A Simple Platform - The PCR Pipettor

An obvious opportunity based on Thermal Gradient's exceptional PCR speed is the "PCR Pipettor". It is intended to address the situation where it is not necessary to process many samples in a conventional thermal cycler. Samples are aspirated directly into the PCR chip through a disposable tip. Temperature control functions in addition to the usual programmable features are contained in the hand-held pipettors. Once aspirated, the sample is automatically sent through the PCR chip, when complete within a few minutes, the amplified sample is aspirated back out.

Instrument Platforms

There are many platform opportunities that would benefit significantly from the characteristics of Thermal Gradient devices. Systems that are now large and slow can be made much smaller and faster. The ultimate challenge for molecular diagnostic testing is a fully automated, high throughput, random access analyzer. Finally, because of Thermal Gradient's unprecedented speed and simplicity, such a system is not possible.

The Throughput Challenge

A limiting factor in system design is the maximum throughput that is achievable in a practical system footprint. Existing clinical chemistry and immunoassay systems have test times ranging from a few seconds to a minute or so which equates to several hundred to over one thousand tests per hour. A nucleic acid based system with such a throughput is not possible with conventional amplification technologies.

A very attractive throughput specification for a nucleic acid system would be one test every 30 seconds (120 test per hour). The only way to achieve such a throughput is to have parallel PCR amplification within the system. Present practical amplification rates are from 30 minutes to two hours. A system based on traditional PCR amplification methods would require from 60 to 240 PCR amplification stations within the instrument!

Thermal Gradient technology support amplification rates of one test every 3-5 minutes! Even at five minutes, only ten amplification stations are required to achieve a system throughput of 120 tests per hour. Thermal Gradient's technology allows the system amplification station to be very small, less than six inches tall in a three inch by three inch footprint. Because of its small size, ten such stations take up a modest volume within the system. If an even higher throughput was desired, additional PCR stations could be provided within a still reasonable system envelope.

Performance Comparisons

Thermal Gradient is in the very early development stages of an analytical platform with unprecedented performance characteristics. To illustrate the capabilities of a system that incorporates Thermal Gradient's technology, below is a table that compares our system specifications to two existing commercial platforms: