Cepheid Awarded Patent on Quantitative Analysis of A Nucleic Acid Amplification Reaction
Cepheid announced that it has been issued U.S. Patent "Apparatus for Quantitative Analysis of a Nucleic Acid Amplification Reaction." The patent covers an instrument for amplifying and detecting nucleic acid that is programmed to use quantitative internal controls or internal standards to generate a calibration curve and quantify the starting copy number of one or more target DNA sequences in a test sample.
Two key areas are addressed in the patent which are important in genetic assessment testing: (1) PCR and RT-PCR target sequence reactions normalized to an internal control and compared to a standard curve using external calibration standards which also are normalized to the same internal control (resulting in improved quantitative accuracy); and (2) the use of internal standards, which further improves accuracy and reduces reagent consumption by eliminating the need to routinely run a standard curve.
"The technology represented in this patent helps to provide the ability to produce systems which are more accurate and cost effective," stated Kurt Petersen, President and Chief Technical Officer.
In total, Cepheid's intellectual property portfolio presently includes 20 issued and allowed U.S. patents covering various aspects of its instrument, test cartridge and assay technologies, with 29 more U.S. patents pending.
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