Method for applying thermal energy to a receptacle and detecting an emission signal from the receptacle

US11230733B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• David A. Buse · San Diego, US
• David H. COMBS · San Diego, US
• Norbert D. Hagen · Carlsbad, US
• David Opalsky · San Diego, US
• Bruce Richardson · Los Gatos, US
• Anita Prasad · Los Gatos, US
• Keith Moravick · Mountain View, US
• Tyler Moore · Los Gatos, US
• Byron J. Knight · San Diego, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 18, 2020
• Grant date: Jan 25, 2022
• Expiry date: Sep 18, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2021/6484
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Receptacles containing a reaction mixture are transported to receptacle wells of a thermally conductive receptacle holder, and the temperature of the holder is cycled with a thermoelectric device situated between a support and a first side of the holder while a first force is applied onto a second side of the holder. Optical communication between each well and an excitation signal source and an emission signal detector is established to determine whether an emission signal is emitted from any of the receptacles during temperature cycling as an indication of the presence of a target nucleic acid. The thermoelectric device may be situated between an upright portion of the support and the first side of the holder. A second force may be applied onto a top end of each receptacle in the holder by a cover moveable with respect to the receptacles between an open position and a closed position.