KR101757232B1 - Apparatus for polymerase chain reaction - Google Patents

Apparatus for polymerase chain reaction Download PDF

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Publication number
KR101757232B1
KR101757232B1 KR1020150143066A KR20150143066A KR101757232B1 KR 101757232 B1 KR101757232 B1 KR 101757232B1 KR 1020150143066 A KR1020150143066 A KR 1020150143066A KR 20150143066 A KR20150143066 A KR 20150143066A KR 101757232 B1 KR101757232 B1 KR 101757232B1
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South Korea
Prior art keywords
heating
pcr
pipette tip
unit
block
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KR1020150143066A
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Korean (ko)
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KR20170043376A (en
Inventor
김진오
박준건
박남우
한진석
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(주)로봇앤드디자인
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Publication of KR20170043376A publication Critical patent/KR20170043376A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L7/00—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices
    • B01L7/52—Heating or cooling apparatus; Heat insulating devices with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
    • B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
    • B01L3/508—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes rigid containers not provided for above
    • B01L3/5085—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes rigid containers not provided for above for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
    • B01L3/50851—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes rigid containers not provided for above for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates specially adapted for heating or cooling samples
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L2200/00—Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus
    • B01L2200/02—Adapting objects or devices to another
    • B01L2200/021—Adjust spacings in an array of wells, pipettes or holders, format transfer between arrays of different size or geometry
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
    • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
    • B01L2300/18—Means for temperature control

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)

Abstract

The PCR processing apparatus includes a first heating block having a heat source disposed on one surface thereof, a second heating block having a heat source disposed on one surface of the first heating block on which the heat source is disposed, A heating unit which is disposed between the first heating block and the second heating block and includes an insertion groove into which a pipette tip storing a substance to be PCR is inserted; And an interval adjusting unit for adjusting an interval between the first heating block and the second heating block.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS FOR POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION [0002]

The present invention relates to a PCR processing apparatus.

DNA or RNA amplification technology has been extensively used for research and development and diagnosis purposes in life sciences, genetic engineering and medical fields, and in particular, DNA amplification technology by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been widely used . Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique of repetitively heating and cooling a sample solution containing a nucleic acid (a substance to be subjected to PCR) to amplify a nucleic acid in an exponential manner by successively replicating a region having a specific nucleotide sequence.

An important factor in DNA amplification using a PCR processor is to uniformly heat the DNA sample solution to some specific temperature and to keep the specific temperature uniform for a predetermined time. As the process of heating the DNA sample solution is repeated several times while changing the treatment temperature, synthesis and amplification of DNA proceeds.

However, in the case of the existing PCR processing apparatus, since the DNA heating process is performed by providing a single heating unit (for example, a heater) and changing the temperature of the heating unit to the required temperature range, it takes time to adjust the temperature of the heating unit As the cycle is repeated several times or dozens of times, the time required for temperature regulation increases exponentially. Thereby causing a problem that the entire process time is prolonged. In addition, since the process is performed while changing the temperature by using a single heating unit, much effort has been required for precise temperature control.

In the case of the conventional PCR treatment, since the sample solution is transferred from the sample container storing the sample solution to the PCR tube or the PCR rack for the heat treatment and the heat treatment is performed, a separate working tool such as PCR tube or PCR rack Or a work action was required, thereby causing a problem that the process time is lengthened and the worker is inconvenienced.

The background technology of the present application is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 1205571.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method thereof capable of shortening a temperature adjustment time of a heat source, PCR processing apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a PCR processing apparatus capable of shortening a PCR processing time by arranging a plurality of heat sources in a straight line, I want to.

In addition, the present invention does not require a separate working tool or work process such as a PCR tube or a PCR rack by directly heating a pipette tip storing a substance to be subjected to a PCR, resulting in shortening a PCR processing time And to provide a PCR processing device capable of providing ease of operation.

It is to be understood, however, that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described technical problems, and other technical problems may exist.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a PCR processing apparatus comprising: a first heating block having a heat source disposed on a first surface thereof; A second heating block on which a heat source is disposed, and an insertion groove formed between the first heating block and the second heating block and into which a pipette tip storing a substance to be subjected to PCR is inserted A heating unit for heating the PCR target material; And an interval adjusting unit for adjusting an interval between the first heating block and the second heating block.

