# US 10,767,218 B2 · Method for reducing quantification errors caused by reaction volume deviations in digital polymerase chain reaction

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,767,218 B2
- Document ID: US10767218B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/712,977
- Filed: 2017-09-22
- Published: 2018-03-29
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-23
- Assignees: Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Alan Furlan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767218B2

## CPC

- C12Q 1/686: Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
- C12Q 1/6837: using probe arrays or probe chips (C12Q1/6874 takes precedence)
- C12Q 1/6851: Quantitative amplification
- C12Q 1/701: {Specific hybridization probes}
- G01N 33/4833: {of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures (tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735)}
- C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for reducing quantification errors caused by reaction volume deviations in digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and to a method for determining the amount or concentration of a nucleic acid of interest in a sample with dPCR.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for reducing quantification errors caused by reaction volume deviations in digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), wherein the amount or concentration of a nucleic acid of interest is quantified in an array of reaction areas, the method comprising
a) adding a fill control marker to each reaction area of the array of reaction areas used in dPCR;
b) quantifying the reaction volume in each reaction area; and
c) calculating the amount or concentration of the nucleic acid of interest as a number of nucleic acid(s) as determined by dPCR in a volume or per volume, wherein the volume is the sum of the reaction volumes as determined in step b).

### Claim 2

A method for determining the amount or concentration of a nucleic acid of interest in a sample, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a sample suspected of containing the nucleic acid of interest;
b) performing a dPCR with the sample in each reaction area of an array of reaction areas;
c) quantifying the reaction volume in each reaction area; and
d) calculating the amount or concentration of the nucleic acid of interest as a number of nucleic acid(s) as determined in step b) in a volume or per volume, wherein the volume is the sum of the reaction volumes as determined in step c).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction volume is quantified by quantifying a fill control marker present in each reaction area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the signal of the fill control marker is proportional to the reaction volume in the reaction area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein a correction factor for each reaction area is calculated based on the signal of the fill control marker measured and the signal of the fill control marker expected and wherein the correction factor accounting for a reaction volume deviation is applied to the respective reaction area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction volume in each reaction area is quantified based on the height of the reaction volume in the reaction area.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a reaction area is identified as invalid, if the quantity of the fill control marker in the reaction area does not match a threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the reaction area is identified as invalid if the quantity of the fill control marker in the reaction area is below a lower threshold.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the reaction area is identified as invalid if the quantity of the fill control marker in the reaction area is above an upper threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fill control marker is added to the PCR reaction mix before being distributed to the reaction areas.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fill control marker is a fluorescence marker or an absorbance marker.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the fill control marker has one or more of the following characteristics:
has fluorescence and/or absorbance properties different from that of one or more dPCR probe(s);
has an excitation wavelength or an emission wavelength identical to a target probe fluorescence marker used in the dPCR; or
has a Stokes-shift of at least 100 nm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid of interest has one or more of the following characteristics:
is a nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of DNA, cDNA, RNA and a mixture thereof; or
is indicative of a microorganism, a cell, a virus, a bacterium, a fungus, a mammal species, a genetic status or a disease.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the sample has been obtained from a cell culture or a source suspected of being contaminated.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the sample comprises a body fluid, blood, blood plasma, blood serum, urine, bile, cerebrospinal fluid, a swab, a clinical specimen, an organ sample or a tissue sample.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction area is selected from the group consisting of a miniaturized chamber of a microarray; a miniaturized chamber of a nanoarray; a chamber of a microfluidic device; a microwell on a chip; a nanowell on a chip; a microwell in a capillary; a nanowell in a capillary; a nucleic acid binding surface; and a bead.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the array of reaction areas comprises at least 100 reaction areas.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the array of reaction areas comprises at least 100-100,000 reaction areas.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the array of reaction areas comprises at least 10,000-100,000 reaction areas.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dPCR involves the use of one or more fluorescent dPCR probes in order to detect one or more nucleic acid(s) of interest, alone or in combination with a quencher.