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US 2009/0155793 A1Published application
Apparatus for high throughput sequencing of nucleic acids
AssigneeComplete Genomics, Inc.
InventorArnold Oliphant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scalable reaction and detection system for automated high throughput sequencing of nucleic acids involving a combination of chemical processes and observation processes independent of the chemistry processes. Discrete functional units may be configured in a manner that allows the system to interchangeably utilize different sequencing reaction components in conjunction with discrete apparatus components for optical image collection and/or analysis.
Claims10
A system for high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing comprising:
- a reaction subsystem for carrying out biochemical sequencing reactions on nucleic acid samples in reaction units;
- a discrete detection subsystem for capturing optical images of the sequencing reactions to be used for analysis of the optical images independently of the sequencing reactions;
- and
- a coupling subsystem for transferring the nucleic acid samples between the reaction platform and the detection system whereby the reaction platform and the detection systems are physically loosely coupled in a reversibly integrated system.
1 more element
A method for processing and detecting an automated sequencing reaction on a nucleic acid comprising:
- placing a plurality of flow cells on a reaction platform, each flow cell comprising a plurality of distinguishable reaction sites and a plurality of nucleic acid samples attached to the plurality of reaction sites;
- injecting a processing reagent into the flow cells;
- reacting the processing reagent with the nucleic acid samples for a processing period to invoke sequencing reactions producing fluorescent sequencing products;
- thereafter
- transferring the flow cells from the reaction platform to a detection subsystem using an automated coupling subsystem that is physically loosely coupled to the detection subsystem;
- illuminating the flow cells at the detection subsystem to cause the fluorescent sequencing products to fluoresce in distinguishable spectra at the distinguishable reaction sites;
- and
- capturing a color image of fluorescence from the distinguishable reaction sites in the flow cells for use to identify nucleic acid sequences, where duration of the capturing step is substantially less than the reacting step.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.