Nucleic acid amplification process controls
AssigneeGen-Probe Incorporated
InventorsJérôme HENNETIN, Roberto RUFFINENGO, Ivan FERRANTE, Adriano PITONI
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and computer readable media monitor for the introduction of one or more liquids into a reaction chamber. Exemplary methods include determining fluorescence-based values from fluorophore-containing nucleic acid amplification reaction mixtures and determining whether those values satisfy predetermined thresholds and/or ranges or otherwise indicate abnormalities.
Claims32
A method of monitoring for the introduction of one or more liquids into a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (A) obtaining a first fluorescence measurement from the reaction chamber;
- (B) after (A), introducing, or attempting to introduce, a first liquid of the one or more liquids into the reaction chamber;
- (C) after (B), obtaining a second fluorescence measurement from the reaction chamber;
- (D) determining a first value from the first fluorescence measurement and the second fluorescence measurement, the first value indicating a degree of change in fluorescence in the reaction chamber resulting from (B);
- and
- comparing the first value to a first predetermined threshold or range, wherein an abnormality is detected if the first value does not satisfy the first predetermined threshold or the first value is outside the first predetermined range.
A system comprising:
- a docking station configured to receive a vessel comprising a reaction chamber;
- a fluorometer configured to measure fluorescence in the reaction chamber;
- and
- a processor operably linked to the fluorometer and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform a method of monitoring for the introduction of one or more liquids into the reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (A) obtaining a first fluorescence measurement from the reaction chamber;
- (B) after (A), introducing, or attempting to introduce, a first liquid of the one or more liquids into the reaction chamber;
- (C) after (B), obtaining a second fluorescence measurement from the reaction chamber;
- (D) determining a first value from the first fluorescence measurement and the second fluorescence measurement, the first value indicating a degree of change in fluorescence in the reaction chamber resulting from (B);
- and
- (E) comparing the first value to a first predetermined threshold or range, wherein an abnormality is detected if the first value does not satisfy the first predetermined threshold or the first value is outside the first predetermined range.
A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system, cause the system to perform a method of monitoring for the introduction of one or more liquids into a reaction chamber, the method comprising:
- (A) obtaining a first fluorescence measurement from the reaction chamber;
- (B) after (A), introducing, or attempting to introduce, a first liquid of the one or more liquids into the reaction chamber;
- (C) after (B), obtaining a second fluorescence measurement from the amplification reaction chamber;
- (D) determining a first value from the first fluorescence measurement and the second fluorescence measurement, the first value indicating a degree of change in fluorescence in the reaction chamber resulting from (B);
- and
- (E) comparing the first value to a first predetermined threshold or range, wherein an abnormality is detected if the first value does not satisfy the first predetermined threshold or the first value is outside the first predetermined range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.