According to an example of this embodiment, a plurality of heating units are arranged, and the plurality of heating units are arranged on a straight line, and the pipette tips sequentially move to the plurality of heating units, The substance to be treated can be heated.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heating unit includes a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a third heating unit, and the first heating unit, the second heating unit, The substance to be treated can be heated.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first heating unit heats the PCR target material to 95 ° C, the second heating unit heats the PCR target material to 55 ° C, and the third heating unit performs the PCR treatment The subject material can be heated to 72 占 폚.

According to one example of this embodiment, the first heating part, the second heating part and the third heating part are arranged in a straight line, and the pipette tip is arranged in the order of the first heating part, the second heating part and the third heating part And the substance to be PCR-treated can be heated.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the PCR processing apparatus may further include a cooling unit located between the first heating unit and the second heating unit and cooling the PCR target material heated by the first heating unit have.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PCR processing apparatus may further include a cooling unit located above the first heating unit and cooling the PCR target material heated by the first heating unit.

According to an example of this embodiment, the insertion groove may be a plurality of.

According to an example of this embodiment, the gap adjusting unit may include: a motor for providing power; A belt that receives the power and rotates to adjust an interval between the first heating block and the second heating block; A pulley for transmitting the power to the belt; And a second heating block which is located between the motor and the pulley and buffers the transmission of power between the motor and the pulley so as to transmit the force of the first heating block and the second heating block, As shown in FIG.

According to one example of this embodiment, the buffer section includes a first buffer block; A second buffer block facing the first buffer block and engaging with the first buffer block; And a plurality of springs arranged between the first buffer block and the second buffer block in the rotational direction of the first buffer block and the second buffer block, The transmission of the power between the motor and the pulley can be buffered according to the compressive force.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PCR processing apparatus includes a pipette tip holding the pipette tip and movable between the plurality of heating units, the pipette tip requiring heat treatment being placed in the insertion groove, And a pipette tip transferring portion for releasing the tip from the insertion groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the material to be processed for PCR is stored in the pipette tip from a region having a height exceeding a first region from a tip of the pipette tip to a predetermined height, The pipette tip is lowered such that a first region of the pipette tip passes through the insertion groove and a second region of the pipette tip storing the substance to be subjected to PCR treatment contacts the inside of the insertion groove, May be a region where the substance to be subjected to PCR treatment is applied.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PCR processing apparatus includes a temperature regulator for generating a control signal for maintaining the heating temperature of the PCR target material in each of the plurality of heating sections; And a power control unit for controlling power supplied to the heating unit based on the control signal.

The above-described task solution is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, there may be additional embodiments described in the drawings and the detailed description of the invention.

According to the above-mentioned problem solving means of the present invention, it is possible to shorten the temperature adjustment time of the heat source and improve the temperature adjustment accuracy by disposing a plurality of heat sources which keep the temperature required for the PCR processing constant.

Further, according to the task solution of the present invention, it is possible to shorten the PCR processing time by arranging a plurality of heat sources in a straight line to minimize the movement path between processes.

In addition, according to the task solution of the present invention, the pipette tip storing the substance to be subjected to PCR treatment is directly heated, so that a separate working tool such as a PCR tube or PCR rack is unnecessary, and the PCR processing time can be shortened.

The effects obtainable herein are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description .

1 is a perspective view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a plan view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an interval adjusting unit of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a PCR processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A is a graph showing a temperature change in a heating part of a conventional PCR processing apparatus.
FIG. 6B is a graph of temperature change in a heating section of a PCR processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, the same reference numbers are used throughout the specification to refer to the same or like parts.

Throughout this specification, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it is intended that the term "directly connected" or "directly coupled" "Electrically connected", "indirectly connected", "electrically coupled", or "indirectly coupled".

It is to be understood that throughout the present application, when a member is located on another member "on top," "on top," "under," "bottom," or the like, And the case where another member exists between the two members.

Throughout this specification, when an element is referred to as "including " an element, it is understood that the element may include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a plan view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a side view of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an interval adjusting unit of a PCR processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a PCR processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes heating units 110, 120 and 130, a gap adjusting unit 140, a cooling unit 150, Unit 160 and a power regulator 170. The power control unit 170 may include a power control unit 170,

Although the PCR processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes three heating units, the number of heating units can be varied. The first heating unit 110, the second heating unit 120 and the third heating unit 130 are coupled to the first guide plate 320 and the second guide plate 330, On the base plate 310 of the base plate 310.

