic component, and the cartridge comprises an embedded magnetic material, so that a magnetic force between the magnetic component and the magnetic material attracts the cartridge to move toward the cartridge clamp.

19 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical unit comprises a light source and an optical detector.

20 . The nucleic acid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid analysis apparatus comprises multiple optical units, and each optical unit offers a unique color of illumination to detect multiple targets.

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Intl Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Liang Qian
• Ma Bo
• An Shuwen
• Zhang Weishi

Classifications

• B01L2300/0803

  Disc shape · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• B01L3/527

  for a plurality of reagents · CPC title

• B01L7/52

  with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples · CPC title

• B01L2300/0627

  Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated · CPC title