US20180318839A1 - Incubation Device Having Rotary Mechanism - Google Patents
Incubation Device Having Rotary Mechanism Download PDFInfo
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- US20180318839A1 US20180318839A1 US15/585,756 US201715585756A US2018318839A1 US 20180318839 A1 US20180318839 A1 US 20180318839A1 US 201715585756 A US201715585756 A US 201715585756A US 2018318839 A1 US2018318839 A1 US 2018318839A1
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- incubation
- platform
- conductive plate
- thermal conductive
- lid
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L7/00—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices
- B01L7/52—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples
- B01L7/525—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L7/00—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices
- B01L7/52—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12Q—MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
- C12Q1/00—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
- C12Q1/68—Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions involving nucleic acids
- C12Q1/6844—Nucleic acid amplification reactions
- C12Q1/686—Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2200/00—Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus
- B01L2200/02—Adapting objects or devices to another
- B01L2200/026—Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2200/00—Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus
- B01L2200/06—Fluid handling related problems
- B01L2200/0647—Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/04—Closures and closing means
- B01L2300/041—Connecting closures to device or container
- B01L2300/045—Connecting closures to device or container whereby the whole cover is slidable
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/04—Closures and closing means
- B01L2300/046—Function or devices integrated in the closure
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/06—Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components
- B01L2300/0627—Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/08—Geometry, shape and general structure
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control
- B01L2300/1805—Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control
- B01L2300/1805—Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
- B01L2300/1822—Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks using Peltier elements
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control
- B01L2300/1805—Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
- B01L2300/1827—Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks using resistive heater
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control
- B01L2300/1838—Means for temperature control using fluid heat transfer medium
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
- B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control
- B01L2300/1883—Means for temperature control using thermal insulation
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L2400/00—Moving or stopping fluids
- B01L2400/04—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means
- B01L2400/0403—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means specific forces
- B01L2400/043—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means specific forces magnetic forces
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an incubation device for biological or chemical analytes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an incubation device having rotary mechanism.
- PCR Polymerase chain reaction
- double stranded DNA template is denatured at approximately 95° C.
- the temperature is lowered to approximately 40-70° C.
- short synthetic oligonucleotide primers hybridize to their complementary sequences rendered into a single stranded state in the previous heating step.
- the temperature can be increased to approximately 72° C.
- a heat stable DNA polymerase extends the primers, thus creating a complementary copy of the original single stranded template DNA.
- the amount of template DNA is, if the amplification efficiency is deal, doubled at each cycle.
- many if not all biological and chemical reactions require a certain temperature to occur in a predictable manner. Examples of such reactions with critical temperature requirements include immunocomplex formation, rolling circle amplification (RCA), and nearly all other enzymatic and chemical reactions.
- the reaction vessels are very often placed in a block of metal, the temperature of which is changed periodically.
- the reaction solution can be repeatedly passed through different temperature zones in a reaction channel or tubing to achieve temperature cycling.
- a device for allowing liquid communication with the reaction vessels that are placed in a temperature regulating device is disclosed in the application.
- the instant disclosure provides an incubation device includes an actuator, a platform, and an incubation lid.
- the actuator is mounted on an actuator support leg.
- the actuator includes a motion disc and a shaft connected to the motion disc and extending away from the actuator support leg.
- the platform is connected to the shaft of the actuator in a manner allowing movement transmission.
- the platform is formed with a through hole, and one end of the through hole is sealed by a thermal conductive plate.
- the incubation lid is slidably disposed over the platform.
- the instant disclosure also provides an incubation system.
- the incubation system includes an actuator, a platform, an incubation lid, and a dispenser.
- the actuator is mounted on an actuator support leg.
- the actuator includes a motion disc and a shaft connected to the motion disc and extending away from the actuator support leg.
- the platform is connected to the shaft of the actuator in a manner allowing movement transmission.
- the platform is formed with a through hole, and one end of the through hole is sealed by a thermal conductive plate.
- the incubation lid is slidably disposed over the platform.
- the incubation lid has a opening.
- the dispenser suspends over the thermal conductive plate of the platform. The opening of the incubation lid allows fluid communication from the dispenser.
- the incubation device allows rapid thermal control through thermal conductive plate and thermal insulating platform that surrounds the thermal conductive plate.
- the incubation device also inputs motion such as rotation to allow even solution distribution in the reaction vessels.
- the conditions of the analytes can be easily detected from the opened opening of the incubation lid.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 2 is an elevation view illustrating the incubation device in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 7 is an elevation view illustrating the incubation device in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation system in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIGS. 9A and 9B are elevation views illustrating an incubation system in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device resting state tiling to an angle in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- FIGS. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure.
- the incubation device 100 includes an actuator 110 , a platform 132 , and an incubation lid 152 .
- the actuator 110 includes an actuator housing 112 that contains some of the mechanical components of the actuator 110 .
- the actuator housing 112 is mounted on an actuator support leg 114 and slightly suspends from a surface as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the actuator 110 also includes a motion disc 116 that is fastened to the actuator housing 112 .
- the motion disc 116 may be hidden in the actuator housing 112 , or alternatively, mounted on the sidewalls of the actuator housing 112 as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the motion disc 116 may go clockwise and anti-clockwise direction to a certain degree.
- the actuator 110 may be a stepper motor, electric piston motor, pneumatic motor, electric motor, or an electromagnetic motor, and the instant disclosure is not limited thereto.
- the actuator 110 includes a shaft 118 that is connected to the motion disc 116 .
- the shaft 118 is secured to the motion disc 116 by fastener and protrudes away from the motion disc 116 .
- the shaft 118 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of the motion disc 116 as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the engagement between the shaft 118 and the motion disc 116 allows the movement of the motion disc 116 to be transmitted to the shaft 118 . For example, when the motion disc 116 goes anti-clockwise, the shaft 118 follows the course of the motion disc 116 .
- the platform 130 is a board that may have a planar surface.
