U.S. patent application number 12/617568 was filed with the patent office on 2010-05-20 for apparatus and method for segmented thermal cycler.
This patent application is currently assigned to LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Wei Hsien Choo, Hwee Tian Ng, Huei Yeo.
Application Number | 20100124766 12/617568 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42134375 |
Filed Date | 2010-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100124766 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ng; Hwee Tian ; et
al. |
May 20, 2010 |
Apparatus and Method for Segmented Thermal Cycler
Abstract
The present invention relates to a thermal cycler for the
carrying out of chemical or biological reactions, such as PCR or
other nucleic acid amplification reactions, that is segmented with
a plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements. The reaction
vessel receiving elements are thermally isolated from each other
and provide an airtight seal to prevent liquids or moisture from
penetrating below the reaction vessel receiving elements. The
reaction vessel receiving elements have several recesses arranged
in a pattern to receive the reaction vessels of a single standard
microtiter plate and the segmented thermal cycler has a system for
independently heating and cooling each of the reaction vessel
receiving elements.
Inventors: |
Ng; Hwee Tian; (Singapore,
SG) ; Yeo; Huei; (Singapore, SG) ; Choo; Wei
Hsien; (Singapore, SG) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION;C/O INTELLEVATE
P.O. BOX 52050
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES
CORPORATION
Carlsbad
CA
|
Family ID: |
42134375 |
Appl. No.: |
12/617568 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61114902 |
Nov 14, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
435/91.2 ;
422/400; 435/287.2; 435/303.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01L 2300/0829 20130101;
B01L 2300/1833 20130101; B01L 2300/041 20130101; B01L 2300/0663
20130101; B01L 9/523 20130101; B01L 2300/0654 20130101; B01L
2200/0689 20130101; B01L 7/52 20130101; B01L 2300/1894 20130101;
C12Q 1/686 20130101; B01L 2300/1822 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/91.2 ;
422/104; 435/287.2; 435/303.1 |
International
Class: |
C12P 19/34 20060101
C12P019/34; B01L 9/00 20060101 B01L009/00; B01L 7/00 20060101
B01L007/00; C12M 1/34 20060101 C12M001/34 |
Claims
1. A thermal cycler for processing biological or chemical samples
comprising: a plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements
configured to receive one standard microtiter plate; a plurality of
thermoelectric cooling devices (TEC) disposed to correspond to each
of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements, wherein the
TEC provides heating and cooling; a drip pan positioned above the
TECs and framing the plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements; a single gasket to seal the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements, wherein the gasket has a convex construction;
and a clamp to provide lateral force to compress the gasket between
the reaction vessel receiving elements, wherein the gasket forms an
airtight seal between each of the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements and between the drip pan and the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements to isolate the plurality of TECs
from environmental conditions above the drip pan and the plurality
of reaction vessel receiving elements, and wherein the gasket is
composed of non-thermally conducting material and separates
adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements to provide thermal
isolation between adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements.
2. The thermal cycler of claim 1, further comprising one or more
temperature sensors disposed in each reaction vessel receiving
element.
3. The thermal cycler of claim 1, further comprising a heating
element disposed in each reaction vessel receiving element, wherein
the heating element provides fine heating to a control
temperature.
4. The thermal cycler of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality
of power amplifiers; and a switch for each of the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements to direct a current flow from
the plurality of power amplifiers to the TEC.
5. The thermal cycler of claim 1, wherein the reaction vessel
receiving elements comprises a flat surface sample block.
6. The thermal cycler of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric
cooling devices corresponding to each of the reaction vessel
receiving elements are integrated into a single unit.
7. The thermal cycler of claim 6, wherein the thermoelectric
cooling devices each comprise dicing.
8. The thermal cycler of claim 1, wherein the reaction vessel
receiving elements are formed by one of metal injection molding
(MIM), machining, and electroforming.
9. The thermal cycler of claim 1, further comprising an excitation
light source and a detector for monitoring real-time PCR.
10. The thermal cycler of claim 9, further comprising imaging
optics optically coupling the samples in the plurality of segments
with a CCD.
11. The thermal cycler of claim 9, further comprising a scanning
head optically coupling the samples in the plurality of segments by
movement over those segments.
