Method and apparatus for nucleic acid hybridization

Abstract

A method and apparatus designed for nucleic acid hybridization employs a hydrogen bond denaturation area with a higher temperature and a lower temperature nucleic acid hybridization area that is immobilized with nucleic acid probes. Nucleic acid-containing samples are introduced into the hydrogen bond denaturation area for heating curled nucleic acids in samples so that they become linear and are guided into the nucleic acid hybridization area. In this area, the nucleic acid hybridization rate can be multiplied by increasing the kinetic energy by the repeated flow of driven fluid. The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus provided by the invention contains a hydrogen bond denaturation area, a nucleic acid hybridization area, a two-way driving apparatus, and a temperature control element. The temperatures in the hydrogen bond denaturation area and the nucleic acid hybridization area can be maintained through the management of this temperature control element, and the fluid can gain needed kinetic energy through the two-way driving pump.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A nucleic acid hybridization method, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a nucleic acid hybridization area of a first temperature, which has a first channel immobilized with a plurality of probes thereon;    providing a hydrogen bond denaturation area of a second temperature, which has a second channel interconnected to the first channel to form a connection channel;    guiding a nucleic acids-containing fluid into the connection channel;    driving the fluid to pass the second channel and the first channel back and forth.    
     
     
         2 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is between 20 to 68° C.  
     
     
         3 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein the optimal temperature of the first temperature is 40° C.  
     
     
         4 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is between 80 to 100° C.  
     
     
         5 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1  wherein the optimal temperature of the second temperature is 90° C.  
     
     
         6 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein a two-way driving apparatus is utilized for driving the fluid.  
     
     
         7 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 6 , wherein the two-way driving apparatus is selected from the group of a two-way air-driven pump and a two-way fluid-driven pump.  
     
     
         8 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein a way is selected from the group of the hydrogen bond denaturation area and the nucleic acid hybridization area for guiding the fluid into the connection channel, while the optimal way is the hydrogen bond denaturation area.  
     
     
         9 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of driving the fluid to pass the second channel and the first channel back and forth is to restrain the fluid in the first channel for a first period and then drive the fluid to the second channel to stay for a second period.  
     
     
         10 . The nucleic acid hybridization method of  claim 9 , wherein during the first period for the fluid staying in the first channel, the two-way driving apparatus drive the fluid to flow back and forth for increasing the kinetic energy of the fluid.  
     
     
         11 . An nucleic acid hybridization apparatus, comprising: 
 a hydrogen bond denaturation area having a first channel and a first hole, for denaturing the hydrogen bonds of nucleic acids;    a nucleic acid hybridization area having a second hole and a second channel immobilized with nucleic acid probes thereon, the second channel is interconnected with the first channel to form a connection channel;    a temperature control element, for maintaining hydrogen bond denaturation area and nucleic acid hybridization area at a first and a second temperature respectively; and    a two-way driving element, which drives a nucleic acids-containing fluid infused into the connection channel to flow back and forth through the first hole and the second hole.    
     
     
         12 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the nucleic acid probes is selected from the group of DNA, RNA, peptide, peptide-RNA complex and derivatives of  
     
     
         13 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the temperature control element is a fixed heat source.  
     
     
         14 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the fixed heat source is selected from the group of an electric heater, a microwave, a laser and a light sources  
     
     
         15 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first temperature is between 20 to 68° C.  
     
     
         16 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the optimal temperature of the first temperature is 40° C.  
     
     
         17 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second temperature is between 80 to 100° C.  
     
     
         18 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the optimal temperature of the second temperature is 90° C.  
     
     
         19 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the two-way driving element is selected from the group of a two-way air-driven pump and a two-way fluid-driven  
     
     
         20 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the two-way driving element drives the fluid to stay in the first channel for the first period and then drives the fluid to stay in the second channel for the second period.  
     
     
         21 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein during the first period for the fluid staying in the first channel, the two-way driving element drives the fluid to flow back and forth for increasing the kinetic energy of the fluid.  
     
     
         22 . The nucleic acid hybridization apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein further comprising a valve element for controlling back and forth the flowing direction of the fluid driven by the two-way driving element.