- the platform 130 is made of a thermal insulating material, for example, glass, polystyrene, polyurethane (PU), and polyoxymethylene (POM).
- the platform 130 has a thermal conductivity ranging between about 0.02 and 3 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 .
- the platform 130 is in a shape of rectangle, and any other geometric configurations may be applicable.
- the platform 130 has downwardly extending flanges 132 on its back side.
- the flanges 132 are formed with receiving through holes (not shown).
- the receiving through holes serve to retain the shaft 118 as shown in FIG. 1 .
- the platform support legs 134 are formed with receiving through holes 136 for receiving the shaft 118 .
- the receiving through holes 136 of the platform support legs 134 and the platform flanges 132 are aligned to receive the shaft 118 .
- the shaft 118 goes laterally, crossing the first platform support leg 134 , the first flange 132 , the second flange 132 and the second platform support leg 134 .
- the shaft 118 extends across the back side of the platform 130 .
- the engagement between the platform support legs 134 and the shaft 118 is movable, while the engagement between the flanges 132 and the shaft 118 is fixed. In this configuration, the movement initiated from the motion disc 116 is transmitted from the shaft 118 to the flanges 132 and passed on to the platform 130 .
- the actuator support leg 114 and the platform support legs 134 remain stationary when the actuator 110 is under operation.
- the platform 130 is formed with a through hole 138 .
- the through hole 138 may be in any geometric configurations, and in some embodiments, the through hole 138 is rectangular as shown in FIG. 1 .
- One end of the through hole 138 is sealed by a thermal conductive plate 142 .
- FIG. 3 illustrating a cross-sectional view of the incubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y in FIG. 1 .
- the thermal conductive plate 142 is mounted on the platform 130 through, for example, fasteners.
- the front side 142 a of the thermal conductive plate 142 faces the through hole 138 and serves as the bottom of the through hole 138 , while the back side 142 b of the thermal conductive plate 142 faces away from the through hole 138 .
- the thermal conductive plate 142 may be slightly larger than the opening of the through hole 138 in terms of surface area as shown in FIG. 3 . Alternatively, the thermal conductive plate 142 may be fit to the opening of the through hole 138 . One end of the through hole 138 is tightly closed by the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the thermal conductive plate 142 is made of materials exhibiting good thermal conductivity, for example, graphene, copper and aluminium.
- the thermal conductive plate 142 has a thermal conductivity larger than at least 10 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 .
- the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductive plate 142 is much greater than the thermal conductive of the platform 130 . For example, if the platform 130 has a thermal conductivity of about 0.1 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 and the thermal conductive plate 142 may have a thermal conductivity of about 200 Wm ⁇ 1 K ⁇ 1 .
- a temperature control unit 144 is disposed on the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the temperature control unit 144 may be a heating and a cooling unit that is able to increase or decrease the temperature of the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the temperature control unit 144 is mounted directly on the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the temperature control unit 144 is disposed on the back side 142 b of the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the temperature control unit 144 is suspended under the platform 130 .
- the temperature control unit 144 is not in contact with the platform 130 main body but the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view of the incubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y in FIG. 1 , the temperature control unit 144 is disposed on the front side 142 a of the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the thermal conductive plate 142 is much larger than the opening of the through hole 138 , and the platform 130 is thinner and formed with an indentation (recess) at the back side for accommodating the temperature control unit 144 .
- the temperature control unit 144 is therefore surrounded by the thermal insulating platform 130 and in contact with the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- This arrangement allows better thermal insulation because the radiation from the temperature control unit 144 is transmitted through the direct contact with the thermal conductive plate 142 , and the rest is shielded by the platform 130 .
- the thermal insulating platform 130 helps to minimize heat dissipation of the temperature control unit 144 .
- the shape of the temperature control unit 144 may adapt any other configurations.
- the temperature control unit 144 may be elongated strip that goes across the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the quantity of the temperature control unit 144 may be more than one.
- the temperature control unit 144 may be a resistive heater, a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) together with cooling fans, or circulation of heated and cooled water or a combination thereof.
- the temperature control unit 144 may be disposed on the edge of the thermal conductive plate 142 or at a central portion of the thermal conductive plate 142 , and the instant disclosure is not limited thereto.
- the incubation lid 152 is movably arranged over the platform 130 .
- the incubation device 100 includes a rack 160 disposed on the platform 130 .
- the rack 160 has a main body 162 , and the main body 162 stands on the platform 130 on two legs 164 .
- a space is created between the main body 162 and the platform 130 .
- a track mechanism 168 is mounted on the main body 162 of the rack 160 .
- the track mechanism 168 is capable of moving back and forth. In other words, the track mechanism 168 moves in a direction toward the through hole 138 of the platform 130 or withdrawing to the opposite direction.
- the incubation lid 152 is mounted on the track system 168 which takes the incubation lid 152 travelling across the platform 130 . Edges of the incubation lid 152 are in contact with the surface of the platform 130 . The incubation lid 152 slides over the platform 130 when it travels.
- the incubation lid 152 may be made of the same thermal insulating material as the platform 130 . In an alternative embodiment, the incubation lid 152 is made of a different material from the platform 130 but still has a thermal conductivity much smaller than that of the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the incubation lid 152 is made of transparent materials that allows radio signals having a predetermined wavelength to pass through the incubation lid 152 .
- the incubation lid 152 When the track system 168 stretches forward towards the through hole 138 of the platform 130 , the incubation lid 152 is taken along the course and smoothly sweeps across the surface of the platform 130 .
- the track system 168 may extends to a degree that at least allows the incubation lid 152 completely covers up the through hole 138 .
- the through hole 138 is sealed by the thermal conductive plate 142 from one end, while the other end of the through hole 138 is fully covered by the incubation lid 152 .
- the shape of the through hole 138 and the incubation lid 152 may be different as long as the coverage of the incubation lid 152 can fully hide the through hole 138 from view. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG.
- the incubation lid 152 has an opening 154 .
