Patent Application
20230364620
This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0058678, filed on May 13, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a multi-chamber cartridge and a nucleic acid extraction module including the same, and more specifically to a multi-chamber cartridge which is capable of automatically extracting nucleic acids from a sample, inspecting the existence of target nucleic acids and performing pretreatment for extracting nucleic acids.
Nucleic acid (DNA, RNA) amplification technology has been widely used for R&D and diagnostic purposes in the fields of life science, genetic engineering and medicine. In particular, among various nucleic acid amplification techniques, the nucleic acid amplification technique using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been widely used. Polymerase chain reaction can be used to amplify a specific sequence in the genome as needed.
Such a polymerase chain reaction is also used in a nucleic acid test system that determines whether a nucleic acid is a target nucleic acid to be detected after amplifying a certain nucleic acid. In general, the nucleic acid test system amplifies nucleic acid through a polymerase chain reaction and determines whether it is a specific nucleic acid through fluorescence signals that are generated by irradiating light.
In this case, for the polymerase chain reaction, a pretreatment process of extracting nucleic acids from samples including nucleic acids must be necessarily accompanied. Such a process passes through complicated processes such as pipetting and centrifugation multiple times from the pretreatment of a sample including the target nucleic acid to mixing with the polymerase chain reaction reagent. In such a process, there has been a problem in that it is difficult to easily apply the nucleic acid test in real time in the field, because it requires professional personnel who can perform the same, and expensive equipment and space are required in the pretreatment process of extracting nucleic acid from a sample.
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber cartridge which is capable of automating sample pretreatment and nucleic acid extraction, and a nucleic acid extraction module including the same.
In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber cartridge that can be used in real time in the field by reducing the size of a system for extracting nucleic acids and detecting nucleic acids and simplifying the operation, and a nucleic acid extraction module including the same.
The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.
The multi-chamber cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a sample chamber including a first tube which is an elongated hollow type, a sample chamber body in which a mixing space is formed and one end of the first tube is disposed in the mixing space, a first pressure gasket which can be coupled to the inside of the first tube and is movable along an inner peripheral surface of the first tube, a first separation gasket which is disposed on one surface of the first pressure gasket, coupled to the inside of the first tube and movable along the inner peripheral surface of the first tube, and a first plunger having one end coupled to the other surface of the first pressure gasket and pressing the first pressure gasket; and a cartridge body which comprises an accommodating part in which the sample chamber is detachably accommodated, wherein the first tube includes a first sample space which is defined by an inner surface of the first tube, one surface of the first separation gasket and one surface of the first pressure gasket.
In this case, a basic sample is placed in the mixing space, wherein a first sample is placed in the first sample space, and wherein the first sample is transferred to the mixing space as the first separation gasket is separated from the first tube as the other end of the first plunger is pressed toward the mixing space.
In this case, the first tube may be formed such that the cross-sectional area which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first tube in the inner space of the first tube is smaller than the cross-sectional area which is perpendicular to the extending direction of the first tube in the mixing space.
In this case, the sample chamber may further include a second separation gasket which is disposed on the other surface of the first separation gasket, can be coupled to the inside of the first tube and is movable along the inner peripheral surface of the first tube, wherein the first tube includes a second sample space which is defined by an inner surface of the first tube, the other surface of the first separation gasket and one surface of the second separation gasket.
In this case, a basic sample is placed in the mixing space, wherein a first sample is placed in the first sample space, wherein a second sample is placed in the second sample space, and wherein the second sample and the first sample are sequentially transferred to the mixing space as the second separation gasket and the first separation gasket are sequentially separated from the first tube as the other end of the first plunger is pressed toward the mixing space.
In this case, the sample chamber may further include a second tube which is a hollow type, arranged side by side with the first tube and extended in length, one end of which is disposed in the mixing space; a second pressure gasket which can be coupled to the inside of the second tube and is movable along an inner peripheral surface of the second tube; and a second separation gasket which is disposed on one surface of the second pressure gasket, coupled to the inside of the second tube and movable along the inner peripheral surface of the second tube.
