What we claim is:
1. A disk array controller for coupling a host computer to an array of disk drives, comprising:
a core logic circuit for handling an IO operation among said host computer and said array of disk drives;
a disk control unit connected to and configured to control an operation of at least one disk drive of said array through a first bus of said host computer; and
a bus controller which communicates with said host computer through a second bus of said host computer by means of a message defined by a specific protocol of said second bus, in order that said disk array controller is configured to be driven through said second bus by a specific disk driver utility which is provided by an operating system running on said host computer.
2. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said first bus is an integrated drive electronics (IDE) bus.
3. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said first bus is a small computer systems interface (SCSI) bus.
4. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said second bus is a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.
5. The disk array controller according to claim 4 wherein said peripheral component interconnect bus is provided with a configuration space register for storing said message therein.
6. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said bus controller is a master bus controller.
7. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said bus controller is a slave bus controller.
8. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said message defined by said specific protocol of said second bus comprises a PCI class code.
9. The disk array controller according to claim 8 wherein said message comprises a 24-bit data packet.
10. The disk array controller according to claim 1 wherein said specific disk driver utility is a PCI bus master IDE controller driver utility.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An automated system for isolating and amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence present in a fluid sample, wherein the system comprises:
a separation station constructed and arranged to separate a target nucleic acid containing the target sequence from other material present in the fluid sample;
an amplification station comprising one or more incubators, each of the incubators defining a temperature-controlled chamber constructed and arranged to receive a reaction receptacle containing the separated target nucleic acid and to incubate the contents of the reaction receptacle, to which one or more amplification reagents have been provided, for a period of time and under conditions sufficient to permit the target sequence to be amplified; and
one or more transport mechanisms constructed and arranged to transport the reaction receptacle between stations of the system.
2. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising an immobilization station comprising one or more incubators, each of the incubators of the immobilization station defining a temperature-controlled chamber constructed and arranged to receive the reaction receptacle and to incubate the contents of the reaction receptacle, to which a solid support material has been provided, for a period of time and under conditions sufficient to permit the target nucleic acid to be immobilized by the solid support material, wherein the separation station is constructed and arranged to separate the target nucleic acid from other material present in the fluid sample by a procedure which includes isolating the solid support material within the reaction receptacle and removing the fluid sample therefrom.
3. The automated system of claim 2, wherein the immobilization and amplification stations have at least one common incubator.
4. The automated system of claim 2, wherein the immobilization and amplification stations do not have a common incubator.
5. The automated system of claim 2, wherein the incubators of the amplification station are maintained at a temperature or temperatures different than the temperature or temperatures maintained by the incubators of the immobilization station.
6. The automated system of claim 2, wherein the fluid sample is contained in a reaction receptacle present in the separation station, and wherein the separation station includes a fluid aspirator mechanism constructed and arranged to aspirate fluid sample from the reaction receptacle after isolating the solid support material.
7. The automated system of claim 6, wherein the separation station further comprises:
a fluid dispense mechanism constructed and arranged to provide a wash buffer to the reaction receptacle after removing the fluid sample from the reaction receptacle; and
a mixing device constructed and arranged to agitate the reaction receptacle to resuspend the solid support material after the wash buffer has been provided by the fluid dispense mechanism.
8. The automated system of claim 2 further comprising a hybridization station comprising one or more incubators, each of the incubators of the hybridization station defining a temperature-controlled chamber constructed and arranged to receive the reaction receptacle and to incubate the contents of the reaction receptacle, to which one or more probe reagents have been provided, for a period of time and under conditions sufficient to permit the probe to hybridize to the target sequence or an amplicon thereof.
9. The automated system of claim 8, wherein the amplification and hybridization stations have at least one common incubator.
10. The automated system of claim 8, wherein the amplification and hybridization stations do not have a common incubator.
11. The automated system of claim 8 further comprising a detection station constructed and arranged to detect the presence or absence of the probe hybridized to the target sequence, or an amplicon thereof, as an indication of the presence or absence of an organism or virus or one or more members of a group of organisms or viruses in the fluid sample.
12. The automated system of claim 11 further comprising a deactivation station constructed and arranged to deactivate the nucleic acid contents of the reaction receptacle after permitting the target sequence, if any, to be amplified.
13. The automated system of claim 11, wherein the stations are contained within a housing.
14. The automated system of claim 13, wherein the housing defines a self-contained, stand alone analyzer unit.
15. The automated system of claim 14, wherein the analyzer unit is movable.
16. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising a holding station for holding a plurality of reaction receptacles.
17. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the separation station comprises magnetic elements for subjecting the fluid sample to a magnetic field.
18. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising a hybridization station comprising one or more incubators, each of the incubators of the hybridization station defining a temperature-controlled chamber constructed and arranged to receive the reaction receptacle and to incubate the contents of the reaction receptacle, to which one or more probe reagents have been provided, for a period of time and under conditions sufficient to permit the probe to hybridize to the target sequence or an amplicon thereof.
19. The automated system of claim 18, wherein the amplification and hybridization stations have a common incubator.
20. The automated system of claim 18, wherein the amplification and hybridization stations do not have a common incubator.
21. The automated system of claim 18 further comprising a detection station constructed and arranged to detect the presence or absence of the probe hybridized to the target sequence, or an amplicon thereof, as an indication of the presence or absence of an organism or virus or one or more members of a group of organisms or viruses in the fluid sample.
22. The automated system of claim 21, wherein the detection station comprises a luminometer constructed and arranged to detect the amount of light emitted by the contents of the reaction receptacle.
23. The automated system of claim 21 further comprising a deactivation station constructed and arranged to deactivate the nucleic acid contents of the reaction receptacle after permitting the target sequence, if any, to be amplified.
24. The automated system of claim 21, wherein the stations are contained within a housing.
25. The automated system of claim 24, wherein the housing defines a self-contained, stand alone analyzer unit.
26. The automated system of claim 25, wherein the analyzer unit is movable.
27. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising a temperature ramping station constructed and arranged to raise or lower the temperature of the contents of the reaction receptacle prior to transporting the reaction receptacle to the amplification station.
28. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising a fluid dispensing station constructed and arranged to dispense the fluid sample into the reaction receptacle.
29. The automated system of claim 1 further comprising a deactivation station constructed and arranged to deactivate the nucleic acid contents of the reaction receptacle after permitting the target sequence, if any, to be amplified.
30. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the stations are contained within a housing.
31. The automated system of claim 30, wherein the housing defines a self-contained, stand alone analyzer unit.
32. The automated system of claim 31, wherein the analyzer unit is movable.
33. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the material includes nucleic acids other than the target nucleic acid.
34. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the reaction receptacle comprises a plurality of receptacle vessels which are formed as an integral array.