Each of the heating units 110, 120, and 130 includes a first heating block 111 and a second heating block 112 on which a heat source is disposed. One side of the first heating block 111 on which the heat source is disposed and one side on which the heat source of the second heating block 112 is disposed may face each other. Each of the heating units 110, 120 and 130 may include an insertion groove 113 formed between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112. A circular column or a semicircular column-like groove corresponding to the shape of the pipette tip 200 may be formed on one surface of the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 where the heat source is disposed. In other words, a heat source is embedded in one surface of the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112, and the surfaces having the built-in heat source face each other, And an insertion groove into which the pipette tip 200 can be inserted can be formed between the surface and the surface. For example, the heat source includes a coil-shaped heat source and may be replaced by other types of heat sources capable of generating heat.

For example, although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate four insertion grooves 113 in each of the heating units 110, 120 and 130, the number of insertion grooves 113 is variable.

The pipette tip 200 storing the substance to be PCR-processed is inserted into the insertion groove 113 of each of the heating units 110, 120 and 130 and installed on the opposite surfaces of the heating units 110, 120 and 130 The pipette tip 200 and the substance to be subjected to the PCR process can be heated by the heat source. For example, the material to be PCR-treated may be various liquid samples containing DNA or RNA.

The gap adjusting unit 140 may adjust the distance between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the heating units 110, 120, and 130. When the heating process of the pipette tip 200 is completed, the gap adjusting part 140 separates the first heating block 111 from the second heating block 112 so that the pipette tip 200 is removed from the insertion groove 113 The spacing adjusting unit 140 may reduce the distance between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 so that the pipette tip 200 can be separated from the first heating block 111. [ 1 heating block 111 and the second heating block 112. In this case,

The process of adjusting the interval between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 by the gap adjusting unit 140 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the single gap adjusting portion 140 may be formed to have a gap between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the plurality of heating portions 110, 120, Can be adjusted. However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of spacing adjusting portions for adjusting the spacing of the heating blocks of the respective heating portions may be included.

1 and 2, the PCR processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention protects the gap adjusting unit 140 (for example, a belt described later) from a heat source, The control unit 140 may further include a protection case 145 for preventing the PCR treatment material from dropping and contamination.

The cooling unit 150 may cool the pipette tip 200 and the PCR-processed material heated by the heating units 110, 120, and 130. A plurality of cooling units 150 may be provided corresponding to the respective heating units 110, 120, and 130, and the number of the cooling units 150 may be less than the number of the heating units. 1 and 2, the cooling unit 150 is located at an upper portion of the first heating unit 110, and the PCR unit 150, which is heated by the first heating unit 110, The material to be treated and the pipette tip 200 can be cooled. According to another embodiment of the present invention, although not shown, the cooling unit 150 is disposed between the first heating unit 110 and the second heating unit 120, and the first heating unit 110 The pipette tip 200 can be cooled by the first heating unit 110 during the movement of the pipette tip 200 from the first heating unit 120 to the second heating unit 120. For example, the cooling unit 150 may include a fan.

The temperature regulator 160 generates a control signal for setting and maintaining the heating temperature of the PCR target material in each of the heating units 110, 120 and 130 and transmits the generated control signal to the power regulator 170 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the heating units 110, 120, and 130 may include a temperature sensor, and the temperature controller 160 may receive a sensing result signal of the temperature sensor. In addition, the temperature controller 160 may generate a control signal for setting and maintaining a required temperature based on the received temperature sensing result signal.

The power regulator 170 can control the power supplied to the heating units 110, 120, and 130 based on the control signals received from the temperature regulator 160. The power regulator 170 may supply the power required to set and maintain the temperature requested by the temperature regulator 160 to the heating units 110, 120, and 130.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature controller 160 and the power controller 170 may be provided to correspond to the heating units 110, 120 and 130, respectively. In another embodiment of the present invention, A single temperature regulator 160 and a power regulator 170 for controlling the temperature of all the heating units 110, 120 and 130 may be provided. Although not shown in the drawing, each of the heating units 110, 120 and 130, the temperature control unit 160, and the power control unit 170 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