Meanwhile, the multi-chamber cartridge according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a sample chamber including a first tube which is an elongated hollow type, a sample chamber body in which a mixing space is formed and one end of the first tube is disposed in the mixing space, a first pressure gasket which can be coupled to the inside of the first tube and is movable along an inner peripheral surface of the first tube, a first separation gasket which is disposed on one surface of the first pressure gasket and fixed to the inside of the first tube, a first drilling member which protrudes from one surface of the first pressure gasket toward the first separation gasket and a first plunger having one end coupled to the other surface of the first pressure gasket and pressing the first pressure gasket; and a cartridge body which includes an accommodating part in which the sample chamber is detachably accommodated, wherein the first tube includes a first sample space which is defined by an inner surface of the first tube, one surface of the first separation gasket and one surface of the first pressure gasket.
In this case, a basic sample is placed in the mixing space, wherein a first sample is placed in the first sample space, and wherein the first sample is transferred to the mixing space by the first drilling member that breaks the first separation gasket as the other end of the first plunger is pressed toward the mixing space.
In this case, the first drilling member may be formed such that the cross-sectional area which is perpendicular to the protruding direction decreases toward the first separation gasket.
In this case, the first separation gasket may be integrally formed with the first tube, and an edge portion of the first separation gasket may be formed to be thinner than a central portion of the first separation gasket.
In this case, the first drilling member may be formed to press an edge portion of one surface of the first separation gasket.
In this case, the sample chamber may further include a second tube which is a hollow type, arranged side by side with the first tube and extended in length, one end of which is disposed in the mixing space; a second pressure gasket which can be coupled to the inside of the second tube and is movable along an inner peripheral surface of the second tube; a second separation gasket which is disposed on one surface of the second pressure gasket and fixed to the inside of the second tube; and a second drilling member which protrudes from one surface of the second pressure gasket toward the second separation gasket, wherein the second tube includes a second sample space which is defined by an inner surface of the second tube, one surface of the second separation gasket and one surface of the second pressure gasket.
In this case, the first plunger may be screw-coupled to one side of the inner peripheral surface of the first tube.
In this case, the sample chamber may further include a locking part for limiting the movement direction of the first plunger such that the first plunger is movable only in a direction toward the mixing space.
In this case, the locking part may include a first locking protrusion which protrudes such that an inclined surface is formed on one side of an outer peripheral surface of the first plunger toward the mixing space, and a locking surface is formed toward a direction opposite to the direction toward the mixing space; and a second locking protrusion which is formed in plurality at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the first tube in which an inclined surface is formed on one side of the inner peripheral surface of the first tube in a direction opposite to the direction toward the mixing space and protrudes such that a locking surface is formed toward the mixing space, wherein the first locking protrusion and the second locking protrusion are elastically deformed such that the first plunger can move toward the mixing space while the first locking protrusion and the second locking protrusion are arranged side by side.
In this case, the first plunger can move in a direction opposite to the direction toward the mixing space while the first and second locking protrusions are disposed to be misaligned.
The nucleic acid extraction module provided with a multi-chamber cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment may include the multi-chamber cartridge, which further comprises an opening that is formed to expose one side of the sample chamber to the outside; and a first heater which includes a heating unit for heating one side of the sample chamber through the opening by controlling time and temperature.
In this case, the heating unit may be disposed adjacent to one side of the sample chamber to heat the sample chamber and can reciprocate so as to be separated from the sample chamber when the heating is finished.
In this case, the heating unit may be formed in a shape corresponding to one side of the sample chamber to increase a contact area with one side of the sample chamber.
In this case, the nucleic acid extraction module provided with a multi-chamber cartridge may further include a pressing member for separating the first separation gasket from the first tube into the mixing space by pressing the other end of the plunger such that the first sample is transferred from the first sample space to the mixing space.
In this case, the plunger may be screw-coupled to one side of the inner peripheral surface of the first tube, and wherein the pressing member can be coupled to the other side of the plunger and presses the plunger to rotate in one direction or the other direction.