12. A method for processing biological or chemical samples
comprising: positioning a single standard microtiter plate on a
plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements of a thermal
cycler; independently heating and cooling the plurality of reaction
vessel receiving elements with a plurality of thermoelectric
cooling devices (TEC); sealing the area below the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements with a drip pan, a gasket, and a
clamp, wherein the gasket has a convex portion and the clamp
provides a lateral force to compress the gasket between the
reaction vessel receiving elements to form an airtight seal between
each of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements; and
thermally isolating adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements by
constructing the gasket from a non-thermally conducting
material.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: annealing samples
in a first portion of the microtiter plate at a first annealing
temperature by cooling a first reaction vessel receiving element;
and annealing samples in a second portion of the microtiter plate
at a second annealing temperature by cooling a second reaction
vessel receiving element, wherein the second annealing temperature
is not equal to the first annealing temperature.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: elongating samples
in a first portion of the microtiter plate at a first elongation
temperature by heating a first reaction vessel receiving element;
and elongating samples in a second portion of the microtiter plate
at a second elongation temperature by heating a second reaction
vessel receiving element, wherein the second elongation temperature
is not equal to the first elongation temperature.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: repeating for a
first number of cycles at least one of the steps of denaturing,
annealing, and elongating samples in a first portion of the
microtiter plate corresponding to a first reaction vessel receiving
element; and repeating for a second number of cycles at least one
of the steps of denaturing, annealing, and elongating samples in a
second portion of the microtiter plate corresponding to a second
reaction vessel receiving element, wherein the first number of
cycles is not equal to the second number of cycles.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein a rate of cooling of a first
reaction vessel receiving element is not equal to the rate of
cooling of a second reaction vessel receiving element.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein a rate of heating of a first
reaction vessel receiving element is not equal to the rate of
heating of a second reaction vessel receiving element.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the samples in a first reaction
vessel receiving element have a different volume than the samples
in a second reaction vessel receiving element.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein a first reaction vessel
receiving element is kept at a first residence time for annealing
samples and a second reaction vessel receiving element is kept at a
second residence time for annealing samples.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein a first reaction vessel
receiving element is kept at a first residence time for elongating
samples and a second reaction vessel receiving element is kept at a
second residence time for elongating samples.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This applications claims a priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/114,902 filed Nov. 14, 2008, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a thermal cycler for the
carrying out of chemical or biological reactions, such as PCR or
other nucleic acid amplification reactions, the thermal cycler is
segmented in that it has a plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements separated and thermally isolated from each other for
receiving reaction vessels, wherein the reaction vessel receiving
elements have several recesses arranged in a pattern to receive the
reaction vessels of a single standard microtiter plate. The
segmented thermal cycler has a system for independently heating and
cooling each of the reaction vessel receiving elements.
INTRODUCTION
[0003] Testing of biological or chemical samples often requires a
device for repeatedly subjecting multiple samples though a series
of temperature cycles. Such devices are described as thermal
cyclers or thermocycling devices and are used to generate specific
temperature cycles, i.e. to set predetermined temperatures in the
reaction vessels and to maintain predetermined intervals of time,
sometimes called protocols. Often times it is desirable to
thermocycle different samples in a single vessel array through
different protocols by varying temperature, time, and/or number of
cycles, where these experiments can be carried out
simultaneously.
[0004] For example, such tests can used to determine the optimal
denaturing temperature, the optimal annealing temperature, and the
optimal elongation temperature of a PCR reaction. To achieve this,
the same reaction mixture is poured into the individual reaction
vessels, and the temperature cycles necessary to perform the PCR
reaction are executed. Such a temperature cycle comprises the
heating of the reaction mixture to the denaturing temperature,
which usually lies in the range 90.degree.-95.degree. C., cooling
to the annealing temperature, which is usually in the range
40.degree.-60.degree. C. and heating to the elongation temperature,
which is usually in the range 70.degree.-75.degree. C. If desired,
the time of each cycle can also be varied. A cycle of this kind is
repeated several times, leading to amplification of a predetermined
DNA sequence. The annealing temperature, at which the primer is
added, has a powerful influence on the result. However the
elongation temperature too can have beneficial or adverse effects
on the result. At a higher elongation temperature, the addition of
the bases is accelerated, with the probability of errors increasing
with higher temperature. In addition, the life of the polymerase is
shorter at a higher elongation temperature. Another important
parameter for the success of a PCR reaction is the different
residence volumes spread over different reaction vessels. Problems
arise with conventional devices as these parameters can not be
varied in one test series for an individual reaction vessel holder.
To test different residence volumes, several test series are
required and are performed either consecutively in one
thermocycling device or simultaneously in several thermocycling
devices.
[0005] Historically, only temperature could be varied during
thermal cycling using a gradient thermal cycler that can create a
temperature gradient and/or a gradient block as described in, for
example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,525,300 and 7,074,367. The disclosed
devices have a single block and create a gradient of temperatures
and then try to designate different temperature for samples.
[0006] The next generation of thermal cyclers adopted a markedly
different approach. Rather than a single gradient block, these new
thermal cyclers embodied a plurality of blocks or reaction vessel
receiving elements that are isothermal where each reaction vessel
receiving element is independently controlled and can be programmed
with different protocols, while having the proximity to be arranged
in a pattern to receive the reaction vessels of a single vessel
array of a standard format as described in, for example, U.S. Pub.
No. 2006-0228268. Different but predetermined temperatures are set
for each of the reaction vessel receiving elements. After
completion of the cycles it is possible to determine, with the aid
of the reaction products, those temperatures at which the PCR
reaction will give the user the optimal result. Here the result may
be optimized e.g. in respect of product volume or also product
quality. The present invention is an improvement to such a thermal
cycler, by providing a different means for thermal isolation of the
reaction vessel receiving elements and a seal to reduce the ability
of liquids and moisture from penetrating between the reaction
vessel receiving elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to various embodiments, the present teachings
describe a thermal cycler for processing biological or chemical
samples with a plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements
configured to receive one standard microtiter plate, a plurality of
thermoelectric cooling devices (TEC) disposed to correspond to each
of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements, wherein the
TEC provides heating and cooling, a drip pan positioned above the
TECs and framing the plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements, a single gasket to seal the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements, wherein the gasket has a convex construction,
and a clamp to provide lateral force to compress the gasket between
the reaction vessel receiving elements, wherein the gasket forms an
airtight seal between each of the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements and between the drip pan and the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements to isolate the plurality of TECs
from environmental conditions above the drip pan and the plurality
of reaction vessel receiving elements, and wherein the gasket is
composed of non-thermally conducting material and separates
adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements to provide thermal
isolation between adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements.
[0008] According to various embodiments, the present teachings
describe a method for processing biological or chemical samples
including positioning a single standard microtiter plate on a
plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements of a thermal
cycler, independently heating and cooling the plurality of reaction
vessel receiving elements with a plurality of thermoelectric
cooling devices (TEC), sealing the area below the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements with a drip pan, a gasket, and a
clamp, wherein the gasket has a convex portion and the clamp
provides a lateral force to compress the gasket between the
reaction vessel receiving elements to form an airtight seal between
each of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements, and
thermally isolating adjacent reaction vessel receiving elements by
constructing the gasket from a non-thermally conducting
material.
[0009] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as
claimed.
[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several
embodiments of the invention and together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 depicts a top view of a portion of a device according
to the invention for carrying out chemical or biological reactions
in accordance with an exemplary embodiment showing the reaction
vessel receiving elements, gasket, and drip pan;
[0012] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a reaction vessel
receiving element, according to various embodiments;
[0013] FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the device of along
the axis shown in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 4 depicts a magnified view of a portion of FIG. 3;
[0015] FIGS. 5 and 6 depict a perspective view and a side view of a
gasket, according to various embodiments;
[0016] FIGS. 7 and 8 depict cross-sectional views of the gasket in
FIG. 6 along the axes A-A and B-B, respectively;
[0017] FIGS. 9 and 10 depict magnified views of portions of FIG.
7;
[0018] FIGS. 11A and 11B depict top and bottom perspective views of
the clamp, according to various embodiments;
[0019] FIG. 12 depicts an exploded view of the bottom portion of a
thermal cycler, according to various embodiments;
[0020] FIG. 13 depicts an exploded view of the top portion of a
thermal cycler, according to various embodiments; and
[0021] FIG. 14 depicts an exploded view of a thermal cycler,
according to various embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In the following description, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which are
shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in
which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are
described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art
to practice the invention and it is to be understood that other
embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without
departing from the scope of the invention. The following
description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense.
[0023] As used herein, the term "microtiter plate" is also known as
a "sample plate," "microtitration plate," and "microplate"
interchangeably and refers to a multi-welled sample receptacle for
testing of chemical and biological samples. Microplates can have
wells that are conical, cylindrical, rectilinear, tapered, and/or
flat-bottomed in shape, and can be constructed of a single material
or multiple materials. A standard microtiter plate conforms to SBS
Standards. Microtiter plates can be open-faced (e.g. closed with a
sealing film or caps) or close-chambered (e.g. microcard as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,047). Open-faced microtiter plates
can be filled, for example, with pipettes (hand-held, robotic,
etc.) or through-hole distribution plates. Close-chambered
microtiter plates can be filled, for example, through channels or
by closing to form the chamber. Examples of standard microtiter
plates have the following number of wells or chambers: 24, 48, 96,
384, or 1536.