- the opening 154 may be a through hole that goes through the incubation lid 152 so as to allow foreign particle entry, or in some cases removal, from the spaces in between the incubation lid 152 and the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the opening 154 is a valve that can be closed or opened depends on required reaction conditions in the space collectively defined by the incubation lid 152 and the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the incubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y in FIG. 5 .
- the incubation lid 152 includes a shield 152 a which is made of a thermal insulating material similar to the platform 130 .
- the shield 152 a may resemble an inverted bowl and has a depth that adds the height to the through hole 138 as shown in FIG. 6 .
- the shield 152 a just closes atop the sidewalls of the through hole 138 without increasing the dimension of the closed through hole 138 .
- a lid thermal temperature control unit 152 b is mounted on the inner surface of the shield 152 a.
- the lid thermal temperature control unit 152 b is contained in the through hole 138 .
- the through hole 138 is now a sealed space for accommodating, for example, reaction vessels.
- the temperature control unit 144 and the lid temperature control unit 152 b are under operation, the air in the through hole 138 may be heated up or cooled down depending on the predetermined temperature control.
- the temperature control unit 144 and the lid temperature control unit 152 b may be working at the same time, or one is on and the other is off. In some embodiments, the lid temperature control unit 152 b may be omitted.
- the opening 154 on the shield 152 a allows gas and fluid communication with the through hole 138 .
- FIG. 7 When the actuator 110 is under operation, the platform 130 tilts an angle a with respect to a base level Al shown in FIG. 7 .
- the base level Al is the position of the platform 130 when the actuator 110 is at rest.
- the actuator 110 is activated, for example, going clockwise, the movement from the motion disc 116 is then transmitted by the shaft 118 to the platform 130 .
- the platform 130 therefore goes clockwise as the motion disc 116 .
- the motion disc 116 goes anti-clockwise, the platform 130 is drawn along the course.
- the incubation lid 152 also follows the movement generated by the actuator 110 and keeps the through hole 138 airtight during the swing.
- the frequency and degrees of swing of the motion disc 116 may be controlled by an actuator control unit (not shown).
- FIG. 8 illustrating another embodiment of the incubation device 200 .
- the incubation device 200 is similar to the incubation device 100 , and the difference arises from the actuator 210 .
- the incubation device 200 includes the actuator 210 , the platform 230 and the incubation lid 152 .
- the actuator 210 has a hydraulic system 212 , and one terminal of the shaft 218 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder. The other terminal of the shaft 218 is connected to the platform 230 .
- the platform 230 is engaged to the platform support legs 234 in a movable manner so as to allow the platform 230 to swing.
- the flange 232 of the platform 230 has a pivot 236 that is received by the platform support legs 234 .
- the hydraulic system 212 creates movement in an up and down fashion.
- the shaft 218 is pushed out of the bore and retreating back to the bore, as the hydraulic cylinder goes up and down.
- the movement of the shaft 218 and causes a swing movement to the platform 230 similar to the one generated by the actuator 110 .
- FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrating an elevation view of another embodiment of the incubation device 300 .
- the incubation device 300 is similar to the incubation device 100 , and the difference arises from the actuator 310 .
- the actuator 310 includes a belt 316 .
- the belt 316 forms a loop between the actuator 310 and the shaft 318 .
- the platform 330 is at a rest state on the platform support legs 314 When the actuator 310 activates, the belt 316 spins and brings the shaft 318 into a rotation.
- the shaft 318 transmits the rotation movement to the platform 330 , and the platform 330 swings.
- the incubation device 100 may further include the flow cell 500 .
- the flow cell 500 has a housing 512 serving as a container that defines a chamber 518 by its boundary.
- the chamber 518 may accommodate biological and chemical analytes (not shown).
- the housing 512 is closed by a visibly transparent window 514 , covering a top portion of the chamber 518 .
- reaction conditions inside the housing 512 can be observed through the window 514 .
- Portions of the window 514 define a port 516 .
- the port 516 allows admission and discharge of fluid or other particles into or out of the chamber 518 .
- the housing 512 may adapt to any geometric configuration, for example, oval, square, or the like.
- the flow cell 500 may include a substrate 522 disposed on the bottom of the chamber 518 .
- the substrate 522 may include fluorescence material.
- the fluorescence material may react with certain molecules and become an indicator when the chemical or biological reaction takes place.
- the fluorescence signal may escape from the visibly transparent window 514 .
- Examples of the substrate 522 can be glass, quartz, and silicon.
- the flow cell 500 is received by the platform 130 in the through hole 138 .
- the housing 512 is a rectangular block that tightly fits into the through hole 138 as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the flow cell 500 is disposed on the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the front side 142 a of the thermal conductive plate 142 is in contact with the bottom of the housing 512 .
- the flow cell 500 sits on the thermal conductive plate 142 , and the incubation lid 152 covers up the through hole 138 which accommodates the flow cell 500 .
- the housing 512 may have a different configuration from the through hole 138 , and the sidewalls of the housing 512 will not be in contact with the platform 130 .
- more than one flow cell 500 may be placed on the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the height of the flow cell 500 which is measured from the bottom of the housing 512 to the window 514 , should not exceed the height of the through hole 138 such that the incubation lid 152 does not crash the top portion of the flow cell 500 when the incubation lid 152 travels across the platform 130 .
- the opening 154 of the incubation lid 152 is aligned with the port 516 of the flow cell 500 . In this alignment, materials can be admitted into or discharged from the chamber 518 of the flow cell 500 .
- the through hole 138 of the platform 130 is sealed from the top by the incubation lid 152 .
- the flow cell 500 inside the through hole 138 is in an airtight condition to prevent liquid evaporation.
- the temperature control unit 144 is heated up, and the heat is transmitted to the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the heat is then passed on to the flow cell 500 through direct contact with the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the heat is retained in the through hole 138 because the platform 130 and the incubation lid 152 are made of thermal insulating material, and the desired temperature can be easily achieved and maintained.