Hereinafter, a process of performing the PCR process using the PCR processor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Although not shown in the drawing, the PCR processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pipette tip transferring unit 100 for gripping a plurality of pipette tips 200 and transferring the pipette tips 200 to a designated position (movable in the X, Y, As shown in FIG. The pipette tip transfer unit is configured to grip the pipette tip 200 and move between the plurality of heating units 110, 120 and 130. The pipette tip 200 requiring heat treatment is placed in the insertion groove 113 The pipette tip 200 having been subjected to the (descending) heat treatment can be released from the insertion groove 113 (rising). The pipette tip transferring unit sequentially grips the pipette tip 200 and sequentially moves to a plurality of heating units 110, 120, and 130 arranged in a straight line so that the plurality of heating units 110, 120, So that the substance to be subjected to the PCR treatment can be heated.

For example, the pipette tip transfer unit can grip a plurality of pipette tips, and each of the plurality of pipette tips can be individually moved up and down.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first heating unit 110, the second heating unit 120, and the third heating unit 130 are disposed on a straight line. The first heating unit 110, the second heating unit 120, and the third heating unit 130 may be set at different temperatures to heat the PCR target material. For example, the first heating unit 110 heats the PCR target material to 95 ° C, the second heating unit 120 heats the PCR target material to 55 ° C, and the third heating unit 130 The PCR-treated material can be heated to 72 ° C.

The pipette tip transfer section grasps the pipette tip 200 and is positioned on the upper portion of the first heating section 110 and descends to position the pipette tip 200 in the insertion groove 113 of the first heating section 110 . The gap adjusting unit 140 narrows the gap between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the first heating unit 110 so that the pipette tip 200 contacts the insertion groove 113 to be heated . After the PCR object is heated to 95 DEG C by the first heating unit 110 for a predetermined time (for example, about 15 to 20 seconds), the interval adjusting unit 140 adjusts the temperature of the first heating unit 110 The first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the first heating unit 110 are spaced apart from each other and the pipette tip feed unit lifts the pipette tip 200 to move the pipette tip 200 from the insertion groove 113 of the first heating unit 110, (200).

Next, the pipette tip 200 moved to the upper portion of the first heating portion 110 by the pipette tip transfer portion can be cooled by the cooling portion 150 located at the upper portion of the first heating portion 110. The pipette tip transfer part is positioned in front of the cooling part 150 for a predetermined time and the pipette tip 200 is cooled for the predetermined time or the pipette tip transfer part moves to the second heating part 120 The pipette tip 200 can be temporarily cooled by the cooling unit 150. [ By disposing the cooling unit 150 in the path through which the pipette tip 200 is transferred from the first heating unit 110 to the second heating unit 120 as described above, the temperature lowering rate of the PCR- The process time can be shortened.

Next, the pipette tip transfer section grasps the pipette tip 200 and is positioned at the upper portion of the second heating section 120 and descends to place the pipette tip 200 in the insertion groove 113 of the second heating section 120 . The gap adjusting part 140 narrows the gap between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the second heating part 120 so that the pipette tip 200 contacts the insertion groove 113 to be heated . After the PCR object is heated to 55 DEG C by the second heating unit 120 for a predetermined time (for example, about 15 to 20 seconds), the interval adjusting unit 140 controls the second heating unit 120 The pipette tip transfer part is moved up from the insertion groove 113 of the second heating part 120 to the tip of the pipette tip 200 of the pipette tip 200, (200).

Next, the pipette tip transfer section grasps the pipette tip 200 and is positioned at the upper portion of the third heating section 130 and descends to place the pipette tip 200 in the insertion groove 113 of the third heating section 130 . The gap adjusting part 140 narrows the gap between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the third heating part 130 so that the pipette tip 200 contacts the insertion groove 113 and is heated . After the PCR object is heated to 72 DEG C by the third heating unit 130 for a predetermined time (for example, about 15 to 20 seconds), the interval adjusting unit 140 controls the third heating unit 130 The pipette tip conveying portion raises the pipette tip 200 to move the pipette tip 200 from the insertion groove 113 of the third heating portion 130 to the pipette tip 200, (200).

Transfer of the pipette tip 200 by the pipette tip transfer unit, heating by the respective heating units 110, 120 and 130, cooling by the cooling unit 150 and cooling of the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 ) Can be automatically and sequentially performed according to a control unit (not shown) and a recipe inputted in advance. Further, the pipette tip 200 of the pipette tip transfer section is conveyed, heated by the respective heating sections 110, 120 and 130, cooled by the cooling section 150, Adjustment of the interval between the block 111 and the second heating block 112, or the like may be performed.

Next, the pipette tip transfer part grips the pipette tip 200 and moves to the upper part of the first heating part 110 again. As described above, the first heating part 110, the cooling part 150, The process of heating and cooling the PCR target substance by the heating unit 120 and the third heating unit 130 may be repeated. For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the PCR object to be processed by the first heating unit 110, the cooling unit 150, the second heating unit 120, and the third heating unit 130 The heating and cooling processes of the present invention may be repeated 30 to 50 times.

As described above, according to the PCR processing apparatus 100 of the present invention, the plurality of heating units 110, 120, and 130 can be arranged in a straight line to minimize the movement path between the processes, , 130) can be maintained at a constant temperature (for example, 95 ° C, 55 ° C, or 72 ° C) at all times, thereby shortening the temperature adjustment time of the heat source and improving the accuracy of temperature adjustment. In addition, compared with the case of using a conventional PCR processing apparatus having a single heating unit, the use of a plurality of heating units can shorten the processing time. According to the PCR processing apparatus 100 of the present invention, the pipette tip transfer unit can directly hold the pipette tip 200 storing the substance to be processed and move to the heating units 110, 120, and 130, Or a separate working tool such as a PCR rack and a work process are unnecessary, and the PCR processing time can be shortened.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the interval adjusting unit 140 of the PCR processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

3 and 4, the gap adjusting part 140 includes a motor 410, a belt 420, a pulley 430, a buffer part 440, a first support part 451, a second support part 452 and an engaging portion 460. As shown in Fig.

The motor 410 may provide power for driving the gap adjusting part 140. [ For example, the motor 410 may include a spin motor, a step motor, and the like.

The belt 420 receives the power generated by the motor 410 and rotates to adjust an interval between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112. The belt 420 is wound on a pulley 430 connected to the motor 410. The belt 420 is connected to the first guide plate 320 and the first connection unit 340 provided on the base plate 310 and the first guide plate 320 and the first connection unit 340, Are interconnected. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the first connection 340 may be connected to the upper region of the belt 420. The first heating block 111 of the heating units 110, 120, and 130 is connected to the first guide plate 320.

The belt 420 is connected to the second guide plate 330 and the second connection unit 350 provided on the base plate 310 and the second guide plate 330 and the second connection unit 350, Are interconnected. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the second connection portion 350 may be connected to the lower region of the belt 420. The second heating block 112 of the heating units 110, 120 and 130 is connected to the second guide plate 330.

According to this configuration, when the pulley 430 rotates by the power of the motor 410, the belt 420 rotates. As the belt 420 rotates, the first connection part 340 and the second connection part 350 connected to the belt 420 are moved so that the first guide plate 320 and the second guide plate 330 The first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 move in the left and right direction (move in the X direction in FIGS. 1 and 3). For example, when the belt 420 rotates clockwise, the first connection part 340 and the first guide plate 320 move to the right, and the second connection part 350 and the second guide plate 330 move The distance between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 may be shifted to the left. In contrast, when the belt 420 rotates counterclockwise, the first connection portion 340 and the first guide plate 320 move to the left, and the second connection portion 350 and the second guide plate 330 move to the right The distance between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 can be shortened.

The belt 420 may be wound on the pulley 430 and may transmit the power generated by the motor 410 to the belt 420.

The buffering part 440 is located between the motor 410 and the pulley 430 and buffers the transmission of power between the motor 410 and the pulley 430 to prevent the insertion of the heating parts 110, (Pressure) of the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 that are transmitted to the pipette tip 200 inserted into the first heating block 113 can be buffered. 4, the buffer portion 440 includes a first buffer block 441, a second buffer block 442 and a first buffer block 441 which are opposed to and in contact with the first buffer block 441, And a plurality of springs 443 inserted between the first buffer block 442 and the second buffer block 442. The spring 443 may be arranged in the rotational direction (circumferential direction) of the first buffer block 441 and the second buffer block 442.