In this case, the nucleic acid extraction module may further include a spring member for providing an elastic force to the other side of the plunger such that the pressing member remains coupled to the other side of the plunger.
Meanwhile, the nucleic acid extraction module provided with a multi-chamber cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include the multi-chamber cartridge, in which a basic sample is placed in the mixing space, and a first sample is placed in the first sample space; and a first driving unit for rotating the multi-chamber cartridge in one direction or the other direction with an axis parallel to the extension direction of the first tube as a central axis such that the first sample and the base sample are mixed.
The multi-chamber cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and the nucleic acid extraction module including the same can easily extract nucleic acids regardless of the skill level of an operator by automating pretreatment and nucleic acid extraction.
In addition, the multi-chamber cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and the nucleic acid extraction module including the same can be used in real time in the field by reducing the size of a system for nucleic acid extraction by moving the sample using a pressure difference in the container and simplifying the operation.
The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and it should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the description of the present invention or the configurations of the invention as described in the claims.
Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein.
In order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts that are irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.
In addition, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used in the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted as meanings commonly known to those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined.
Hereinafter,
In the drawings, the thickness or size is exaggerated in order to clearly express the characteristics of the configuration, and the thickness or size of the configuration shown in the drawings is not necessarily shown to be the same as the actual one.
Terms such as ‘first’ and ‘second’ may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the above terms. The above terms may only be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a ‘first element’ may be termed a ‘second element’, and similarly, a ‘second element’ may also be termed a ‘first element’ without departing from the scope of the present invention.
As illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The cartridge body 101 is formed with a plurality of accommodating parts 102 that are formed along the circumference around the rotation axis I of the cartridge body 101. In this case, the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140, the first drying chamber 150 and the second drying chamber 160, and the eluent chamber 170 and the storage chamber 180 may be detachably accommodated in each accommodating part 120, respectively.
In this case, in the accommodating part 102, the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140, the first drying chamber 150 and the second drying chamber 160, and the eluate chamber 170 and the storage chamber 180 are disposed to face each other with the rotating axis I in the center.
Through this, the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140, the first drying chamber 150 and the second drying chamber 160, and the eluent chamber 170 and the storage chamber 180 may be sequentially coupled to an injection needle 251 and a discharge needle 252, which will be described below, while being coupled to the cartridge body 101.
The shape of the accommodating part 102 is not limited, and it may be a shape of a recessed groove or a through-hole. Each of the chambers may be fixed so as not to be separated while being accommodated in the accommodating part 102. In this case, there is no limitation on the method of fixing to the accommodating part 102.
The multi-chamber cartridge 100 may be provided in a state where each chamber is accommodated in the accommodating part 102, and the operator may perform operations of extracting and detecting nucleic acids by coupling only the multi-chamber cartridge 100 to the rotating shaft member 240 of the nucleic acid extraction module 200.
Meanwhile, the sample chamber 110 of the multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a sample chamber body 111, a first tube 112a, and a first pressure gasket 113a, a first separation gasket 118a and a first plunger 116a for the pretreatment to extract nucleic acids.
The sample chamber body 111 has a mixing space V1 formed therein. The mixing space V1 provides a space in which samples can be mixed and reacted in the pretreatment process. However, as illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In this case, the first tube 112a is formed in a hollow tubular shape. The shape of the cross-section of the first tube 112a is not limited. However, it is preferable to be formed in a circular shape in order to increase the sealing force of the first pressure gasket 113a to be described below.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first pressure gasket 113a divides the inner space of the first tube 112a and serves to seal the divided space. In this case, the first pressure gasket 113a is formed of a material having elasticity such that the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the first tube 112a and the outer peripheral surface of the first pressure gasket 113a can be sealed. For example, the first pressure gasket 113a may be formed of rubber.
The first pressure gasket 113a is coupled to the inside of the first tube 112a and may move along the inner peripheral surface of the first tube 112a. That is, as the first pressure gasket 113a moves, the size and position of the space divided by the first pressure gasket 113a may move together.
