Portable, Hand-Held, High-Speed, PCR Thermal Cycler with Real-Time Optical Detection

摘要

Cepheid has developed a portable, battery-operated, high-speed thermal cycling instrument with true real-time, multi-wavelength optical detection. The first prototypes consisted of 8 independently controllable reaction sites integrated into a briefcase. Each reaction site was capable of two-color excitation and detection for real-time data analysis. Available power sources included AC and a four-hour integrated rechargeable battery. The system was %.5 x 14 x 21 inches, weighing 50.1 lbs. The instrument successfully detected 10 fg of B. anthracis during experiments at USAMRIID. Leveraging knowledge gained from these first prototypes and new advances in Cepheid core technologies, a second-generation portable instrument has been developed. This instrument, the Smart Cycler XC, incorporates 16 independently controlled reaction sites with four-color optical detection capabilities. Internal rechargeable batteries with smart charging / fuel gauging capability allow one hour of system operation. A custom uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system automatically switches from AC power to automobile or internal batteries in the event power is lost. It can run on an external auto battery for over 6 hours. The system is fully ruggedized (MIL STD 8lOE) for field environment operation. The size is 30 x 19 x 13.5 inches with a total system weight of 74.65 lbs.