When the first buffer block 441 and the second buffer block 442 are engaged with each other and rotate, the spring 443 urges the motor 410 and the pulley 442 in accordance with the compression force of the spring 443 corresponding to the rotation torque of the motor 410, It is possible to buffer the transmission of the power between the first and second motors 430a and 430b. For example, when the cushioning portion 440 rotates in a direction in which the distance between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the heating portions 110, 120, and 130 is increased, The first buffer block 441 and the second buffer block 442 are engaged and rotated without being affected. Conversely, when the buffer part 440 rotates in a direction in which the interval between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 of the heating part 110, 120, 130 is reduced, the action of the spring 443 Only the motor rotational force (rotational torque) having a magnitude equal to or smaller than the maximum compression force of the spring 443 is transmitted to the pulley 430. Accordingly, the pipette tip 200 can be prevented from being broken between the first heating block 111 and the second heating block 112 by the motor power exceeding the maximum compressive force of the spring 443.

The first support portion 451, the second support portion 452 and the coupling portion 460 are fixed to each other so that the motor 410, the belt 420, the pulley 430, Lt; / RTI >

5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a PCR processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a view showing a state in which a pipette tip 510 storing a substance to be subjected to PCR is inserted into an insertion groove 113 between a first heating block 111 and a second heating block 112 .

5, the pipette tip 510 is stored with a substance to be subjected to PCR treatment from an area of a height exceeding the first region 520, which is a region from the tip of the pipette tip 510 to a predetermined height, . A substance 540 to be processed for PCR is attached to the surface of the first region 520. In order to transfer and store the PCR target material from the storage container of the PCR target to the pipette tip 510, the tip of the pipette tip 510 is moved from the tip end of the pipette tip 510 to the first area 520, Thereby dampening the surface of the first region 520 with the PCR treatment material.

The first region 520 of the pipette tip 510 with the substance to be subjected to the PCR treatment is passed through the insertion groove 113 and the pipette tip 510 is inserted into the pipette tip 510, The second region 530 storing the substance to be subjected to the PCR treatment can be heated by contacting the inside of the insertion groove 113. For example, the pipette tip transfer part is configured such that the pipette tip 510 is inserted into the insertion groove 113 so that the area 530 of the pipette tip 510 in which the substance to be subjected to the PCR processing is stored is contacted and heated inside the insertion groove 113 Can be lowered.

As described above, the first region 520 of the pipette tip 510 on which the substance to be PCR is applied is not subjected to heat treatment, so that the direct heating of the substance to be subjected to PCR, which is applied to the surface of the pipette tip 510 And smell, pollution, etc. due to heating can be prevented.

6A is a graph showing a temperature change in a heating part of a conventional PCR processing apparatus. FIG. 6B is a graph showing the temperature change in the heating unit of the PCR processor according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The conventional PCR processing apparatus has a single heating unit. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6A, it is very difficult to directly set the temperature of the heating unit to a required temperature at a time. In order to set the temperature of the heating unit to a required temperature, a temperature adjustment time for approaching the temperature is required. (See the circular part of the dotted line in Fig. 6A)

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, according to the PCR processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of heating units for maintaining a required single temperature are provided. For example, the first heating unit 110 maintains the temperature of 95 ° C. (610), the second heating unit 120 maintains the temperature of 55 ° C. (620), and the third heating unit 130 maintains the temperature of 72 ° C. (630). Accordingly, it is not necessary to control the temperature in the heating unit, so that the temperature control time is not required, and the PCR processing time can be shortened.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing description of the embodiments is for illustrative purposes and that those skilled in the art can easily modify the invention without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be distributed and implemented, and components described as being distributed in a similar fashion may also be implemented.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

100: PCR processing device
110: first heating part
111: first heating block
112: second heating block
113: insertion groove
120: second heating section
130: third heating section
140:
145: Protective case
150:
160: Temperature control unit
170:
200: pipette tip
310: Base plate
320: first guide plate
330: second guide plate
340: first connection portion
350: second connection portion
410: motor
420: belt
430: pulley
440:
441: first buffer block
442: second buffer block
443: Spring
451:
452: second support portion
460:

Claims (13)