[0024] FIGS. 1 to 14 depict exemplary embodiments of methods and
systems that include a plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements thermally decoupled and each segment assigned a
thermoelectric cooler (TEC), also Peltier cooler, which may be
actuated independently.
[0025] By this means the individual reaction vessel receiving
element of the device may be set to different temperatures
independently of one another. This makes it possible not only to
set different temperature levels in the segments, but also for them
to be held for varying lengths of time or altered at different
rates of change. The device according to the invention thus permits
optimization of all physical parameters critical for a PCR process,
while the optimization process may be carried out on a single
reaction vessel receiving element in which a single standard
microtiter plate may be inserted.
[0026] With the device according to the invention it is therefore
also possible to optimize the residence times and rates of
temperature change without having to distribute the reaction
mixture over different microtiter plates for this purpose.
Moreover, it is also possible to optimize the mixture volume by
varying the mixture volume over different reaction vessel segments.
The thermal cycling device according to the invention is in
particular suitable for optimizing the multiplex PCR process, in
which several different primers are used.
[0027] According to various embodiments, FIG. 1 shows a top view of
a portion of a device according to the invention for carrying out
chemical or biological reactions in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment showing the reaction vessel receiving elements 10,
gasket 20, and drip pan 30.
[0028] According to various embodiments, FIGS. 2-4 shows the
recesses of a reaction vessel receiving element 10 and how a
plurality reaction vessel receiving elements 10 are configures to
be surrounded by gasket 20 and drip pan 30 to form an airtight seal
between each of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements
and between the drip pan and the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements 10 to isolate the plurality of TECs 40 below
each reaction vessel receiving element 10 from environmental
conditions above the drip pan 30 and the plurality of reaction
vessel receiving elements 10. This is achieved by sealing the area
below the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements 10 with a
gasket 20 that has a convex construction as shown in FIGS. 4-10.
The gasket 20 has a convex portion with ribs 50 that provide
contact the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements 10. The
clamp 60 as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B provides a lateral force to
compress the gasket between the reaction vessel receiving elements
10 to form an airtight seal between each of the plurality of
reaction vessel receiving elements 10.
[0029] According to various embodiments, FIG. 12 shows an exploded
view of the bottom portion of a thermal cycler with the clamp 60
providing lateral force to the plurality of reaction vessel
receiving elements 10 to compress gasket 20. Each reaction vessel
receiving element 10 is coupled to a TEC 40 via a thermally
conductive material 70. The TECs 40 are aligned by frame 80 and
powered by a printed circuit board 90. The TECs 40 are coupled to
heat sink 100 by thermally conductive material 70. The clamp 60, in
addition to providing lateral force to the plurality of reaction
vessel receiving elements 10, can provide vertical clamping of the
plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements 10 to the TECs 40
and heat sink 100. The TECs can be powered by current flow from a
plurality of power amplifiers. The power amplifiers can be coupled
to the TEC via actual leads or can be coupled via infrared
connection to permit tighter placement of TECs and reaction vessel
receiving elements 10. According to various embodiments, the
present teachings contemplate one or more temperature sensors
disposed in each reaction vessel receiving element in conjunction
with each TEC. According to various embodiments, the present
teachings contemplate a heating element disposed in each reaction
vessel receiving element, wherein the heating element provides fine
heating to a control temperature. According to various embodiments,
the present teachings contemplate a plurality of power amplifiers,
and a switch for each of the plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements to direct a current flow from the plurality of power
amplifiers to the TEC. According to various embodiments, the
present teachings contemplate the TECs corresponding to each of the
reaction vessel receiving elements are integrated into a single
unit. In various embodiments, the TEC can include dicing to segment
portions according to the reaction vessel receiving elements.
[0030] According to various embodiments, the present teachings
contemplate a reaction vessel receiving elements comprises a flat
surface sample block.
[0031] According to various embodiments, FIG. 13 shows an exploded
view of the top portion of a thermal cycler with drip pan 30 and
the heated lid, including heated platen 110, springs 120 to provide
a downward force to press the heated platen 110 on the microtiter
plate, cover 130 to enclose the heated platen 110 and springs 120,
and locking handle mechanism 140 to close, lower, and lock the
heated lid in place over the microtiter plate sitting in the
plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements 10.
