JP-2026076374-A - PCR plate, nucleic acid extraction cartridge, and polymerization enzyme chain reaction apparatus containing the same
Abstract
[Problem] To provide a PCR plate, a nucleic acid extraction cartridge, and a polymerization enzyme chain reaction apparatus containing the same, which can perform nucleic acid extraction and real-time gene amplification testing fully automatically, can test multiple targets in a single operation, is easy to use, and in particular can obtain accurate results in a short time. [Solution] The PCR plate includes a body portion having one or more reaction wells; an insertion portion extending from the body portion and having an injection port into which nucleic acid solution is injected, which is inserted into a nucleic acid extraction cartridge; a flow channel portion that allows the nucleic acid solution to flow from the injection port into the reaction wells; and a blocking portion attached to the body portion that blocks the backflow of nucleic acid solution from the reaction wells to the flow channel portion. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1
Inventors
- パク ハンオ
Assignees
- バイオニア コーポレーション
Dates
- Publication Date
- 20260511
- Application Date
- 20260220
Claims (2)
- A cartridge cover comprising a cartridge cover having multiple partitioned compartments containing solutions necessary for DNA extraction; and a cartridge body portion connected to the lid portion by an insertion structure, which is provided with a reaction compartment for reacting or purifying the solution drawn in from the compartments with a sample; The cartridge cover is in contact with one side of the housing portion of the cartridge body and includes a rubber portion made of an elastically deformable material. The rubber portion seals the space between the cartridge cover and the cartridge body when the cartridge cover and the cartridge body are assembled. The cartridge cover has numerous holes, and each of the numerous holes is provided with a leak-proof rubber, the leak-proof rubber being made of an elastically deformable material. A nucleic acid extraction cartridge characterized by the following features.
- A nucleic acid extraction cartridge; and a PCR plate that receives the nucleic acid solution from the nucleic acid extraction cartridge and places it in a reaction well containing a dried PCR mixture; The nucleic acid extraction cartridge is A cartridge cover comprising a cartridge cover having multiple partitioned compartments containing solutions necessary for DNA extraction; and a cartridge body portion connected to the lid portion by an insertion structure, which is provided with a reaction compartment for reacting or purifying the solution drawn in from the compartments with a sample; The aforementioned PCR plate is A body section comprising one or more of the aforementioned reaction wells; An insertion portion extending from the body portion, inserted into the nucleic acid extraction cartridge, and having an injection port into which the nucleic acid solution is injected; A flow channel section that allows the nucleic acid solution to flow from the inlet to the reaction well; and a blocking section attached to the body section that blocks the backflow of the nucleic acid solution from the reaction well to the flow channel section; The cartridge cover is in contact with one side of the housing portion of the cartridge body and includes a rubber portion made of an elastically deformable material. The rubber portion seals the space between the cartridge cover and the cartridge body when the cartridge cover and the cartridge body are assembled. The cartridge cover has numerous holes, and each of the numerous holes is provided with a leak-proof rubber, the leak-proof rubber being made of an elastically deformable material. A nucleic acid extraction cartridge assembly characterized by the following features.
Description
This invention relates to a PCR plate, a nucleic acid extraction cartridge, and a polymerization enzyme chain reaction apparatus containing the same, and more particularly, to a PCR plate, a nucleic acid extraction cartridge, and a polymerization enzyme chain reaction apparatus containing the same that can detect nucleic acid extraction, amplification reaction, and amplified results in real time. Point of Care (POC) diagnostic technology, which accurately and rapidly diagnoses a patient's illness regardless of time or location, is attracting attention as a crucial technology in evidence-based precision medicine. Symptom-based on-site diagnosis, which identifies the causative pathogen by testing all infectious pathogens causing the symptoms—such as cough, diarrhea, high fever, and reproductive abnormalities—in a rapid, simultaneous manner, and prescribes the most appropriate antibiotics and treatments, is a core new technology of future precision medicine and is developing rapidly through extensive research. Such on-site diagnostic technology has the advantage of enabling rapid and accurate diagnosis even by non-specialists in the field, similar to existing pregnancy test kits and blood glucose meters. Currently, multiplex testing methods capable of simultaneously testing for various pathogens are being developed. Molecular diagnostic technology, utilizing these technologies to accurately identify the cause of infectious diseases, enables optimal prescription, allows for early treatment of illnesses, dramatically shortens patient recovery times, improves the quality of medical care, and reduces medical costs, is attracting attention as a core technology of future medicine. However, current molecular diagnostic systems require more than three hours to confirm results and must be operated by skilled specialists. Therefore, for the POC molecular diagnostics required in the field, the development of a compact, automated device capable of fully automating complex nucleic acid extraction processes and real-time gene amplification testing is essential, and it must be easily operated even by non-specialists. A representative molecular diagnostic method is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Since its invention by Kary Mullis in 1985, PCR has been widely used in molecular biology and molecular diagnostics because it can rapidly and easily amplify specific DNA. PCR/RT-PCR allows for the confirmation of the presence of specific DNA/RNA in a biological sample, and this technique is frequently used in the diagnosis of pathogenic microbial infections such as viruses. This PCR/RT-PCR technique has evolved into Real-Time Quantitative PCR (Real-Time PCR), which allows for the confirmation of results immediately after the completion of PCR. This has not only simplified the testing process and significantly reduced testing time, but also enabled accurate quantification of the number of pathogens, making it a standard diagnostic method for monitoring the effectiveness of treatments for viruses such as HIV, HCV, and HBV. Furthermore, PCR/RT-PCR technology is used as one of the most important technologies for disease diagnosis because it can examine gene expression patterns and gene mutations associated with specific diseases. To perform PCR in this manner, a nucleic acid extraction step is necessary to remove substances that inhibit the PCR reaction from the biological sample and extract pure nucleic acids. The nucleic acid extraction process consists of multiple steps and requires skilled techniques for both the biological sample and the nucleic acid extraction procedure. Since manual extraction can lead to contamination due to human error, molecular diagnostics are now almost entirely performed using automated nucleic acid extraction equipment. Since real-time quantitative PCR equipment is required to detect PCR reactions and reaction products, molecular diagnostics were previously mainly performed in large hospitals and specialized clinical testing laboratories. Through recent research and development, a variety of automated systems and devices have been developed that automate the entire process of nucleic acid extraction, PCR reaction, and reaction product detection, enabling easy use of PCR even without specialized skills. However, existing devices have problems such as being excessively expensive, requiring long processing times, and making it difficult to perform a variety of tests simultaneously. To explain the basic principle of PCR, a DNA double helix is separated into single strands by heating it to 95°C. The reaction solution is then cooled to the annealing temperature, and complementary primers in the PCR reaction solution are selectively mixed to both ends of the site to be amplified. DNA polymerase then sequentially ligates four types of nucleotide triphosphates (A, G, T, and C) complementary to each single strand, creating a double helix, and this reaction is repeated. PCR is a reaction in which the heat