In this case, as illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
When the first pressure gasket 113a is pressed downward through the first plunger 116a, the first sample space V2 which is sealed together with the first pressure gasket 113a and the first separation gasket 118a is moved to the lower side.
When the first plunger 116a moves to the lower end of the first tube 112a, the first separation gasket 118a is separated from the first tube 112a and moves to the mixing space V1. Accordingly, the first sample space V2 is combined with the mixing space V1, and the first sample L2 which is disposed in the first sample space V2 is mixed with the base sample LL.
The first plunger 116a may move along the inside of the first tube 112a in various ways. In this case, since it is determined whether the first sample L2 and the base sample L1 can be mixed according to the moving distance of the first plunger 116a, it is important to stably move the first plunger 116a. In particular, since the first plunger 116a needs to be moved only downward when the first sample L2 is moved, it is necessary to prevent the first plunger 116a from moving upward due to internal pressure of the sample chamber body 111 during the movement process.
To this end, as illustrated in
In this case, the position where the first plunger 116a and the first tube 112a are screw-coupled is the upper end of the first tube 112a. Through this, it is possible to prevent the first pressure gasket 113a from escaping upward from the first tube 112a while guaranteeing the downward movement of the first pressure gasket 113a.
On the other hand, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
When this is described more specifically, as illustrated in
On the other hand, the second locking protrusion 117b has an inclined surface formed on one side of the inner peripheral surface of the first tube 112a in a direction opposite to the direction toward the mixing space V1, that is, upward, and protrudes such that a locking surface is formed toward the mixing space V1.
When this is described more specifically, as illustrated in
In this case, a plurality of second locking protrusions 117b are formed along the longitudinal direction of the first tube 112a. The number of the plurality of second locking protrusions 117b is formed to correspond to the length to which the first plunger 116a must move.
As illustrated in
As the first locking protrusion 117a presses the first plunger 116a downward, the inclined surface of the first locking protrusion 117a and the inclined surface of the first second locking protrusion 117b come into contact with each other from the upper side. In this case, the first locking protrusion 117a and the second locking protrusion 117b may elastically deform in a mutually pushing direction. Accordingly, the first locking protrusion 117a is guided by the inclined surface of the first locking protrusion 117a and the inclined surface of the second locking protrusion 117b to move from the upper side to the second locking protrusion 117b.
In this case, even if the first plunger 116a is pulled upward, the locking surface of the first locking protrusion 117a and the locking surface of the second locking protrusion 117b come into contact with each other, and since elastic deformation is not performed due to the characteristics of the shape, the first plunger 116a cannot move upward.
That is, as illustrated in
On the other hand, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In this case, the first plunger 116a can be moved upward by rotating 90 degrees about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction such that the first locking protrusion 117a and the second locking protrusion 117b are misaligned.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
The second separation gasket 118b, the third separation gasket 118c and the fourth separation gasket 118d are closely coupled to the inside of the first tube 112a similar to the first separation gasket 118a, and are formed to be movable along the inner peripheral surface of the first tube 112a. The descriptions of the shapes and materials of the second separation gasket 118b, the third separation gasket 118c and the fourth separation gasket 118d are replaced with the description of the first separation gasket 118a.
The second separation gasket 118b, the third separation gasket 118c and the fourth separation gasket 118d are arranged in order from above, as illustrated in
Accordingly, similar to the first sample space V2 between the first pressure gasket 113a and the first separation gasket 118a, a second sample space V3, a third sample space V4 and a fourth sample space V5 may be formed between the first separation gasket 118a, the second separation gasket 118b, the third separation gasket 118c and the fourth separation gasket 118d, respectively. The description of each space is replaced with the description of the first sample space V2 described above.
In this case, the second sample L3, the third sample L4 and the fourth sample L5 are placed in the second sample space V3, the third sample space V4, and the fourth sample space V5, respectively. That is, as illustrated in
In this case, by controlling the movement of the first plunger 1i6a through the pressing member 220 to be described below, it is possible to control the next sample to be mixed after the samples to be mixed in each step are sufficiently mixed and reacted.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
The first tube 112a of the sample chamber 110 of the multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is formed to be shorter than the first tube 112a in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This is because, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, only the first sample space V2 needs to be formed in the first tube 112a.
