Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Apparatus – Including condition or time responsive control means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-06-26
Redding, David A. (Department: 1744)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Apparatus
Including condition or time responsive control means
C435S286400, C435S287300, C435S303100, C422S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06251659
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically performing the temperature treating processing of a biological sample and, more particularly, relates to, in the field of diagnosing and inspecting a gene, an apparatus for automatically dissolving a biological sample in the operation for extracting, isolating and refining a gene from a biological sample, in particular, a mycobacterium species among bacteria.
In recent years, in accordance with the development of the gene research, the diagnosis of gene such as infectious disease, cancer, hereditary disease or the like and the various methods using the gene such as appraisal or analysis of parent and children, inspection for identifying a person or the like have been widely employed.
The gene analysis is considered to be increasingly developed from now since the gene analysis is superior in the expeditiousness, the detection of small amount and the speedy detection in comparison with the conventional cultivation assays of bacteria and the conventional immunological assays using the antigen-antibody reaction or the like. In particularly, in the field of the medical gene analysis, in accordance with the increase of the infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HBV, HCV), tuberculosis or the like, the development of the analysis kit or the like has been expanded rapidly and the demands for the mass processing of samples has been increased.
In this manner, since the gene analysis is an excellent analysis method, the gene analysis has been put to practical use. However, the gene analysis is complicated and hence a skilled person is required to perform the analysis. In such a circumstance, it is has been desired to perform the gene analysis automatically in view of the simplicity, the labor saving, the mass processing, and the safety of a person in charge of the analysis.
The aforesaid gene inspection is performed by the four processes, that is, (1) the process of extracting nucleic acid from an specimen, (2) the process of isolating the nucleic acid, (3) the process of DNA amplification (there are some method such as the DNA probe method which do not require this process), and (4) the process of detecting the target nucleic acid. In the aforesaid four processes, the automatic devices for performing the processes (3) and (4) automatically have been developed.
Further, the automatic devices for performing the aforesaid processes (1) and (2) automatically are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei-8-15437, Japanese Patent Kokai (Unexamined Laid-Open) No. Hei-4-99477 and Japanese Patent Kokai (Unexamined Laid-Open) No. Hei-3-224474.
However, the aforesaid automatic devices performs the process of isolating nucleic acid from a cell mainly as to a virus. Since the viruses such as HIV, HBV, HCV and the cells of animals are covered by relatively weak cell membranes or coat protein, nucleic acid can be isolated easily from a cell. For example, virus RNA can be obtained in a manner that guanidine hydrochloride as the denaturant is added to serum and then heated for 10 minutes at 60° C. (see
Since the bacteria are covered by cell walls, there is a case requiring particular process such as enzymatic treatment, heat processing, mechanical grinding breakage, sonication or the like. In particular, since a tuberculosis includes much mycolic acid within cell walls to form the strong cell walls, it is difficult to extract a gene therefrom. In this case, the aforesaid devices are required to perform the breakage processing of a cell body manually.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As described above, the conventional biological sample automatic processing apparatus can perform the biomolecule extraction process automatically only in the case where biological samples are ones in which a biomolecule can be isolated easily from a cell thereof by using the protein denaturant or detergent, but can not perform the biomolecule extraction process automatically in the case where biological samples are ones such as bacteria each requiring the particular processing at the time of isolating a biomolecule therefrom.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a biological sample automatic processing apparatus which can obviate the aforesaid problem of the conventional biological sample automatic processing apparatuses.
Another object of the present invention is to realize a biological sample automatic processing apparatus which includes a temperature adjuster performing such a temperature processing that a sample solution containing treating liquid such as enzyme solution, detergent solution, organic solution, acid solution, alkaline solution or the like for isolating biomolecule from a biological sample is held at a constant temperature during a constant time period and to further includes a mechanism for moving the biological sample for the automatic processing.
In order to attain the aforesaid objects, the present invention is arranged in the following manner.
(1) A biological sample processing apparatus, comprising:
a temperature adjuster for keeping a plurality of holders at a setting temperature while moving the plurality of holders each supporting a container receiving biological sample solution therein; and
at least one temperature compensation section which, in a stage before a new holder moves into the temperature adjuster, controls temperature of the plurality of holders for a constant time period so as to be higher than a setting temperature when the setting temperature is higher than a temperature in the stage, and controls the temperature of the plurality of holders for a constant time period so as to be lower than the setting temperature when the setting temperature is lower than a temperature in the stage, wherein the at least one temperature compensation section can control the temperature of the plurality of holders independently from the temperature adjuster, and wherein the plurality of holders are disposed within the temperature adjuster in a closely contacted state from one another
Thus, in the present invention, since the holders are arranged in a closely contacted state from one another at the time of moving the holders within the temperature adjuster, heat can be transferred through the mutual contact surfaces of the holders. Thus, when the holder newly moves into the temperature adjuster, heat also can be transferred to the new holder from the holders having been stayed within the temperature adjuster, so that the temperature of the new holder can quickly reach the constant temperature.
Further, since the holders are disposed in the closely contacted state from one another within the temperature adjuster, the degree of the unevenness of temperature among the holders can be reduced and so the temperature among the holders can be made almost uniform.
Furthermore, since, in the stage before the new holder moves into the temperature adjuster, heat quantity transferred among the holders is compensated by the temperature compensation section provided independently from the temperature adjuster, the temperature of the holders can be controlled quickly and with high accuracy.
(2) Preferably, in the aforesaid the arrangement (1), the biological sample processing apparatus further comprising a pipetting means for dispensing treating liquid within the containers, wherein the apparatus repeatedly performs for an arbitrary number of times a process of dispensing the treating liquid within the containers, a process of moving the holders and a process of keeping the containers at a constant temperature for a constant time period.
(3) Preferably, in the aforesaid the arrangement (1), the at least one temperature compensation section controls a temperature of the holders in correspondence with a movement of the new holder.
(4) Preferably, in the aforesaid the arrangement (2), the treating liquid contains detergent.
(5) Preferably, in the aforesaid the arrangement (2), the treating liquid contains sodium hydroxide, potassium hyd
Fukuzuno Shinichi
Maeuchihara Norie
Sakurai Toshinari
Yasuda Kenji
Hitachi , Ltd.
Mattingly Stanger & Malur, P.C.
Redding David A.
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