Granted Patent B2

US 7,585,663 · App. 10/926,915 · Granted Sep 8, 2009

Abstract

Claims (125)

1. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including at least one fluid processing pathway that comprises including at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the second block;

providing a second thermal device including a third block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, a fourth block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and a second heat-pump device disposed between the third block and the fourth block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the third block and the fourth block to the other of the third block and the fourth block; and

positioning the second thermal device wherein the third block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the first fluid retainment region and the fourth block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the second fluid retainment region.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to provide the first block with a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the second block.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said controlling comprises

heating the first block to about 95° C.; and

maintaining the temperature of the second block to be less than about 50° C.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said controlling comprises controlling the temperature of the first block to be at least about 40° C. greater than the temperature of the second block.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said controlling further comprises inverting a direction of the thermal transfer between the first block and the second block.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to transfer heat from the first block to the second block and to transfer heat from the second block to the first block.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the first block with a heat-generating device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating an air-current in thermal contact with at least one of the first block and the second block.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cycling a temperature of the first block from a first temperature to a second temperature, and back to the first temperature.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forcing at least one of the first block and the second block into thermal contact with the fluid processing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning the fluid processing device and the thermal device with respect to one another.

12. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including at least one fluid processing pathway that comprises including at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device; and

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the second block, wherein the thermal device further includes a third block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K and a second heat-pump device disposed between the first block and the third block, the second heat-pump device being adapted to transfer thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the third block to the other of the first block and the third block.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to provide the first block with a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the second block.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling comprises

heating the first block to about 95° C.; and

maintaining the temperature of the second block to be less than about 50° C.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling comprises controlling the temperature of the first block to be at least about 40° C. greater than the temperature of the second block.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling further comprises inverting a direction of the thermal transfer between the first block and the second block.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to transfer heat from the first block to the second block and to transfer heat from the second block to the first block.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising heating the first block with a heat-generating device.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising creating an air-current in thermal contact with at least one of the first block and the second block.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising cycling a temperature of the first block from a first temperature to a second temperature, and back to the first temperature.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising forcing at least one of the first block and the second block into thermal contact with the fluid processing device.

22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning the fluid processing device and the thermal device with respect to one another.

23. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including at least one fluid processing pathway that comprises including at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the second block;

loading a first set of materials reactive at a first temperature range into the first fluid retainment region; and

loading a second set of materials into the second fluid retainment region wherein the second set of materials can be rendered substantially ineffective when subjected to the first temperature range.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first set of materials comprises nucleic acid amplification reagents.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the nucleic acid amplifying reagents comprise polymerase chain reaction reagents.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the nucleic acid amplifying reagents comprise oligonucleotide ligase reaction reagents.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the second set of materials comprise size-exclusion ion-exchange beads.

28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to provide the first block with a temperature that is greater than the temperature of the second block.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein said controlling comprises

heating the first block to about 95° C.; and

maintaining the temperature of the second block to be less than about 50° C.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein said controlling comprises controlling the temperature of the first block to be at least about 40° C. greater than the temperature of the second block.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein said controlling further comprises inverting a direction of the thermal transfer between the first block and the second block.

32. The method of claim 23 , further comprising controlling the heat-pump device to transfer heat from the first block to the second block and to transfer heat from the second block to the first block.

33. The method of claim 23 , further comprising heating the first block with a heat-generating device.

34. The method of claim 23 , further comprising creating an air-current in thermal contact with at least one of the first block and the second block.

35. The method of claim 23 , further comprising cycling a temperature of the first block from a first temperature to a second temperature, and back to the first temperature.

36. The method of claim 23 , further comprising forcing at least one of the first block and the second block into thermal contact with the fluid processing device.

37. The method of claim 23 , further comprising positioning the fluid processing device and the thermal device with respect to one another.

38. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including at least one fluid processing pathway that comprises including at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the second block;

loading a target nucleic acid material and amplifying reagents into the first fluid retainment region;

amplifying the nucleic acid material by thermal cycling the first fluid retainment region; and

loading size-exclusion ion exchange beads into the second fluid retainment region.

39. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including a plurality of fluid processing pathways, each pathway comprising at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the second block;

providing a second thermal device including a third block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, a fourth block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and a second heat-pump device disposed between the third block and the fourth block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the third block and the fourth block to the other of the third block and the fourth block; and

positioning the second thermal device wherein the third block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the plurality of first fluid retainment regions and the fourth block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the plurality of second fluid retainment regions.

40. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including a plurality of fluid processing pathways, each pathway comprising at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device; and

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the second block;

wherein the thermal device further includes a third block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K and a second heat-pump device disposed between the first block and the third block, the second heat-pump device being adapted to transfer thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the third block to the other of the first block and the third block.

41. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including a plurality of fluid processing pathways, each pathway comprising at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the second block;

loading a first set of materials reactive at a first temperature range into the first fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways; and

loading a second set of materials into the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways wherein the second set of materials can be rendered substantially ineffective when subjected to the first temperature range.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the first set of materials comprises nucleic acid amplification reagents.

43. The method of claim 42 , wherein the nucleic acid amplifying reagents comprise polymerase chain reaction reagents.

44. The method of claim 42 , wherein the nucleic acid amplifying reagents comprise oligonucleotide ligase reaction reagents.

45. The method of claim 41 , wherein the second set of materials comprise size-exclusion ion-exchange beads.

46. A method comprising:

providing a fluid processing device including a plurality of fluid processing pathways, each pathway comprising at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region;

providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including

a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K,

a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and

a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block;

transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device;

holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways are in thermal contact with the second block;

loading a target nucleic acid material and amplifying reagents into the first fluid retainment region;

amplifying the nucleic acid material by thermal cycling the first fluid retainment region; and

loading size-exclusion ion exchange beads into the second fluid retainment regions of the plurality of pathways.

Assignments (13)