- the lid temperature control unit 152 b helps to maintain the temperature in the closed space.
- Fluid can be introduced into the flow cell 500 from the opening 154 through to the port 516 .
- Some bubbles may be present in the fluid contained in the flow cell 500 .
- the platform 130 swings according to the motion disc 116 , due to gravity, the fluid and bubbles travel in opposite directions. That is, the bubbles can be exhausted from the port 516 and released out of the chamber 518 and further out of the through hole 138 through the opening 154 .
- the flow cell 500 further includes the magnetic microparticles 524 .
- the size of these magnetic microparticles 524 ranges from less than 1 micron ( ⁇ m) to 100 micron, preferably less than 30, and more preferably between 1 to 10 micron.
- the surface of the magnetic microparticle may be covered by materials such as silica, polystyrene or the like.
- the incubation device 100 further includes a magnetic member 146 that is disposed on the back side 142 b of the thermal conductive plate 142 .
- the magnetic member 146 may apply a magnetic field to the flow cell 500 through the thermal conductive plate 142 , and the positions of the magnetic microparticles 524 can be controlled by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic member 146 .
- the magnetic microparticles 524 may be herded into a corner of the chamber 518 .
- the magnetic member 146 may have a similar coverage as the substrate 522 in the chamber 518 .
- the magnetic member 146 includes a permanent magnet.
- the incubation system 1100 includes the incubation device 100 and a fluid control unit. Only portions of the fluid control unit are shown in FIG. 13 .
- the fluid control unit includes a dispenser 612 a.
- the dispenser 612 a is provided with, for example, analytes or solution.
- the dispenser 612 a is in fluid communication with the incubation device 100 .
- the dispenser 612 a is aligned to the opening 154 . When fluid is pumped to the dispenser 612 a, the fluid passes through the opening 154 and enters the chamber 518 through the port 516 .
- the dispenser 612 a may be tilted along with the incubation device 100 if needed. Still referring to FIG. 13 , the incubation system 1100 may further include a detection unit 712 a, having light emitting elements and receiving elements (not shown).
- the light emitting element of the detection unit 712 a may include a light-emitting diode (LED).
- the detection unit 712 a is hanged over the incubation lid 152 as shown in FIG. 13 because the incubation lid 152 is made of transparent materials. Radiation from the detection unit 712 a having a predetermined wavelength may be admitted through the incubation lid 152 and passes to the chamber 518 . Specific chemical and biological analytes may response to the radiation and their signals go through the incubation lid 152 and are picked up by a receiving element in the detection unit 712 a.
- the dispenser 612 b are attached to the incubation lid 152 .
- the dispenser 612 b points toward the opening 154 and is aligned with the port 516 , and fluid can be admitted into the chamber 518 . It is understood that, the dispenser 612 b is still in connection with the fluid control unit of the incubation system 1100 through, for example, longer hose.
- the incubation lid 152 is capable of both sliding along the platform 130 and moving perpendicular to the platform 130 in order to provide a proper seal of the port 516 of the chamber 518 by the dispenser 612 .
- the incubation lid 152 is not made of transparent materials, and the detection unit 712 b is attached to the inner surface of the incubation lid 152 . As shown in FIG. 15A , the detection unit 712 b hangs over the window 514 of the flow cell 500 .
- the lid temperature control unit 152 b changes its configuration according to the position of the detection unit 712 b. In some embodiments, the lid temperature control unit 152 b is in a ring shape surrounding the detection unit 712 b. The radiation form the detection unit 712 b travels through the window 514 , and the signals from the chamber 518 are picked up by the detection 712 b reciprocally.
- FIG. 15B illustrating still another embodiment of the incubation system.
- the detection unit 712 c is coupled to the track mechanism 168 , and a portion of the incubation lid 152 is hollowed out to allow the radiation from the detection unit 712 c to go through.
- the lid temperature control unit 152 b is split into two portions as shown in FIG. 15B .
- the thermal insulating platform is used to hold the flow cell.
- the reaction vessel is placed on the thermal conductive plate that allows fast thermal conductivity.
- the temperature of the reaction vessel can be finely and precisely controlled and maintained during incubation period because the platform and the incubation lid together prevent undesired thermal transfer.
- the swing of the platform also ensures even reactant distribution and facilitates reaction speed.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to an incubation device for biological or chemical analytes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an incubation device having rotary mechanism.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been widely used in many areas of nucleic acid analysis for decades. PCR requires careful temperature control in different stages. For example, double stranded DNA template is denatured at approximately 95° C. Then, the temperature is lowered to approximately 40-70° C. At this temperature, short synthetic oligonucleotide primers hybridize to their complementary sequences rendered into a single stranded state in the previous heating step. Following that, the temperature can be increased to approximately 72° C. At this temperature, a heat stable DNA polymerase extends the primers, thus creating a complementary copy of the original single stranded template DNA. By repeating the temperature cycle many times, the amount of template DNA is, if the amplification efficiency is deal, doubled at each cycle. In addition to PCR, many if not all biological and chemical reactions require a certain temperature to occur in a predictable manner. Examples of such reactions with critical temperature requirements include immunocomplex formation, rolling circle amplification (RCA), and nearly all other enzymatic and chemical reactions.
- A number of solutions exist for controlling a reaction temperature. For example, in PCR, the reaction vessels are very often placed in a block of metal, the temperature of which is changed periodically. Alternatively, the reaction solution can be repeatedly passed through different temperature zones in a reaction channel or tubing to achieve temperature cycling. There is often a need for material introduction into or removal from the reaction vessels while under temperature regulation. A device for allowing liquid communication with the reaction vessels that are placed in a temperature regulating device is disclosed in the application.
- The instant disclosure provides an incubation device includes an actuator, a platform, and an incubation lid. The actuator is mounted on an actuator support leg. The actuator includes a motion disc and a shaft connected to the motion disc and extending away from the actuator support leg. The platform is connected to the shaft of the actuator in a manner allowing movement transmission. The platform is formed with a through hole, and one end of the through hole is sealed by a thermal conductive plate. The incubation lid is slidably disposed over the platform.