In a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) processing device,
A first heating block in which a heat source is disposed on one surface of the first heating block, a second heating block in which a heat source is disposed on one surface of the first heating block on which the heat source is disposed, And an insertion groove into which a pipette tip storing a substance to be subjected to PCR is inserted; a heating unit for heating the object to be processed; And
An interval adjusting unit for adjusting an interval between the first heating block and the second heating block,
Lt; / RTI >
Wherein the interval adjusting unit comprises:
A motor for providing power;
A belt that receives the power and rotates to adjust an interval between the first heating block and the second heating block;
A pulley for transmitting the power to the belt; And
Wherein the first heating block and the second heating block are located between the motor and the pulley and buffer the transmission of power between the motor and the pulley so as to transmit the force of the first heating block and the second heating block, A cushioning buffer,
Lt; / RTI >
The buffering portion
A first buffer block;
A second buffer block facing the first buffer block and engaging with the first buffer block; And
A plurality of springs arranged between the first buffer block and the second buffer block in the rotational direction of the first buffer block and the second buffer block,
/ RTI >
Wherein the spring buffers the transmission of the power between the motor and the pulley in accordance with the compressive force corresponding to the rotational torque of the motor. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of heating portions are arranged in a straight line,
Wherein the pipette tip sequentially moves to the plurality of heating sections, and the plurality of heating sections each heat the PCR target material at different temperatures. The method according to claim 1,
The heating unit includes a first heating unit, a second heating unit, and a third heating unit. The first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the third heating unit each heat the PCR target material at different temperatures . The method of claim 3,
The first heating unit heats the PCR target material to 95 ° C, the second heating unit heats the PCR target material to 55 ° C, and the third heating unit heats the PCR target material to 72 ° C Wherein the PCR treatment device comprises: 5. The method of claim 4,
The first heating portion, the second heating portion, and the third heating portion are arranged on a straight line,
Wherein the pipette tip is moved in the order of the first heating unit, the second heating unit, and the third heating unit to heat the PCR object. 6. The method of claim 5,
A cooling unit disposed between the first heating unit and the second heating unit and cooling the PCR target material heated by the first heating unit,
Wherein the PCR processing unit further comprises: The method of claim 3,
A cooling unit located above the first heating unit and cooling the PCR target material heated by the first heating unit,
Wherein the PCR processing unit further comprises: The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the insertion groove has a plurality of insertion grooves. delete delete 3. The method of claim 2,
A pipette tip transferring unit for holding the pipette tip and being movable between the plurality of heating units, for positioning the pipette tip requiring heat treatment in the insertion groove, or releasing the pipette tip from which the heat treatment has been completed,
Wherein the PCR processing unit further comprises: 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the pipette tip stores a substance to be subjected to PCR processing from a region having a height exceeding a first region from a tip of the pipette tip to a surface of the pipette tip to which the PCR substance is applied,
The pipette tip transferring portion lowers the pipette tip such that the first region of the pipette tip passes through the insertion groove and the second region of the pipette tip storing the substance to be subjected to PCR is in contact with the inside of the insertion groove . 3. The method of claim 2,
A temperature regulator for generating a control signal for maintaining the heating temperature of the PCR target material in each of the plurality of heating units; And
A power control unit for controlling power supplied to the heating unit based on the control signal,
Wherein the PCR processing unit further comprises:
KR1020150143066A 2015-10-13 2015-10-13 Apparatus for polymerase chain reaction KR101757232B1 (en)

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KR102219457B1 (en) * 2018-08-01 2021-02-24 주식회사 미코바이오메드 Device for amplifying nucleic acid comprisng a plurality of heating blocks
KR102246609B1 (en) * 2018-08-01 2021-04-30 주식회사 미코바이오메드 Device for amplifying nucleic acid comprisng a plurality of heating blocks
EP3838411A1 (en) * 2019-12-18 2021-06-23 TECAN Trading AG Pipetting device and method
CN113373043B (en) * 2021-06-09 2022-03-22 北京卓诚惠生生物科技股份有限公司 Thermal cracking temperature control device

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JP2014515271A (en) * 2011-05-24 2014-06-30 インヘニー ペーセーエル ベー．フェー System and method for changing the temperature of a substance
KR101420094B1 (en) 2010-10-27 2014-07-17 (주)바이오니아 Automatic realtime PCR system for the various analysis of biological sample, method for Automatic nucleic acid purification and realtime quantification of gene amplification, method for automatic viable cell count of pathogenic bacteria using realtime quantitative PCR, method for automatically getting antigene density using quantitative immunity PCR

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JP4342799B2 (en) * 2001-05-25 2009-10-14 マトリックス・テクノロジーズ・コーポレーション Automatic pipetting system
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