Abstract
The present invention discloses a two-stage reaction and detection tube comprises a first tube, a second tube and a connector. The first tube comprises a detection space for placing a dipstick and a detection space for the test result. The second tube comprises a storing space for the PCR or RT-PCR reagents and the target gene segments. The connector comprises a first portion and a second portion which connect to the first tube and the second tube respectively. The connector further comprises a diversion unit, a liquid collection space, and a dipstick fixing space, where the liquid collection space is connected to the dipstick fixing space. The target gene amplification and detection could be directly processed in the same tube without any liquid transfer.
Claims
1. A two-stage nucleic acid reaction and detection tube, comprising: a first tube, comprising a first connection portion and a detection space, wherein the detection space is used for placing a dipstick; a second tube, comprising a second connection portion and a storing space, wherein the storing space is used for placing a liquid; a connector, comprising a first portion and a second portion, which respectively connects the first connection portion and the second connection portion, wherein the first portion of the connector comprises a diversion unit and a liquid collection space, the diversion unit can lead the liquid in the storing space to the liquid collection space, and the second portion comprises a dipstick fixing space, which connects the liquid collection space.
2. The two-stage nucleic acid reaction and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the out peripheral contour of the first tube is a round tube and the detection space is an oblong space having two corresponding planar surfaces.
3. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the second tube further comprises a capillary portion.
4. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the dipstick fixing space of the connector is an elongated channel with a uniform diameter.
5. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 4, wherein the liquid collection space comprises an outlet for leading the liquid, and the outlet is disposed at a longer side of the dipstick fixing space.
6. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the liquid collection space is a chamber connecting the dipstick fixing space.
7. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the liquid collection space has an inlet adjacent to the diversion unit and an outlet adjacent to the dipstick fixing space, wherein the opening area of the outlet is greater than that of the inlet.
8. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the diversion unit is a guide slope inclining toward the liquid collection space for leading the liquid in the second tube toward the liquid collection space.
9. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 1, wherein the first connection portion comprises a first snap structure and the second connection portion comprises a second snap structure for connecting the connector.
10. The two-stage reaction nucleic acid and detection tube according to claim 9, wherein the first snap structure or the second snap structure comprises an annular projection unit for connecting the connector.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 shows an exploded drawing and assembly drawing of the detection tube according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.
(2) FIG. 2A is an outward appearance of the first tube from one side.
(3) FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB′ in FIG. 2A.
(4) FIG. 3A is an outward appearance of the first tube from another side.
(5) FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA′ in FIG. 3A.
(6) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the first tube.
(7) FIG. 5A is an outward appearance of the second tube.
(8) FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC′ in FIG. 5A.
(9) FIG. 6A is an outward appearance of the connector.
(10) FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD′ in FIG. 6A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(11) The following context and drawings illustrate the principles of the present disclosure according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. As used herein, directional terms as may be used such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “proximal,” “distal,” “front”, “rear”, “left,” “right,” “inner,” “outer,” “interior” and “exterior” relate to an orientation of the disclosed mixing device from the perspective of a typical user, and do not specify permanent, intrinsic features or characteristics of the device.
(12) Please refer to FIG. 1. The reaction tube 1 in one preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first tube 10, a second tube 30, and a connector 20 connecting the first tube 10 and the second tube 30.
(13) Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 4. The first tube 10 in the previous embodiment is a transparency tube made of poly-carbonate, which comprises a first connection portion 101, a holding portion 103, an observation window 102 disposed between the first connection portion 101 and the holding portion 103, and an detection space 104. In the present embodiment, the outward appearance of the observation window 102 of the first tube 10 is a smooth and arced plane. The holding portion 103 is located at one end of the first tube 10, which has two corresponding surfaces to be clipped by the user's finger for observing the reaction result. At the other end corresponding to the holding portion 103, a first snap structure 105 is disposed in the inner side of the first tube 10. In the present application, the first snap structure 105 includes at least an annular projection unit 1051 for connecting the connector 20. The inner space of the first tube 10 is the detection space 104 which is used to accommodate a dipstick containing one cotton end. The detection space 104 has an oblong shape in its cross-section, so the detection space 104 contains a pair of parallel surfaces and a pair of curved surfaces. Thus, the outer surface of the first tube 10 and the inner surface walls of the first tube 10 together forms a flat convex lens. When the dipstick is placed in the detection space 104, the features shown on the dipstick can be enlarged and are easy to watch. Besides, when placing the dipstick, the end containing the cotton is positioned at the other side far from the first snap structure 105.
(14) Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B. The second tube 30 is a hollow transparent tube having a portion with a greater inside diameter for connection the connector 20 and a capillary portion with a smaller inside diameter. The second tube 30 has a second connection portion 301 which has similar structure with that of the first connection portion 101 of the first tube 10. A second snap structure 304 is formed inside the second tube 30 and contains at least an annular projection unit 3041 for connecting the connector 20. The storing space 303 inside second tube 20 can accumulate the reagents required in the reaction.