[0032] According to various embodiments, FIG. 14 shows a thermal
cycler instrument with the exploded view of FIG. 12 as bottom
portion 150, and the exploded view of FIG. 13 as top portion 160
with additional display/touch screen 170 and electrical housing
180.
[0033] The reaction vessel receiving elements 10 are not influenced
by the other reaction vessel receiving elements 10, and their
temperature may be set completely independently of the other
reaction vessel receiving elements 10. By this means it is possible
to run quite different temperature cycles on the individual
reaction vessel receiving elements 10, with one of the reaction
vessel receiving element 10 for example heated up to the denaturing
temperature and another held at the annealing temperature. Thus it
is possible for the residence times, i.e. the intervals of time for
which the denaturing temperature, the annealing temperature and the
elongation temperature are held, also the rates of temperature
change, to be set as desired, and run simultaneously on the
individual reaction vessel receiving elements 10. In this way it is
possible to optimize not only the temperatures, but also the
residence times, mixture volume, and the rates of temperature
change. According to various embodiments, the present teachings
provide for a method of annealing samples in a first portion of the
microtiter plate at a first annealing temperature by cooling a
first reaction vessel receiving element, and annealing samples in a
second portion of the microtiter plate at a second annealing
temperature by cooling a second reaction vessel receiving element,
wherein the second annealing temperature is not equal to the first
annealing temperature. According to various embodiments, the
present teachings provide for a method of elongating samples in a
first portion of the microtiter plate at a first elongation
temperature by heating a first reaction vessel receiving element,
and elongating samples in a second portion of the microtiter plate
at a second elongation temperature by heating a second reaction
vessel receiving element, wherein the second elongation temperature
is not equal to the first elongation temperature. According to
various embodiments, the present teachings provide for a method of
repeating for a first number of cycles at least one of the steps of
denaturing, annealing, and elongating samples in a first portion of
the microtiter plate corresponding to a first reaction vessel
receiving element, and repeating for a second number of cycles at
least one of the steps of denaturing, annealing, and elongating
samples in a second portion of the microtiter plate corresponding
to a second reaction vessel receiving element, wherein the first
number of cycles is not equal to the second number of cycles.
According to various embodiments, the present teachings provide for
a method where a rate of cooling of a first reaction vessel
receiving element is not equal to the rate of cooling of a second
reaction vessel receiving element, and/or a rate of heating of a
first reaction vessel receiving element is not equal to the rate of
heating of a second reaction vessel receiving element. According to
various embodiments, the present teachings provide for a method
where the samples in a first reaction vessel receiving element have
a different volume than the samples in a second reaction vessel
receiving element. According to various embodiments, the present
teachings provide for a method where a first reaction vessel
receiving element is kept at a first residence time for annealing
samples and a second reaction vessel receiving element is kept at a
second residence time for annealing samples. According to various
embodiments, the present teachings provide for a method where a
first reaction vessel receiving element is kept at a first
residence time for elongating samples and a second reaction vessel
receiving element is kept at a second residence time for elongating
samples
[0034] According to various embodiments, infrared sensors may for
example be used as temperature sensors, located e.g. in the cover.
With this sensor arrangement it is possible to sense the
temperature of the reaction mixture directly. According to various
embodiments, the heated platen 110 can be sub-divided into segments
that correspond to the reaction vessel receiving elements 10 so
that each reaction vessel receiving element 10 can have an
independently controlled heated platen segment that can be varied
in temperature. This variance can achieve optimized heated lid
conditions and/or provide heated platen segments to track the
cycling of the reaction vessel receiving elements 10.
[0035] According to various embodiments, the reaction vessel
receiving elements 10 are made from a metal with good heat
conducting properties, e.g. aluminum, copper, nickel, and/or
silver. According to various embodiments, reaction vessel receiving
elements 10 can be machined, electroformed, or formed by metal
injection molding (MIM). MIM can combine the design freedom of
plastic injection molding with the performance of metal. MIM can be
used with metals such as aluminum, copper, tungsten, and alloys
thereof.
[0036] According to various embodiments, the gasket 20 is made from
non-heat conducting materials or thermally insulating materials are
either plastics or ceramics, for example silicone. The gasket 20
can also be flexible to provide an air-tight seal. An example of
hardness to provide such flexibility is durometer 30 shore A.
