Automated system for isolating, amplifying and detecting a target nucleic acid sequence

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696328-B2
Application number	US-201213551830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2012
Priority date	May 17, 2002
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for preparing and testing of targeted nucleic acids is presented. The system integrates a pipetter, extractor, assay reader, and other components, including a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA). This synergistic integration of previously separate diagnostic tools creates a system and method whereby a minimum of human intervention is required. The resulting system provides a substantially more accurate and precise method of isolating, amplifying and detecting targeted nucleic acids for diagnosing diseases.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing a component of interest contained in a sample, comprising:
receiving at least one tube containing a sample in a sample rack;
automatically transferring the sample from the tube to an extraction device comprising a tube using a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA);
operating the extraction device to extract said component of interest from the sample while the sample is disposed in the extraction device tube;
automatically transferring the extracted component of interest from the extraction tube in the extraction device to a primer well and from a primer well to an amplification/reader well disposed in an amplification plate, wherein the automatically transferring includes operating the SCARA to perform said transferring;
automatically picking up a plate seal gripper tool and sealing the amplification plate using the SCARA;
moving the amplification plate to a detector wherein the amplification plate is moved using the SCARA; and
operating a detector to detect for the presence of said component of interest extracted by said extraction device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the component of interest includes a nucleic acid;
the extraction device operating step extracts the nucleic acid from the sample; and
the detection device operating step detects the presence of the extracted nucleic acid.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the extracted component of interest includes a nucleic acid; and
the detection device operating step includes amplifying the nucleic acid.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the amplifying includes heating the nucleic acid.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the extraction device operating step performs non-specific capture of the component of interest to extract the component of interest from the sample.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the component of interest is a nucleic acid.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the component of interest is a protein.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the extraction device and detection device are integrated as a single unit.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving at least one container containing the sample in a sample rack.

10. A method for automatically extracting nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:
operating a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA);
extracting the nucleic acid from the sample with an extractor comprising a tube configured to receive the sample from a sample tube, wherein operating said SCARA comprises moving the sample from the sample tube to the extractor tube using a first pipette tip retrieved by the SCARA;
transferring the extracted nucleic acid from the extractor tube to a well in an amplification plate using the SCARA, wherein a second pipette tip retrieved by the SCARA is used for the transfer;
sealing the amplification plate using the SCARA wherein the SCARA picks up a plate seal and places the plate seal on the amplification plate;
and
transferring the amplification plate into a detector device using the SCARA.

11. A method for automatically extracting a target nucleic acid from a sample, comprising:
operating an extractor comprising a tube to perform non-specific capture on the target nucleic acid to extract the nucleic acid from the sample without separating the target nucleic acid from non-target nucleic acid that may exist in the sample;
operating an amplifier to amplify the extracted nucleic acid; and
automatically transferring the extracted nucleic acid from the extractor tube to sample wells in an amplifier plate;
automatically sealing the amplifier plate;
automatically transferring the amplifier plate to a detector, where the automatically transferring steps and the automatically sealing step all use a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA) to perform the steps.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
automatically transferring the sample from a container to said extractor tube.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:
automatically transferring fluid to the extractor to assist the extractor in extracting the target nucleic acid.

14. An automated process for isolating and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence that may be present in a sample, said process comprising:
automatically separating the target sequence from the fluid sample at a separation station by performing non-specific binding on the target sequence without the need to physically separate the target sequence from any non-target sequence that may exist in the sample prior to separating;
automatically transporting the separated target sequence from the separation station to an amplifying incubation station using a selectively compliant articulated robot arm (SCARA);
automatically picking up a plate seal gripper tool and sealing the amplification plate using the SCARA; and
automatically transporting an amplification plate having wells containing the separated target sequence from the amplifying incubation station to a detection station using the SCARA.

Assignees

• Hansen Timothy R
• Collis Matthew P
• Thomas Bradley S
• Fort Thomas L
• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Hansen Timothy R
• Collis Matthew P
• Thomas Bradley S
• Fort Thomas L

Classifications

• G01N35/0098

  involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation (magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C) · CPC title

• G01N35/1074

  arranged in a two-dimensional array · CPC title

• G01N2035/00366

  Several different temperatures used · CPC title

• G01N2035/0405

  manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers · CPC title

• G01N2035/1025

  Fluid level sensing · CPC title