However, in order to mix the second sample L3, the third sample L4 and the fourth sample L5, the second tube 112b, the third tube 112c and the fourth tube 112d that are formed identically to the first tube 112a are arranged side by side.
In this case, the second pressure gasket 113b and the second separation gasket 118b are coupled to the second tube 112b, and a second sample space V3 is formed between the second pressure gasket 113b and the second separation gasket 118b. In addition, the second sample L3 is placed in the second sample space V3. A second plunger 116b is coupled to the second pressure gasket 113b to control the movement of the second pressure gasket 113b.
Similarly, the third pressure gasket 113c and the third separation gasket 118c are coupled to the third tube 112c, and a third sample space V4 is formed between the third pressure gasket 113c and the third separation gasket 118c. In addition, a third sample L4 is placed in the third sample space V4. A third plunger 116c is coupled to the third pressure gasket 113c to control the movement of the third pressure gasket 113c.
In addition, the fourth pressure gasket 113d and the fourth separation gasket 118d are coupled to the fourth tube 112d, and a fourth sample space V5 is formed between the fourth pressure gasket 113d and the fourth separation gasket 118d. In addition, a fourth sample L5 is placed in the fourth sample space V5. A fourth plunger 116d is coupled to the fourth pressure gasket 113d to control the movement of the fourth pressure gasket 113d.
In this case, as illustrated in
In this case, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pressing member 220 may be provided in plurality to individually press the first plunger 116a, the second plunger 116b, the third plunger 116c and the fourth plunger 116d.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In this case, the first separation gasket 118a′, the second separation gasket 118b′, the third separation gasket 118c′ and the fourth separation gasket 118d′ respectively form a first sample space V2, a second sample space V3, a third sample space V4 and a fourth sample space V5 that are defined by the first pressure gasket 113a, the second pressurization gasket 113a, the third pressure gasket 113c, the fourth pressure gasket 113d, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the first tube 112a, the second tube 112b, the third tube 112c and the fourth tube 112d
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
In this case, the first tube 112a and the first separation gasket 118a″ may be integrally formed. Accordingly, the first separation gasket 118a″ may be easily formed to the first tube 112a without a separate coupling operation.
As illustrated in
Accordingly, the thin edge portion of the first separation gasket 118a″ is intensively pressed to separate the edge portion of the first separation gasket 118a″ from the inner peripheral surface of the first tube 112a, and the first sample L2 can smoothly move to the mixing space V1.
As described above, another exemplary embodiment or still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention have only some differences in the method of moving the sample and arranging a plurality of tubes and plungers, and thus, hereinafter, by focusing on the multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the nucleic acid extraction module 200 including the same will be described.
The nucleic acid test system 1 provided with a multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described multi-chamber cartridge 100, nucleic acid extraction module 200 and nucleic acid test module 300. In this case, the nucleic acid extraction module 200 includes a first heater 210, a pressing member 220 and a first driving unit 230.
As illustrated in
In this case, the opening 103 provides a space into which the first heater 210 to be described below can be inserted. Accordingly, the shape of the opening 103 is not limited as long as it can be formed to correspond to the shape of the first heater 210. In the present exemplary embodiment, the arc-side end of a fan-shaped part that is formed in a direction of the sample chamber 110 around the rotation axis I is removed to form the opening 103.
In this case, as illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The heating unit 211 may control time and temperature. Therefore, it is possible to provide an optimized time and temperature environment to promote the reaction according to the type of mixed sample. In particular, by controlling the pressing member 220 to be described below, the fourth sample L5, the third sample L4, the second sample L3 and the first sample L2 may be heated to different temperatures at each step of inputting the mixture thereof into the basic sample LL.
Meanwhile, the heating unit 211 may intensively heat the lower end of the sample chamber 110. Accordingly, the sample that is located on the lower side is heated through the convection effect, thereby generating a circulation in which the upper side moves such that the reaction between the samples can be further promoted.