- The instant disclosure also provides an incubation system. The incubation system includes an actuator, a platform, an incubation lid, and a dispenser. The actuator is mounted on an actuator support leg. The actuator includes a motion disc and a shaft connected to the motion disc and extending away from the actuator support leg. The platform is connected to the shaft of the actuator in a manner allowing movement transmission. The platform is formed with a through hole, and one end of the through hole is sealed by a thermal conductive plate. The incubation lid is slidably disposed over the platform. The incubation lid has a opening. The dispenser suspends over the thermal conductive plate of the platform. The opening of the incubation lid allows fluid communication from the dispenser.
- The incubation device allows rapid thermal control through thermal conductive plate and thermal insulating platform that surrounds the thermal conductive plate. The incubation device also inputs motion such as rotation to allow even solution distribution in the reaction vessels. The conditions of the analytes can be easily detected from the opened opening of the incubation lid.
- It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
- The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is an elevation view illustrating the incubation device inFIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y inFIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y inFIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along Y-Y inFIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 7 is an elevation view illustrating the incubation device inFIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an incubation system in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIGS. 9A and 9B are elevation views illustrating an incubation system in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device resting state tiling to an angle in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure; and -
FIGS. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views illustrating a flow cell placed on an incubation device in accordance with an embodiment of the instant disclosure. - Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
- Attention is now invited to
FIG. 1 . Anincubation device 100 is provided. Theincubation device 100 includes anactuator 110, aplatform 132, and anincubation lid 152. In some embodiments, theactuator 110 includes anactuator housing 112 that contains some of the mechanical components of theactuator 110. Theactuator housing 112 is mounted on anactuator support leg 114 and slightly suspends from a surface as shown inFIG. 1 . Theactuator 110 also includes amotion disc 116 that is fastened to theactuator housing 112. Themotion disc 116 may be hidden in theactuator housing 112, or alternatively, mounted on the sidewalls of theactuator housing 112 as shown inFIG. 1 . Themotion disc 116 may go clockwise and anti-clockwise direction to a certain degree. Theactuator 110 may be a stepper motor, electric piston motor, pneumatic motor, electric motor, or an electromagnetic motor, and the instant disclosure is not limited thereto. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 2 . Theactuator 110 includes ashaft 118 that is connected to themotion disc 116. Theshaft 118 is secured to themotion disc 116 by fastener and protrudes away from themotion disc 116. In some embodiments, theshaft 118 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of themotion disc 116 as shown inFIG. 2 . The engagement between theshaft 118 and themotion disc 116 allows the movement of themotion disc 116 to be transmitted to theshaft 118. For example, when themotion disc 116 goes anti-clockwise, theshaft 118 follows the course of themotion disc 116. - Referring back to
FIG. 1 , theplatform 130 is a board that may have a planar surface. Theplatform 130 is made of a thermal insulating material, for example, glass, polystyrene, polyurethane (PU), and polyoxymethylene (POM). Theplatform 130 has a thermal conductivity ranging between about 0.02 and 3 Wm−1K−1. In some embodiments, theplatform 130 is in a shape of rectangle, and any other geometric configurations may be applicable. Theplatform 130 has downwardly extendingflanges 132 on its back side. Theflanges 132 are formed with receiving through holes (not shown). The receiving through holes serve to retain theshaft 118 as shown inFIG. 1 . Theplatform support legs 134 are formed with receiving throughholes 136 for receiving theshaft 118. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , when assembled, the receiving throughholes 136 of theplatform support legs 134 and theplatform flanges 132 are aligned to receive theshaft 118. Theshaft 118 goes laterally, crossing the firstplatform support leg 134, thefirst flange 132, thesecond flange 132 and the secondplatform support leg 134. Theshaft 118 extends across the back side of theplatform 130. The engagement between theplatform support legs 134 and theshaft 118 is movable, while the engagement between theflanges 132 and theshaft 118 is fixed. In this configuration, the movement initiated from themotion disc 116 is transmitted from theshaft 118 to theflanges 132 and passed on to theplatform 130. Theactuator support leg 114 and theplatform support legs 134 remain stationary when theactuator 110 is under operation. - Referring back to
FIG. 1 , theplatform 130 is formed with a throughhole 138. The throughhole 138 may be in any geometric configurations, and in some embodiments, the throughhole 138 is rectangular as shown inFIG. 1 . One end of the throughhole 138 is sealed by a thermalconductive plate 142. Attention is now is invited toFIG. 3 , illustrating a cross-sectional view of theincubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y inFIG. 1 . The thermalconductive plate 142 is mounted on theplatform 130 through, for example, fasteners. Thefront side 142 a of the thermalconductive plate 142 faces the throughhole 138 and serves as the bottom of the throughhole 138, while theback side 142 b of the thermalconductive plate 142 faces away from the throughhole 138. The thermalconductive plate 142 may be slightly larger than the opening of the throughhole 138 in terms of surface area as shown inFIG. 3 . Alternatively, the thermalconductive plate 142 may be fit to the opening of the throughhole 138. One end of the throughhole 138 is tightly closed by the thermalconductive plate 142. The thermalconductive plate 142 is made of materials exhibiting good thermal conductivity, for example, graphene, copper and aluminium. The thermalconductive plate 142 has a thermal conductivity larger than at least 10 Wm−1K−1. The thermal conductivity of the thermalconductive plate 142 is much greater than the thermal conductive of theplatform 130. For example, if theplatform 130 has a thermal conductivity of about 0.1 Wm−1K−1and the thermalconductive plate 142 may have a thermal conductivity of about 200 Wm−1K−1. - Still referring to
