Apparatus, for amplification of nucleic acids

US5133940A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• ORION CORPORATION · FI

Inventors

• Nisse Kalkkinen · Espoo, FI
• Hans Söderlund · Espoo, FI

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 16, 1988
• Grant date: Jul 28, 1992
• Expiry date: Dec 16, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C40B40/06
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Amplification of nucleic acids is performed by incubating in a polymerization vessel a reaction mixture which contains in a suitable buffer solution, one or several single-stranded target nucleic acids, suitable primers, deoxyribouncleoside triphosphates and a polymerase. After a sufficient time for polymerication to occur, the reaction mixture is transferred into another vessel for the denaturation of the nucleic acids into single stranded nucleic acids. After denaturation, the reaction mixture is transferred back into the original vessel. The amplification process is regulated to maintain a temperature advantageous for the action of the polymerization enzyme in the polymerization vessel and a temperature advantageous for denaaturation in the denaturation vessel. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a liquid transfer system for transferring the reaction liquid from one vessel to another, which comprises at least one liquid transfer tube per vessel pair which extends from within the polymerization vessel to within the denaturation vessel.