The pressing member 220 presses the upper end of the first plunger 116a to move the first plunger 116a downward. In this case, when the first plunger 116a can be moved downward along the inner surface of the first tube 112a by pressing the first plunger 116a, there is no limitation on the structure in which the pressing member 220 presses.
For example, as illustrated in
To this end, the pressing member 220 of the nucleic acid extraction module 200 provided with the multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a coupling protrusion 222 and a spring member 221.
As illustrated in
In this case, the rotational movement of the pressing member 220 in the rotational direction is limited in order to receive a driving force in the rotational direction. However, it is not constrained in the vertical direction. Through this, when the multi-chamber cartridge 100 is coupled to the pressing member 220, the user can easily place the multi-chamber cartridge 100 while the pressing member 220 is lifted up, and lower the pressing member 220 to fix to the first plunger 116a.
In this case, as illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
The spring member 221 may be spirally disposed along the outer surface of the pressing member 220. However, as long as the spring member 221 can provide a force for pressing the pressing member 220 downward, there is no limitation on the structure or position in which it is installed.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
The reason why the basic sample L1, the first sample L2, the second sample L3, the third sample L4 and the fourth sample L5 are separately stored through the sample chamber 110 is to fully demonstrate the efficacy of each sample. When this is described more specifically, in order to extract nucleic acids from blood, which is the basic sample L1, a solution is required that provides an environment for activating enzymes and their functions.
That is, the first sample L2, the second sample L3, the third sample L4 and the fourth sample L5 may be enzymes that have functions to cut specific proteins or molecules, such as DNase and Proteinase K, for the pretreatment of nucleic acids, surfactant-based solutions that dissolve the walls of viruses or bacteria, solutions including a high concentration of salt (lysis buffers) and the like. In this case, if the above-mentioned enzymes and solutions are present by being mixed, they should be stored separately because there may be problems with maintaining the structure and activity of a specific enzyme.
Therefore, by providing the sample chamber 110 of the multi-chamber cartridge 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to increase the extraction rate of nucleic acids by separately storing each sample and mixing the same at each reaction step.
As illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
The first driving unit 230 may reciprocate along a rail 380 that is supported by a frame 370 in which the first driving unit 230 itself is disposed perpendicularly to the upper side of an extraction base 250 and the upper side of an inspection base 310 on the ground. However, as long as the first driving unit 230 can reciprocate between the extraction base 250 and the inspection base 310, the shapes of the frame 370 and the rail 380 are not limited.
When the first driving unit 230 the movement of the multi-chamber cartridge 100 therefrom are described more specifically, the first driving unit 230 controls the vertical and rotational movements of the multi-chamber cartridge 100 while staying on the upper side of the extraction base 250.
In this case, the first driving unit 230 controls the multi-chamber cartridge 100 such that the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120 accommodated in the multi-chamber cartridge 100, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140, the first drying chamber 150 and the second drying chamber 160, and the eluent chamber 170 and the storage chamber 180 can be sequentially coupled to the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, which will be described below, respectively.
If the above-described process is described in detail through the process of passing the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140 from the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, when the multi-chamber cartridge 100 is lowered such that the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120 are coupled to the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252 so as to move the sample in the mixing space V1 to the waste sample space V6, the multi-chamber cartridge 100 is raised again, and after rotating the multi-chamber cartridge 100 at a predetermined angle such that the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140 can be disposed on the upper sides of the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, it is lowered again such that the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140 are coupled to the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252.
The above-described process is performed in the order of the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140, the first drying chamber 150 and the second drying chamber 160, and the eluate chamber 170 and the storage chamber 180, until the eluate in which the nucleic acid is dissolved is stored in the storage chamber 180.
When the eluate in which the nucleic acid is dissolved is stored in the storage chamber 180, the first driving unit 230 moves upward of the inspection base 310 along the rail 380. In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Referring to
As illustrated in
In the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, a flow path through which fluid can move is formed therein in the protruding longitudinal direction. That is, it is formed in a hollow shape. The injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252 may be formed to be sharp so as to easily pass through a septum to be described below at the upper end.
The injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252 are connected by a flow path that is formed inside the extraction base 250. When this is described more specifically, as illustrated in
The first flow path 253 and the second flow path 254 are connected to each other, and accordingly, the fluid flowing into the injection needle 251 passes through the inside of the extraction base 250 and is discharged through the discharge needle 252.
In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition, the end of the first flow path 253 on the side of the nucleic acid attachment member 255 is connected to the center of the upper surface of the nucleic acid attachment member 255 such that the sample can smoothly pass through the extraction base 250, and the end of the second flow path 254 on the side of the nucleic acid attachment member 255 may be connected to the center of the lower surface of the nucleic acid attachment member 255. Through this, the sample can pass through the nucleic acid attachment member 255 more smoothly by gravity while moving in the direction of its own weight.
In this case, as illustrated in
The sample septum 115 may be coupled to the injection needle 251 as the sharp injection needle 251 penetrates the sample septum 115, and when separated from the injection needle 251, it is formed of a material that is capable of sealing the mixing space V1 from the outside again. For example, it may be formed of rubber, silicone and the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
As illustrated in
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
A waste sample space V6 corresponding to the mixing space V1 of the sample chamber 110 is formed inside the waste sample chamber 120. In this case, the waste sample space V6 is formed to have a pressure that is lower than the internal pressure of the mixing space V1. For example, in the initial state, the mixing space V1 may be formed to have a positive pressure and the waste sample space V6 may be formed to have a negative pressure, but the pressure inside the mixing space V1 is not limited to the value of the pressure at which the pressure inside the waste sample space V6 is formed to be low.
As the waste sample space V6 is coupled to the discharge needle 252, it is connected to the second flow path 254 to enable fluid communication. In this case, the waste sample chamber 120 is coupled to the discharge needle 252 and the injection needle 251 at the same time as the sample chamber 110.
To this end, when the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120 are coupled to the multi-chamber cartridge 100 such that the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120 are simultaneously inserted into the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, respectively, the mixing space V1 and the waste sample space V6 are connected to each other to fluidly communicate by the first flow path 253 and the second flow path 254. In this case, since there is a difference in pressure between the mixing space V1 and the waste sample space V6, the mixed sample L6 that is stored in the mixing space V1 moves along the first flow path 253 due to the pressure difference.
As illustrated in
In this case, as illustrated in
Accordingly, the mixed sample L6 is disposed on the lower side of the mixing space V1, that is, on the side of the sample septum 115 into which the injection needle 251 is inserted, and air is disposed on the upper side such that the sample can first move along the first flow path 253, and thus, it is possible to increase the efficiency of extracting nucleic acids.
Referring to
A washing liquid space V7 in which the washing liquid L7 can be stored is formed inside the washing liquid space V7, and a waste washing liquid space V7 is formed inside the waste washing liquid chamber 140. In this case, the washing liquid L7 serves to move foreign substances other than the nucleic acid attached to the nucleic acid attachment member 255 to the waste washing liquid space V7. The washing liquid L7 may be, for example, an ethanol-based solution. By using an ethanol-based solution as the washing liquid L7, nucleic acids are better attached to the nucleic acid attachment member 255 to increase the extraction efficiency.
The washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 130 are coupled to the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, respectively, as in the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, and by using a pressure difference between the washing liquid space V7 and the waste washing liquid space V7, the washing liquid L7 in the washing liquid space V7 moves along the first flow path 253, and after washing the nucleic acid attachment member 255, it moves along the second flow path 254 to the waste washing liquid space V7.
In this case, the washing liquid chamber 130 and the waste washing liquid chamber 140 of the nucleic acid extraction module 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be provided in plurality. Accordingly, by repeating the washing process described above multiple times, it is possible to prevent the nucleic acid detection efficiency from deteriorating as residual foreign substances remain in the nucleic acid attachment member 255.
Referring to
The pump 340 provides drying gas L8. The type of pump 340 is not limited as long as it can provide the drying gas L8, and known equipment may be used.