FIG. 3 , atemperature control unit 144 is disposed on the thermalconductive plate 142. Thetemperature control unit 144 may be a heating and a cooling unit that is able to increase or decrease the temperature of the thermalconductive plate 142. Thetemperature control unit 144 is mounted directly on the thermalconductive plate 142. In some embodiments, thetemperature control unit 144 is disposed on theback side 142 b of the thermalconductive plate 142. Thetemperature control unit 144 is suspended under theplatform 130. Thetemperature control unit 144 is not in contact with theplatform 130 main body but the thermalconductive plate 142. - Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 4 , which is a cross-sectional view of theincubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y inFIG. 1 , thetemperature control unit 144 is disposed on thefront side 142 a of the thermalconductive plate 142. In the case when thetemperature control unit 144 is mounted on thefront side 142 a of the thermalconductive plate 142, the thermalconductive plate 142 is much larger than the opening of the throughhole 138, and theplatform 130 is thinner and formed with an indentation (recess) at the back side for accommodating thetemperature control unit 144. Thetemperature control unit 144 is therefore surrounded by the thermal insulatingplatform 130 and in contact with the thermalconductive plate 142. This arrangement allows better thermal insulation because the radiation from thetemperature control unit 144 is transmitted through the direct contact with the thermalconductive plate 142, and the rest is shielded by theplatform 130. The thermal insulatingplatform 130 helps to minimize heat dissipation of thetemperature control unit 144. - The shape of the
temperature control unit 144 may adapt any other configurations. For example, thetemperature control unit 144 may be elongated strip that goes across the thermalconductive plate 142. The quantity of thetemperature control unit 144 may be more than one. Thetemperature control unit 144 may be a resistive heater, a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) together with cooling fans, or circulation of heated and cooled water or a combination thereof. Thetemperature control unit 144 may be disposed on the edge of the thermalconductive plate 142 or at a central portion of the thermalconductive plate 142, and the instant disclosure is not limited thereto. - Referring back to
FIG. 1 , theincubation lid 152 is movably arranged over theplatform 130. Theincubation device 100 includes arack 160 disposed on theplatform 130. In some embodiments, therack 160 has amain body 162, and themain body 162 stands on theplatform 130 on twolegs 164. A space is created between themain body 162 and theplatform 130. Atrack mechanism 168 is mounted on themain body 162 of therack 160. Thetrack mechanism 168 is capable of moving back and forth. In other words, thetrack mechanism 168 moves in a direction toward the throughhole 138 of theplatform 130 or withdrawing to the opposite direction. Theincubation lid 152 is mounted on thetrack system 168 which takes theincubation lid 152 travelling across theplatform 130. Edges of theincubation lid 152 are in contact with the surface of theplatform 130. Theincubation lid 152 slides over theplatform 130 when it travels. Theincubation lid 152 may be made of the same thermal insulating material as theplatform 130. In an alternative embodiment, theincubation lid 152 is made of a different material from theplatform 130 but still has a thermal conductivity much smaller than that of the thermalconductive plate 142. - In some embodiments, the
incubation lid 152 is made of transparent materials that allows radio signals having a predetermined wavelength to pass through theincubation lid 152. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 5 . When thetrack system 168 stretches forward towards the throughhole 138 of theplatform 130, theincubation lid 152 is taken along the course and smoothly sweeps across the surface of theplatform 130. Thetrack system 168 may extends to a degree that at least allows theincubation lid 152 completely covers up the throughhole 138. The throughhole 138 is sealed by the thermalconductive plate 142 from one end, while the other end of the throughhole 138 is fully covered by theincubation lid 152. The shape of the throughhole 138 and theincubation lid 152 may be different as long as the coverage of theincubation lid 152 can fully hide the throughhole 138 from view. In some embodiments, as shown inFIG. 5 , theincubation lid 152 has anopening 154. Theopening 154 may be a through hole that goes through theincubation lid 152 so as to allow foreign particle entry, or in some cases removal, from the spaces in between theincubation lid 152 and the thermalconductive plate 142. In some embodiments, theopening 154 is a valve that can be closed or opened depends on required reaction conditions in the space collectively defined by theincubation lid 152 and the thermalconductive plate 142. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 6 .FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of theincubation device 100 obtained from a vertical plane crossing Y-Y inFIG. 5 . For the sake of clarity, only selected elements are shown in the diagram. Theincubation lid 152 includes ashield 152 a which is made of a thermal insulating material similar to theplatform 130. Theshield 152 a may resemble an inverted bowl and has a depth that adds the height to the throughhole 138 as shown inFIG. 6 . In some embodiments, theshield 152 a just closes atop the sidewalls of the throughhole 138 without increasing the dimension of the closed throughhole 138. Inside theshield 152 a, a lid thermaltemperature control unit 152 b is mounted on the inner surface of theshield 152 a. When theincubation lid 152 closes the throughhole 138, the lid thermaltemperature control unit 152 b is contained in the throughhole 138. The throughhole 138 is now a sealed space for accommodating, for example, reaction vessels. When thetemperature control unit 144 and the lidtemperature control unit 152 b are under operation, the air in the throughhole 138 may be heated up or cooled down depending on the predetermined temperature control. Thetemperature control unit 144 and the lidtemperature control unit 152 b may be working at the same time, or one is on and the other is off. In some embodiments, the lidtemperature control unit 152 b may be omitted. Theopening 154 on theshield 152 a allows gas and fluid communication with the throughhole 138. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 7 . When theactuator 110 is under operation, theplatform 130 tilts an angle a with respect to a base level Al shown inFIG. 7 . The base level Al is the position of theplatform 130 when theactuator 110 is at rest. Once theactuator 110 is activated, for example, going clockwise, the movement from themotion disc 116 is then transmitted by theshaft 118 to theplatform 130. Theplatform 130 therefore goes clockwise as themotion disc 116. When themotion disc 116 goes anti-clockwise, theplatform 130 is drawn along the course. Theincubation lid 152 also follows the movement generated by theactuator 110 and keeps the throughhole 138 airtight during the swing. The frequency and degrees of swing of themotion disc 116 may be controlled by an actuator control unit (not shown). - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 8 , illustrating another embodiment of theincubation device 200. Theincubation device 200 is similar to theincubation device 100, and the difference arises from theactuator 210. Theincubation device 200 includes theactuator 210, theplatform 230 and theincubation lid 152. Unlike theactuator 110, theactuator 210 has ahydraulic system 212, and one terminal of theshaft 218 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder. The other terminal of theshaft 218 is connected to theplatform 230. Theplatform 230 is engaged to theplatform support legs 234 in a movable manner so as to allow theplatform 230 to swing. In some embodiments, theflange 232 of theplatform 230 has apivot 236 that is received by theplatform support legs 234. - Still referring to
