Technology for Lysing Cells Is Patented

A US patent has issued on the apparatus and methods for lysing cells and micro-organisms in cartridges using ultrasonic energy. This technology is the key aspect of the automated genetic testing program, GeneXpert, of Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA).

To gain access to nucleic acids and other molecules inside a cell or virus for testing, the cell or virus must be lysed, or broken open. Traditional methods can involve harsh chemicals, high temperatures, and long reaction times. The lysing chemicals can be inhibitory to genetic amplification and detection methods such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Currently, complex and expensive nucleic acid purification and concentration are required to remove these chemicals prior to amplification.

Cepheid's new technology can eliminate the purification and concentration steps, thereby simplifying genetic testing. Ultrasonic lysing in the GeneXpert cartridge can reduce sample preparation from several hours to only several minutes. The technology is applicable to other cells, bacteria, and viruses. GeneXpert is the first such system to allow raw biologic samples such as urine and blood to be processed automatically in a disposable cartridge, yielding a genetic result in about 30 minutes. The system is being evaluated by the US Postal Service for the potential detection of biothreat organisms in the mail.




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