According to various embodiments, drip pan 30 can be formed of any
suitable material including but not limited to a thermoplastic. One
of ordinary skill in the art understands that the disclosed drip
pans are exemplary and that the drip pan can be configured to
receive the outer skirts of standard microtiter plates. According
to various embodiments the drip pan 30 has demarcations for the
standard microtiter plate, for example twelve columns (shown as
columns 1-12) and 8 rows (shown as rows A-H) of wells. Although a
96 well sample plate with 16 wells in each reaction vessel
receiving element 10 is shown, one of ordinary skill in the art
will understand that more or less wells can be included in each
reaction vessel receiving element. One of ordinary skill in the art
will also understand that six reaction vessel receiving elements 10
is exemplary and that more or less than six reaction vessel
receiving elements 10 is contemplated.
[0037] The invention is described above with the aid of embodiments
with 96 recesses for receiving a microtiter plate with 96 reaction
vessels. The invention is not, however, limited to this number of
recesses. Thus for example the reaction vessel receiving element
may also have 384 recesses to receive a corresponding microtiter
plate. With regard to features of the invention not explained in
detail above, express reference is made to the claims and the
drawing.
[0038] According to various embodiments, solid heated platen 110,
can be replaced with an apertured heated lid or a transparent
heated lid to permit detection of samples in the standard
microtiter plate during amplification, e.g. real-time PCR.
According to various embodiments, an excitation light source and a
detector can be included in cover 130 to provide the mechanism for
detection of sample held in the standard microtiter plate. In
various embodiments, the reaction vessel receiving element 10 can
be combined with an excitation light source and a detector to
provide monitoring of real-time PCR in samples in each of the
reaction vessel receiving elements 10. Real-time PCR can be
monitored by detecting luminescence (for example, fluorescence,
chemiluminescence, etc.) during the thermal cycling. In various
embodiments, the monitoring can be provided by imaging optics to
optically couple the samples in each of the reaction vessel
receiving elements 10 with a detector, such as a CCD or PMT.
Examples of fluorescence detection with imaging optics embodiment
are shown for example at U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,295,316 and 7,423,750,
both herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. According
to various embodiments, a reaction vessel receiving element 10 is
associated with different regions on the detector, for example, a
CCD. The detector can be calibrated such that the regions
corresponding to the assays that are performed in each reaction
vessel receiving element 10 so that detection of the fluorescence
is more efficient. According to various embodiments, the excitation
light source can be one or more LEDs used to provide improved
illumination wavelength uniformity, light power output uniformity,
and minimal degradation of output over extended periods of time.
Further, LEDs operate at relatively low temperatures and require
little or no external cooling. According to various embodiments,
the detection optics can have sets of excitation filters, dichroic
mirrors (beam-splitters), and emission filters. Alternatively,
filter wheels on the emission side and/or excitation side can
provide different excitation and emission light patterns. According
to various embodiments, the present teachings describe a thermal
cycler with an excitation light source and a detector for
monitoring real-time PCR that can include imaging optics optically
coupling the samples in the plurality of reaction vessel receiving
elements with a CCD or a scanning head optically coupling the
samples in the plurality of reaction vessel receiving elements by
movement over those segments.
[0039] The term "excitation light source" as used herein refers to
a source of irradiance that can provide excitation that results in
fluorescent emission. Light sources can include, but are not
limited to, LEDs, phosphor coated LEDs, organic LEDs (OLED),
phosphorescent OLEDs (PHOLED), inorganic-organic LEDs, LEDs using
quantum dot technology, and LED arrays. Alternatively, the light
sources can include white light, halogen lamp, lasers, solid state
laser, laser diode, micro-wire laser, diode solid state lasers
(DSSL), vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL), thin-film
electroluminescent devices (TFELD), filament lamps, arc lamps, gas
lamps, and fluorescent tubes. Light sources can have high radiance,
such as lasers, or low radiance, such as LEDs. Radiance refers to
light emitted and can be measured in units of watts per centimeter
squared per steradian. Lasers have high radiance since they emit
light in substantially a single direction. LEDs have low radiance
since they typically emit light into 2 pi steradians. The different
types of LEDs mentioned above can have a medium to high
radiance.
[0040] The term "detector" as used herein refers to any component,
portion thereof, or system of components that can detect light
including a charged coupled device (CCD), back-side thin-cooled
CCD, front-side illuminated CCD, a CCD array, a photodiode, a
photodiode array, a photo-multiplier tube (PMT), a PMT array,
complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, CMOS
arrays, a charge-injection device (CID), CID arrays, etc. The
detector can be adapted to relay information to a data collection
device for storage, correlation, and/or manipulation of data, for
example, a computer, or other signal processing system.
[0041] Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and
practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the
specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a
true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the
following claims.
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