FIG. 8 . Thehydraulic system 212 creates movement in an up and down fashion. Theshaft 218 is pushed out of the bore and retreating back to the bore, as the hydraulic cylinder goes up and down. The movement of theshaft 218 and causes a swing movement to theplatform 230 similar to the one generated by theactuator 110. - Attention is now invited to
FIGS. 9A and 9B , illustrating an elevation view of another embodiment of theincubation device 300. Theincubation device 300 is similar to theincubation device 100, and the difference arises from theactuator 310. Theactuator 310 includes abelt 316. As shown inFIG. 9A , thebelt 316 forms a loop between the actuator 310 and theshaft 318. Theplatform 330 is at a rest state on theplatform support legs 314 When theactuator 310 activates, thebelt 316 spins and brings theshaft 318 into a rotation. As shown inFIG. 9B , theshaft 318 transmits the rotation movement to theplatform 330, and theplatform 330 swings. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 10 , illustrating a cross-sectional view of aflow cell 500. Theincubation device 100 may further include theflow cell 500. Theflow cell 500 has ahousing 512 serving as a container that defines achamber 518 by its boundary. Thechamber 518 may accommodate biological and chemical analytes (not shown). Thehousing 512 is closed by a visiblytransparent window 514, covering a top portion of thechamber 518. When analytes are placed in thechamber 518, reaction conditions inside thehousing 512 can be observed through thewindow 514. Portions of thewindow 514 define aport 516. Theport 516 allows admission and discharge of fluid or other particles into or out of thechamber 518. Thehousing 512 may adapt to any geometric configuration, for example, oval, square, or the like. Theflow cell 500 may include asubstrate 522 disposed on the bottom of thechamber 518. Thesubstrate 522 may include fluorescence material. The fluorescence material may react with certain molecules and become an indicator when the chemical or biological reaction takes place. The fluorescence signal may escape from the visiblytransparent window 514. Examples of thesubstrate 522 can be glass, quartz, and silicon. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 11 . Theflow cell 500 is received by theplatform 130 in the throughhole 138. In some embodiments, thehousing 512 is a rectangular block that tightly fits into the throughhole 138 as shown inFIG. 10 . Theflow cell 500 is disposed on the thermalconductive plate 142. Thefront side 142 a of the thermalconductive plate 142 is in contact with the bottom of thehousing 512. Theflow cell 500 sits on the thermalconductive plate 142, and theincubation lid 152 covers up the throughhole 138 which accommodates theflow cell 500. In some embodiments, thehousing 512 may have a different configuration from the throughhole 138, and the sidewalls of thehousing 512 will not be in contact with theplatform 130. In some embodiments, more than oneflow cell 500 may be placed on the thermalconductive plate 142. The height of theflow cell 500, which is measured from the bottom of thehousing 512 to thewindow 514, should not exceed the height of the throughhole 138 such that theincubation lid 152 does not crash the top portion of theflow cell 500 when theincubation lid 152 travels across theplatform 130. When theflow cell 500 is confined in the throughhole 138, theopening 154 of theincubation lid 152 is aligned with theport 516 of theflow cell 500. In this alignment, materials can be admitted into or discharged from thechamber 518 of theflow cell 500. - Still referring to
FIG. 11 ,in the case when theopening 154 is a valve and theopening 154 can be shut, the throughhole 138 of theplatform 130 is sealed from the top by theincubation lid 152. Theflow cell 500 inside the throughhole 138 is in an airtight condition to prevent liquid evaporation. In the case which a high temperature is desired, thetemperature control unit 144 is heated up, and the heat is transmitted to the thermalconductive plate 142. The heat is then passed on to theflow cell 500 through direct contact with the thermalconductive plate 142. At the same time, the heat is retained in the throughhole 138 because theplatform 130 and theincubation lid 152 are made of thermal insulating material, and the desired temperature can be easily achieved and maintained. In addition, the lidtemperature control unit 152 b helps to maintain the temperature in the closed space. - Fluid can be introduced into the
flow cell 500 from theopening 154 through to theport 516. Some bubbles may be present in the fluid contained in theflow cell 500. When theplatform 130 swings according to themotion disc 116, due to gravity, the fluid and bubbles travel in opposite directions. That is, the bubbles can be exhausted from theport 516 and released out of thechamber 518 and further out of the throughhole 138 through theopening 154. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 12 , illustrating another embodiment of the incubation device. In this embodiment, theflow cell 500 further includes themagnetic microparticles 524. The size of thesemagnetic microparticles 524 ranges from less than 1 micron (μm) to 100 micron, preferably less than 30, and more preferably between 1 to 10 micron. The surface of the magnetic microparticle may be covered by materials such as silica, polystyrene or the like. Theincubation device 100 further includes amagnetic member 146 that is disposed on theback side 142 b of the thermalconductive plate 142. Themagnetic member 146 may apply a magnetic field to theflow cell 500 through the thermalconductive plate 142, and the positions of themagnetic microparticles 524 can be controlled by the magnetic field generated by themagnetic member 146. For example, themagnetic microparticles 524 may be herded into a corner of thechamber 518. Themagnetic member 146 may have a similar coverage as thesubstrate 522 in thechamber 518. In some embodiments, themagnetic member 146 includes a permanent magnet. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 13 , illustrating anincubation system 1100. Theincubation system 1100 includes theincubation device 100 and a fluid control unit. Only portions of the fluid control unit are shown inFIG. 