Apparatus for insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-8574516-B2
Publication Date
2013-11-05
Expiration Date
Abstract
An apparatus for holding a test tube in which insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction is performed includes a heat sink and a tube rack. The heat sink has a main body with a through hole for insertion of the test tube. The through hole has a relatively big diameter section and a relatively small diameter section located below the relatively big diameter section. The tube rack is mounted on the heat sink for insertion of the test tube. The apparatus can ensure that the temperature at the liquid level of the reaction mixture is lower than the temperature suitable for conducting the primer annealing step in the polymerase chain reaction process.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an apparatus for holding a test tube in which insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction is performed. The apparatus includes a heat sink having a main body with a through hole for insertion of an upper section and a middle section of the test tube, and the heat sink transits the heat energy at the upper section and the middle section of the test tube to ambient atmosphere while a bottom section of the test tube is heated.
The heat sink through hole includes a relatively big diameter section and a relatively small diameter section located below the relatively big diameter section. This through-hole geometry supports heat transfer to ambient atmosphere at the upper and middle sections while the bottom section remains heated, in order to maintain the reaction-mixture liquid-level temperature around the insulated isothermal PCR range.
The apparatus further includes a tube rack mounted on the heat sink and provided with a receiving hole for insertion of the test tube. The tube rack receiving hole is configured so that an outer wall of the test tube is prevented from contacting a wall surface of the through hole of the heat sink, including a geometry that stops contact using a shoulder arrangement.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers an insulated isothermal PCR holding apparatus with a specifically shaped heat-sink through hole and a tube-rack receiving hole that prevents the test tube from contacting the through-hole wall. Across the dependent claims, the covered inventive features include additional receiving-hole geometry, a gradually decreasing small-diameter through-hole portion, a defined mounting relationship between the tube rack and the heat sink, and a construction-material limitation of the heat sink to metal.
Heat-sink through hole transferring heat to ambient atmosphere while heating the test-tube bottom
A heat sink having a main body provided with a through hole for insertion of an upper section and a middle section of the test tube; the heat sink being adapted to transit the heat energy at the upper section and the middle section of the test tube to ambient atmosphere while a bottom section of the test tube is heated
Heat-sink through-hole with relatively big and relatively small diameter sections
The through hole has a relatively big diameter section and a relatively small diameter section located below the relatively big diameter section
Tube rack receiving hole preventing outer-wall contact with the through-hole wall
A tube rack mounted on the heat sink and provided with a receiving hole for insertion of the test tube such that an outer wall of the test tube is prevented from contacting a wall surface of the through hole of the heat sink
Receiving hole with shoulder and relatively big/relatively small diameter sections
The receiving hole includes a relatively big diameter section, a shoulder stopping a shoulder of the test tube, and a relatively small diameter section
Small-diameter section with decreasing diameter downward in the heat-sink through hole
The heat-sink through-hole has a relatively small diameter section whose diameter decreases gradually downward
Tube rack mounting by bottom end inserted into the heat-sink through hole
The tube rack has a bottom end inserted into the through hole of the heat sink
Heat sink made of metal
The heat sink is made of metal
The claim set is centered on an insulated isothermal PCR holding apparatus that uses a heat sink with a shaped through hole to transfer heat at the test tube’s upper and middle sections to ambient atmosphere while heating the bottom section, combined with a tube rack receiving hole that prevents the test tube’s outer wall from contacting the through-hole wall. Dependent refinements further specify the receiving-hole shoulder arrangement, the decreasing profile of the heat-sink small-diameter portion, the tube-rack insertion relationship, and that the heat sink is metal.
Stated Advantages
Maintains the reaction-mixture liquid-level temperature around a range that prevents it from exceeding the primer-annealing temperature, thereby avoiding PCR failure
Provides smooth PCR performance across ambient temperatures 10–40°C
Documented Applications
Insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction using a test tube held by the apparatus in ambient-atmosphere heat dissipation conditions
Simultaneous PCR reactions using multiple through holes
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