Automatic real-time PCR system for the various analysis of biological sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850530-B2
Application number	US-201113881900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2011
Priority date	Oct 27, 2010
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic real-time quantitative amplification system which can perform analysis of various biological samples, and more particularly to an automatic real-time quantitative amplification system in which a plurality of decks for respectively accommodating biological samples are put in a deck storing/transferring device, whereby it is possible to automatically analyze an amount or existence of a target substance containing a target nucleic acid in the biologic sample, such as a particular gene, a particular, a particular pathogenic bacterium and a particular protein, by amplifying the target nucleic acid purified by some processes of purification, purification after culture, or purification after reaction of the target substance contained in the biological sample and then checking an amount of the amplified target nucleic acid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic real-time quantitative amplification system which can perform analysis of various biological samples, comprising:
a deck loading a multi-well plate for treating the biological sample, which purifies a target nucleic acid in a target substance contained in the biological sample, cultures the target substance contained in the biological sample and then purifies the target nucleic acid, or purifies a binding target nucleic acid bound with a target antigen contained in the biological sample by an antigen-antibody reaction, and a multi-well plate for PCR, in which a reaction mixture for real-time quantitative PCR is injected;
an automatic purification and reaction preparing device which automatically purifies the target nucleic acid or the cultured target nucleic acid from the biological sample and dispenses the purified target nucleic acid or the cultured and purified target nucleic acid to the multi-well plate for PCR, and then mixes the dispensed target nucleic acid with a reagent for real-time quantitative PCR, or which automatically purifies the binding target nucleic acid bound with the target antigen contained in the biological sample by the antigen-antibody reaction, and dispenses the purified binding target nucleic acid to the multi-well plate for PCR, and then mixes the dispensed binding target nucleic acid with the reagent for real-time quantitative PCR;
an automatic deck storing and moving device including:
a storing case which has a door for taking in or out the deck and of which an internal portion can be maintained at predetermined temperature,
a stacking rack lifting unit which moves a stacking unit in an up and down direction,
a plurality of racks arranged in the up and down direction in the stacking unit so that the plurality of racks move in the up and down direction when the sacking unit moves in the up and down direction, each of the plurality of racks configured to receive the deck, and
a deck transferring unit movable in a left and right direction of the deck and transferring the deck loaded in the stacking rack to the automatic purification and reaction preparing device,

a sealing device which seals an upper surface of the multi-well plate for PCR, in which the purified target nucleic acid, the cultured and purified target nucleic acid or the purified binding target nucleic acid is dispensed;
a centrifugal separator which applies centripetal force to the multi-well plate for PCR so that a substance remained on a side wall of each well formed in the multi-well plate for PCR is separated and then moved to a bottom surface of the each well;
a real-time quantitative amplification device which amplifies the target substance in the multi-well plate for PCR; and
a moving device for multi-well plate for PCR, which moves the multi-well plate for PCR, in which the purified target nucleic acid, the cultured and purified target nucleic acid or the purified binding target nucleic acid is dispensed, to the sealing device, and moves the multi-well plate for PCR sealed by the sealing device to the centrifugal separator, and also moves the multi-well plate for PCR, to which the centripetal force is applied by the centrifugal separator, to the real-time quantitative amplification device,
wherein the automatic purification and reaction preparing device comprises:
a syringe block formed with a plurality of first mounting portions to which a plurality of pipettes P for sucking and discharging a fluid substance is removably mounted; and
a syringe block moving unit which moves the syringe block so that the plurality of pipettes P mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions is located just above each of the multi-well plate for treating the biological sample and the multi-well plate for PCR.

2. The automatic real-time quantitative amplification system according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic purification and reaction preparing device further comprises:
a solution drip tray which is rotatably disposed under the plurality of pipettes P mounted in the plurality of first mounting portion and above each of the multi-well plate for biological sample and the multi-well plate for PCR and movable by a solution drip tray moving unit installed to the syringe block moving unit;
a magnetic field applying unit which moves a magnet to a lower side of a first certain multi-well plate out of the multi-well plates for treating the biological sample so as to apply magnetic field to the first certain multi-well plate;
a heating unit which moves a heating block to a lower side of a second certain multi-well plate out of the multi-well plates for treating the biological sample so as to heat the second certain multi-well plate;
a puncher in which a plurality of awl-shaped puncher pins are protrusively formed so as to pierce holes in a sealing film for sealing an upper surface of the multi-well plate for treating the biological sample, and which is disposed at a lower side of the syringe block so as to be removably mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions at different time point as compared with the time point, when the plurality of pipettes P is mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions; and
a waste liquor discharging part which is disposed at a lower side of the syringe block so as to discharge waste liquor abandoned from the plurality of pipettes P mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions.

3. The automatic real-time quantitative amplification system according to claim 2 , wherein the solution drip tray moving unit comprises:
a solution drip tray supporting plate which is installed to the syringe block moving unit; and
a solution drip tray moving motor which is installed at the solution drip tray supporting plate and which is connected to the solution drip tray so as to horizontally rotate the solution drip tray.

4. The automatic real-time quantitative amplification system according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic purification and reaction preparing device further comprises:
a magnetic field applying unit which moves a magnet to a lower side of a first certain multi-well plate out of the multi-well plates for treating the biological sample so as to apply magnetic field to the first certain multi-well plate;
a heating unit which moves a heating block to a lower side of a second certain multi-well plate out of the multi-well plates for treating the biological sample so as to heat the second certain multi-well plate;
a puncher in which a plurality of awl-shaped puncher pins are protrusively formed so as to pierce holes in a sealing film for sealing an upper surface of the multi-well plate for treating the biological sample, and which is disposed at a lower side of the syringe block so as to be removably mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions at different time point as compared with the time point, when the plurality of pipettes P is mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions;
an evaporation block for multi-well plate, which is connected with a compressed air supplying tube, and which is formed with a plurality of second mounting portions for shooting compressed air supplied through the compressed air supplying tube and removably mounting the plurality of pipettes P, and which is disposed at a lower side of the syringe block so as to be removably mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions at different time point as compared with the time points, when the plurality of pipettes P and the puncher are respectively mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions; and
a waste liquor discharging part which is disposed at a lower side of the syringe block so as to discharge waste liquor abandoned from the plurality of pipettes P mounted in the plurality of first mounting portions.

5. The automatic real-time quant

Assignees

• Park Han Oh
• Kim Kwon Sic
• Lee Yang Won
• Lee Jin Il
• Jeong Byung Rae
• Kim Jong Hoon
• Bioneer Corp

Inventors

• Park Han Oh
• Kim Kwon Sic
• Lee Yang Won
• Lee Jin Il
• Jeong Byung Rae
• Kim Jong Hoon

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

• B01L7/52

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

• C12Q1/686 Primary

  Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] · CPC title

• C12Q1/02

  involving viable microorganisms · CPC title

• G01N35/026 Primary

  having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes · CPC title