13 . The fluid control unit includes adispenser 612 a. Thedispenser 612 a is provided with, for example, analytes or solution. Thedispenser 612 a is in fluid communication with theincubation device 100. For the sake of clarity, only thedispenser 612 a is shown inFIG. 13 . Thedispenser 612 a is aligned to theopening 154. When fluid is pumped to thedispenser 612 a, the fluid passes through theopening 154 and enters thechamber 518 through theport 516. Thedispenser 612 a may be tilted along with theincubation device 100 if needed. Still referring toFIG. 13 , theincubation system 1100 may further include adetection unit 712 a, having light emitting elements and receiving elements (not shown). The light emitting element of thedetection unit 712 a may include a light-emitting diode (LED). In some embodiments, thedetection unit 712 a is hanged over theincubation lid 152 as shown inFIG. 13 because theincubation lid 152 is made of transparent materials. Radiation from thedetection unit 712 a having a predetermined wavelength may be admitted through theincubation lid 152 and passes to thechamber 518. Specific chemical and biological analytes may response to the radiation and their signals go through theincubation lid 152 and are picked up by a receiving element in thedetection unit 712 a. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 14 . In some embodiments, thedispenser 612 b are attached to theincubation lid 152. Thedispenser 612 b points toward theopening 154 and is aligned with theport 516, and fluid can be admitted into thechamber 518. It is understood that, thedispenser 612 b is still in connection with the fluid control unit of theincubation system 1100 through, for example, longer hose. In the case which thedispenser 612 b is fixed with theincubation lid 152, theincubation lid 152 is capable of both sliding along theplatform 130 and moving perpendicular to theplatform 130 in order to provide a proper seal of theport 516 of thechamber 518 by the dispenser 612. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 15A , illustrating another embodiment of the incubation system. In some embodiments, theincubation lid 152 is not made of transparent materials, and thedetection unit 712 b is attached to the inner surface of theincubation lid 152. As shown inFIG. 15A , thedetection unit 712 b hangs over thewindow 514 of theflow cell 500. The lidtemperature control unit 152 b changes its configuration according to the position of thedetection unit 712 b. In some embodiments, the lidtemperature control unit 152 b is in a ring shape surrounding thedetection unit 712 b. The radiation form thedetection unit 712 b travels through thewindow 514, and the signals from thechamber 518 are picked up by thedetection 712 b reciprocally. - Attention is now invited to
FIG. 15B , illustrating still another embodiment of the incubation system. Thedetection unit 712 c is coupled to thetrack mechanism 168, and a portion of theincubation lid 152 is hollowed out to allow the radiation from thedetection unit 712 c to go through. The lidtemperature control unit 152 b is split into two portions as shown inFIG. 15B . - The thermal insulating platform is used to hold the flow cell. The reaction vessel is placed on the thermal conductive plate that allows fast thermal conductivity. The temperature of the reaction vessel can be finely and precisely controlled and maintained during incubation period because the platform and the incubation lid together prevent undesired thermal transfer. The swing of the platform also ensures even reactant distribution and facilitates reaction speed.
- Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.
Claims (19)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US15/585,756 US20180318839A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2017-05-03 | Incubation Device Having Rotary Mechanism |
CN201710755329.2A CN108795686B (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2017-08-29 | Culture instrument with rotating system and culture system |
US17/469,382 US20210402409A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2021-09-08 | Incubation system having rotary mechanism |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
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US15/585,756 US20180318839A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2017-05-03 | Incubation Device Having Rotary Mechanism |
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US17/469,382 Continuation US20210402409A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2021-09-08 | Incubation system having rotary mechanism |
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US20180318839A1 true US20180318839A1 (en) | 2018-11-08 |
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US15/585,756 Abandoned US20180318839A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2017-05-03 | Incubation Device Having Rotary Mechanism |
US17/469,382 Pending US20210402409A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2021-09-08 | Incubation system having rotary mechanism |
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US17/469,382 Pending US20210402409A1 (en) | 2017-05-03 | 2021-09-08 | Incubation system having rotary mechanism |
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US20180372614A1 (en) * | 2017-06-22 | 2018-12-27 | Horiba, Ltd. | Optical measurement cell and particle properties measuring instrument using the same |
CN111307566A (en) * | 2020-03-17 | 2020-06-19 | 北京倍肯恒业科技发展股份有限公司 | Constant temperature incubation system |
CN116448537A (en) * | 2023-06-16 | 2023-07-18 | 长沙迈迪克智能科技有限公司 | Incubation module |
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2017
- 2017-05-03 US US15/585,756 patent/US20180318839A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2017-08-29 CN CN201710755329.2A patent/CN108795686B/en active Active
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2021
- 2021-09-08 US US17/469,382 patent/US20210402409A1/en active Pending
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US20050009101A1 (en) * | 2001-05-17 | 2005-01-13 | Motorola, Inc. | Microfluidic devices comprising biochannels |
US20130210081A1 (en) * | 2010-12-01 | 2013-08-15 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Thermal cycler and thermal cycle method |
US20170114316A1 (en) * | 2015-10-01 | 2017-04-27 | Berkeley Lights, Inc. | Well plate incubator |
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US20180372614A1 (en) * | 2017-06-22 | 2018-12-27 | Horiba, Ltd. | Optical measurement cell and particle properties measuring instrument using the same |
US10782225B2 (en) * | 2017-06-22 | 2020-09-22 | Horiba, Ltd. | Optical measurement cell and particle properties measuring instrument using the same |
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CN116448537A (en) * | 2023-06-16 | 2023-07-18 | 长沙迈迪克智能科技有限公司 | Incubation module |
Also Published As
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CN108795686B (en) | 2022-09-23 |
US20210402409A1 (en) | 2021-12-30 |
CN108795686A (en) | 2018-11-13 |
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