Thermo-controllable high-density chips for multiplex analyses
AssigneeWaferGen, Inc.
InventorsVictor Joseph, Amjad Huda, Alnoor Shivji, Jie Zhou
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Abstract
The present invention provides miniaturized instruments for conducting chemical reactions where control of the reaction temperature is desired or required. Specifically, this invention provides chips and optical systems for performing and monitoring temperature-dependent chemical reactions. The apparatus and methods embodied in the present invention are particularly useful for high-throughput and low-cost amplification of nucleic acids.
Claims20
A chip for varying and/or maintaining a reaction sample comprising an array of thermo-controllable units, wherein the chip has a surface density of at least about one thermo-controllable unit per 1 mm2, and wherein a unit within the array comprises a micro well for receiving and confining the reaction sample and a heating element in thermal contact with said micro well.
An apparatus for conducting a chemical reaction requiring cycling at least two temperature levels, comprising:
- (a) a chip for cycling at least two temperature levels, said array comprising:
- an array of thermo-controllable units, wherein the array has a surface density of at least about one thermo-controllable unit per 1 mm2, and wherein a unit within the array comprises a micro well for receiving and confining the amplification reagents and a heating element in thermal contact with said micro well;
- (b) an optical system operatively coupled to the chip of (a), wherein the optical system detects an optical signal coming from the micro well.
A method of conducting a chemical reaction that involves a plurality of reaction samples and requires cycling at least two temperature levels, comprising:
- (a) providing a chip comprising:
- an array of thermo-controllable units, wherein the chip has a surface density of at least about one thermo-controllable unit per 1 mm2, and wherein a unit within the array comprises a micro well for receiving and confining the reaction sample and a heating element in thermal contact with said micro well;
- (b) placing the plurality of reaction samples into the thermo-controllable units;
- and
- (c) controlling the heating element to effect cycling at least two temperature levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.