(15) As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the connector 20 of the present embodiment is an elastomer preferably made of silica gel so the connector 20 has a hardness lower than the hardness of the first tube 10 and the second tube 30. The connector 20 has a first portion 201 and a second portion 202 to respectively connect the first connection portion 101 of the first tube 10 and the second connection portion 301 of the second tube 30. In detail, both the first portion 201 and the second portion 202 have a third snap structure 203 and in one preferred embodiment, the third snap structure 203 contains a plurality of annular projection units 2031. When assembling the first tube 10, the second tube 30 and the connector 20, the annular projection unit 1051 of the first tube 10 and the annular projection unit 3041 of the second tube 30 can make the connector 20 slightly deformed, forming a compact assembling between the annular projection units of the first portion 201 and the second portion 202, and the corresponding annular projection units 1051, 3041 of the first tube 10 and the second tube 30 so as to establish a tightly integrated sealing structure.
(16) Please refer to FIG. 6B, the first portion 201 of the connector 20 includes a diversion unit 204 and a liquid collection space 205, and the second portion 202 includes a dipstick fixing space 206, which is a long channel with an uniform caliber. The dipstick fixing space 206 has an outlet 207 used as an entrance for putting the dipstick there through. The liquid collection space 205 has an inlet adjacent to the diversion unit 204 and an outlet adjacent to the dipstick fixing space 206, wherein the opening area of the outlet is greater than that of the inlet. By doing this, it can prevent inappropriate contact between the reagents and the dipstick and avoid the capillarity movement of the reagent toward the other side of the dipstick, which may result in unwanted reaction to the antibody coated on the dipstick. Further, it can also prevent the reagent flowing into the detection space 104 in the first tube 10, which causes wrong interpretation of the result.
(17) In the present embodiment, the diversion unit 204 is a diversion slope 2041 inclining toward the liquid collection space 205. When the user converts the detection tube 1 with 180 degrees, for example, turns the detection tube in FIG. 1 upside down, the diversion slope 2041 can guide the liquid in the second tube 202 to the liquid collection space 205. Since the liquid collection space 205 is a hollow chamber for accumulating liquid and connected to the dipstick fixing space 206, when the liquid flows into the liquid collection space 205, the liquid would contact the dipstick and soon processes the PCR/RT-PCR detection reaction. Besides, as the inlet of the liquid collection space 205 (referred to the interface between the liquid collection space 205 and the diversion unit 204) is narrower than the outlet of the liquid collection space (referred to the interface between the liquid collection space 205 and the dipstick fixing space 206), the liquid can be guided along the predetermined direction. In increasing the reaction speed, the contact region of the liquid and dipstick is increased by forming the outlet of the liquid collection space 205 at the longer border of the dipstick fixing space 206. By doing this, when the liquid flows out from the liquid collection space 206, it can contact the dipstick with a bigger area, so the reaction speed can be increased.
(18) When using the detection tube, the to-be-analyzed target gene, the specific binding antibody or other necessary are added into the second tube 30 and a thermal convection PCR/RT-PCR. Thereafter, the product of PCR/RT-PCR now contains the antigens called DIG or Avidin. Then, the dipstick that is coated by coloring material, specific binding antibody and absorbent cotton in its terminal ends is placed into the dipstick fixing space 206 of the connector 20, following by assembly the connector 20 and the second portion 301 of the second tube 30 together to make the dipstick fix in the storing space 303 of the second tube 30. In the present embodiment, the coloring material is gold (Au) gel, the specific binding antigen is DIG in which the corresponding antibody is Anti-DIG, the other specific binding antigen is Avidin in which its corresponding antibody is Biotin, and Biotin can bind Ag gel to form an Ag gel-Biotin complex.
(19) After the thermal convection PCR/RT-PCR, there is no need to remove the reagent in the second tube 30, instead, the connector 20, the first tube 10 and the second tube 30 are assembled according to the structure in FIG. 1 thereby forming a completely compact detection tube 1. Thereafter, the detection tube 1 is turned 180 degrees, that is, making the structure if FIG. 1 upside down, so the reagents of the thermal convection PCR/RT-PCR originally in the second tube would flow into liquid collection space 205 and the dipstick fixing space 206 via the guide slope 204 as to contact the dipstick in the dipstick fixing space 206. Since there is a cotton pad at one terminal end of the dipstick, the reagents of the PCR/RT-PCR will gradually move to the terminal containing the cotton because of the capillary action. When the movement of the reagent is processing, Avidin will specifically combine Biotin to form Avidin-Biotin-Ag gel complex, which will further move to the place with Anti-DIG coating. Thus, it will combine with DIG and give color signals for detection. Consequently, the coloring can show the result of detection.
(20) Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
