A nucleic acid analysis apparatus with isothermal based amplification includes a chamber, a fluid delivery unit, a thermal unit, a rotational driven unit and at least one optical unit. The chamber includes a cartridge mounted therein. The fluid delivery unit is connected with the chamber and adapted to transport reagents within the cartridge for sample purification and/or nucleic acid extraction. The thermal unit is disposed in the chamber and adapted to provide a predefined temperature for nucleic acid amplification. The rotational driven unit is connected with the chamber and comprises a motion control unit, wherein the motion control unit is capable of pressing the cartridge during sample purification and/or nucleic acid extraction and rotating the cartridge with a predefined program during nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The at least one optical unit is disposed on the chamber and includes plural optical components for detection.

A thermal cycler device is provided, including an annular conveying element having a circular conveying path, a plurality of slide plate device holding elements, a plurality of heating blocks, a pressing element and a cooling device. The annular conveying element operates in stages, such that the slide plate device holding elements move along the circular conveying path while carrying a plurality of slide plate devices. When each slide plate device holding element moves to the corresponding heating block, the annular conveying element stops operating and the pressing element performs the pressing process, such that each slide plate device contacts the corresponding heating block for heat transfer.

A thermal cycling system for processing a bio sample includes a chamber, a photonic system and a cooling device. The photonic system includes a light-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit is configured to irradiate the bio sample for heating the bio sample rapidly. The cooling device is attached outside the chamber for cooling the bio sample inside the chamber. The bio sample is continuously cooled by the cooling device, and the light-emitting unit is selectively enabled or disabled according to a thermal cycling profile. Therefore, an ultrafast thermal cycling and a precise control of temperature are implemented.

Method and apparatus for thermal processing of nucleic acid in a thermal profile is provided. The method employs at least a first bath and a second bath, the method further employing a reactor holder for holding reactor(s) accommodating reaction material containing the nucleic acid. The method comprises maintaining bath mediums in the baths at two different temperatures; and alternately allowing the reactor(s) to be in the two baths in a plurality of thermal cycles to alternately attain a predetermined high target temperature THT, and a predetermined low target temperature TLT, wherein the bath medium in at least one of the baths is a high thermal conductivity powder.

A method for moving a processing vial between locations of an instrument. The method includes the steps of dispensing a fluid into a processing vial with a disposable pipette tip frictionally fitted onto a probe of a pipettor, stripping the disposable pipette tip from the probe of the pipettor, and then engaging a cap in a frictional fit with the probe of the pipettor. While the cap is engaged in a frictional fit with the probe of the pipettor, coupling the cap to the processing vial to form a cap/vial assembly, where the cap seals the processing vial. The pipettor moves the cap/vial assembly from a first location of an instrument to a second location of the instrument. At the second location of the instrument, the cap/vial assembly is ejected from the probe of the pipettor, thereby depositing the cap/vial assembly at the second location.

An automated method for analyzing a plurality of samples within a housing of a self-contained system. The system is loaded with a plurality of samples, after which a first assay is performed on a first sample subset and a second assay performed on a second sample subset. The two assays include exposing the samples to a target capture reagent having a solid support for directly or indirectly immobilizing a target nucleic acid that may be present in one or more of the samples. The two assays may be performed with the same or different target capture reagents and target nucleic acids, but the receptacles for performing the exposing step have substantially identical geometries. Following the exposing step, an amplification reaction for amplifying a region of the target nucleic acid is performed with each sample. The amplification reactions of the two assays are performed in receptacles having different geometries.

Provided herein are devices and methods for the rapid processing and analysis of samples. In particular, a small-volume sample (e.g., nucleic acid sample) is exposed to (e.g., contacted with) different temperature zones within a device to process (e.g., amplify) and/or analyze (e.g., quantitate) the sample in an assay.

Disclosed is a nucleic acid detection device which includes an installation unit on which a cartridge is installed, the cartridge including a chamber configured to store nucleic acid, a reagent for amplifying the nucleic acid and a dispersion medium for dispersing the nucleic acid and the reagent; a sample processing unit configured to produce, within the chamber, an emulsion in which droplets containing the nucleic acid and the reagent are dispersed in the dispersion medium; a temperature regulating unit configured to regulate a temperature of the cartridge to amplify the nucleic acid contained in the droplet; and a detection unit configured to detect a signal based on the nucleic acid amplified by temperature regulation by the temperature regulating unit.

A method and an apparatus for thermal processing of nucleic acid in a thermal profile. The method employs at least a first bath and a second bath, the method further employing a reactor holder for holding reactor(s) accommodating reaction material containing the nucleic acid. The method includes maintaining bath mediums in the baths at two different temperatures; and alternately allowing the reactor(s) to be in the two baths in a plurality of thermal cycles to alternately attain a predetermined high target temperature T.sub.HT, and a predetermined low target temperature T.sub.LT, wherein the bath medium in at least one of the baths is a high thermal conductivity powder.

The present invention provides methods and devices for simple, low power, automated processing of biological samples through multiple sample preparation and assay steps. The methods and devices described facilitate the point-of-care implementation of complex diagnostic assays in equipment-free, non-laboratory settings. The invention includes a microfluidic device comprising a reagent-dispensing unit, a sample extraction device and a specimen processing unit.