High-speed thermal cycling system and method of use

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:870377

Hansen, Anthony D. A. ^[1]; Jaklevic, Joseph M ^[2]

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1. Berkely, CA
2. Lafayette, CA

A thermal cycling system and method of use are described. The thermal cycling system is based on the-circulation of temperature-controlled water directly to the underside of thin-walled polycarbonate microtiter plates. The water flow is selected from a manifold fed by pumps from heated reservoirs. The plate wells are loaded with typically 15-20 .mu.l of reagent mix for the PCR process. Heat transfer through the thin polycarbonate is sufficiently rapid that the contents reach thermal equilibrium with the water in less than 15 seconds. Complete PCR amplification runs of 40 three-step cycles have been performed in as little as 14.5 minutes, with the results showing substantially enhanced specificity compared to conventional technology requiring run times in excess of 100 minutes. The plate clamping station is designed to be amenable to robotic loading and unloading of the system. It includes a heated lid, thus eliminating the need for mineral oil overlay of the reactants. The present system includes three or more plate holder stations, fed from common reservoirs but operating with independent switching cycles. The system can be modularly expanded.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• Assignee: Regents, University of California (Berkeley, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5508197
• OSTI ID: 870377
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/435/422/
100
14
15
15-20
40
amenable
amplification
based
clamping
common
compared
complete
contents
conventional
cycles
cycling
described
designed
directly
eliminating
enhanced
equilibrium
excess
expanded
fed
flow
heat
heat transfer
heated
high-speed
holder
independent
lid
loaded
loading
manifold
method
microtiter
microtiter plate
mineral
mineral oil
minutes
mix
modularly
oil
operating
overlay
pcr
performed
plate
plates
polycarbonate
process
pumps
rapid
reach
reactants
reagent
requiring
reservoirs
results
robotic
run
runs
selected
specificity
station
stations
substantially
substantially enhanced
sufficiently
switching
technology
temperature-controlled
the-circulation
thermal
thermal cycling
thermal equilibrium
thin-walled
three-step
times
titer plate
transfer
typically
underside
unloading
water
water directly
water flow