The drying gas L8 provided by the pump 340 moves into the first drying chamber 150. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The drying gas L8 is discharged to the outside through a second through-hole 162 that is formed in the second drying chamber 160 via the second drying space V10 that is formed inside the second drying chamber 160. Accordingly, the nucleic acid attachment member 255 is dried, and the nucleic acid to be amplified remains on the nucleic acid attachment member 255.
Referring to
An eluate space V11 in which the eluate L9 can be stored is formed inside the eluate chamber 170. The eluate L9 stored in the eluate space V11 is coupled to the injection needle 251 and the discharge needle 252, respectively, as in the sample chamber 110 and the waste sample chamber 120, and by using a pressure difference between the eluate space V11 and the storage space V12, after the eluate 17 of the eluate space V11 moves along the first flow path 253 and dissolves the nucleic acid attached to the nucleic acid attachment member 255, it moves together with the nucleic acid along the second flow path 252 to the storage space V12.
The nucleic acid moved to the storage space V12 is amplified and identified by the nucleic acid test module 300. Referring to
As illustrated in
The nucleic acid amplification chip 312 amplifies the nucleic acid through a polymerase chain reaction when nucleic acid is introduced. In this case, known components may be used for the nucleic acid amplification chip 312, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The inspection needle 311 is connected to the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 that is installed on the inspection base 310. In this case, the pressure inside the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 is formed to be smaller than the pressure in the storage space V12 of the storage chamber 180. For example, although the pressure inside the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 may be formed to have a negative pressure or the storage space V12 may be formed to have a positive pressure, there is no limitation on the pressure value that is formed to be lower than the pressure of the storage space V12.
Accordingly, when the inspection needle 311 penetrates the storage septum 181 of the storage chamber 180, the eluate L9 that is stored in the storage space V12 is moved to the inside of the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 due to the internal pressure of the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 and the pressure difference of the storage space V12.
The nucleic acid moved into the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 is amplified to be detectable through a polymerase chain reaction. In this case, in the nucleic acid amplification process, it is necessary to control the temperature for the reaction of enzyme.
To this end, as illustrated in
The second heater 313 is disposed below the inspection base 310 to control the temperature of the nucleic acid amplification chip 312. As the second heater 313, a known device may be used as long as it can control the temperature of the nucleic acid amplification chip 312, and the operation method is not limited.
In order to determine the type of nucleic acid that is transferred from the storage chamber 180 to the nucleic acid amplification chip 312 and amplified, the nucleic acid test module 300 includes a light irradiation unit 320 and a light detection unit 330. When light is irradiated on the nucleic acid amplification chip through the light irradiation unit 320, the light detection unit 330 detects a specific fluorescent signal that is reflected from the nucleic acid amplification chip 312, when target nucleic acids exist.
Accordingly, it is possible to determine the type of nucleic acid being sensed by using the fluorescent signal that is collected through the light detection unit 330.
Meanwhile, referring to
The second driving unit 350 is disposed on one side of the first driving unit 230 to provide a rotational driving force. In this case, the second driving unit 350 may be integrally formed with the first driving unit 230, and there is no limitation thereon.
A drying arm 360 that pivotally rotates is coupled to the second driving unit 350. When the first drying chamber 150 is coupled to the injection needle 251, the drying arm 360 is pivotally rotated so as to be coupled to the first through-hole 152 that is formed at the upper end of the injection needle 251.
In this case, the drying arm 360 is connected to the pump 340, and the drying gas L8 of the pump 340 can be injected into the first drying chamber 150 through the first through-hole 152. The pump 340 and the drying arm 360 may be connected by the hose 341, but as long as the drying gas L8 of the pump 340 can be provided through the drying arm 360, there is no limitation thereon. In this case, the injected drying gas L8 is discharged to the outside through the second through-hole 162 of the second drying chamber 160 as described above.
As described above, the preferred exemplary embodiments according to the present invention have been reviewed, and the fact that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope in addition to the above-described embodiments is a matter that is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is self-evident to them. Therefore, the foregoing exemplary embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and thus, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2022-0058678 | May 2022 | KR | national |
