JP2001147231A - DNA chip - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To collate information of a base sequence of a DNA chip with a test result, the information must be collated with identification information of the DNA chip without error. In addition, identification information of the subject, that is, name, gender, number, etc., must be correctly managed. SOLUTION: An electronic circuit configured as a single chip is inseparably embedded in a DNA chip substrate, a coupling means is provided on an analyzer side and coupled to the electronic circuit, and auxiliary information is externally provided in the electronic circuit. Write to non-volatile memory.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) chip capable of rapidly analyzing gene information.
The present invention relates to a DNA chip that can be stored.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A DNA chip is an epoch-making method for genetic analysis. That is, for example, 10,000 kinds of different gene DNAs are fixed on a glass substrate with several sides of several tens of millimeters in different places, the DNA of the sample to be tested is extracted and reacted therewith, and the location of the reacted DNA sample is analyzed by an analyzer. And the DN contained in the sample to be inspected
A is specified. This chip is for placement of DNA,
An infinite number of combinations are possible.

[0003]

A DNA chip has an infinite number of combinations of base sequences, and when comparing information of a base sequence with a test result, it is matched with identification information of the DNA chip.
At this time, it is necessary to prevent the arrangement information to be collated from being mixed with information of a different chip.

Further, when a DNA chip is used for analysis of an individual sample, identification information of a test subject, that is, a name, a sex, a number, and the like must be correctly managed. If an error occurs in this process, it will lead to a medical accident.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to embed an electronic circuit configured as a single chip in a DNA chip substrate inseparably, and to provide a coupling means on the analyzer side to provide the electronic circuit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information medium which can be combined with a circuit and externally write auxiliary information to a nonvolatile memory in the electronic circuit.

Further, a DNA chip analyzer is provided with a head for exchanging signals with the IC, and the analyzer operates efficiently using information in the IC, and provides convenience such as writing a result in the IC. .

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a substrate having a plurality of DNAs having a known base sequence arranged therein, and an identification having a built-in IC memory integrated with the substrate. A DNA chip composed of devices was constructed.

According to the above configuration, in order to identify a myriad of types of DNA chips which can exist innumerably and to hold the information of the sample without errors, an IC having a memory function is embedded in the DNA chip, and information of the chip and information of the sample are stored. Is stored, and the convenience and reliability of DNA analysis can be improved.

[0009] The identification device may be composed of one IC chip, and may have a contact terminal on a substrate surface to be electrically connected to the IC chip for signal exchange with an external device. It is also possible to adopt a configuration having a communication coil for exchanging signals without contact with an external device.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a DNA chip and an analyzer according to the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 denotes a DNA chip substrate made of glass or the like. 11 is a DN fixed on the substrate surface
Group A, to which the test sample binds.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an identification IC chip, which includes an EEPRPOM for storing information therein, a control circuit for exchanging signals with the outside, and a high-frequency circuit for radio communication. 12 has a size of 2.3 mm square and a thickness of about 0.5 mm. An antenna coil 13 is formed in a spiral shape on the surface of 12.

Numeral 14 denotes an antenna coil for a read / write head installed in a part of the analyzer, and two antenna coils from the chip substrate.
mm. This coil is connected to the reader / writer circuit in the analyzer and communicates with the IC in the chip in a non-contact manner.

That is, the coil is operated by a command from the analyzer.
A high-frequency current flows through 14, which induces a high-frequency voltage in the IC-side coil 13. This voltage is rectified and smoothed to become the operating power supply for the IC 12 and detected and turned into a signal.
Written to OM. The information in the EEPROM is read out according to an external command and transmitted to the analyzer through the coils 13 and 14.

The IC 12 stores not only the identification information of the chip but also the information of the DNA mounted thereon as required and the identification information of the test object, that is, the name, gender, number, etc., and smoothly and accurately performs the information processing of the NDA analysis. Provide a means.

Next, means for embedding an IC circuit in a DNA chip will be described. The size of the IC chip is, for example, 20
It is as small as mm square, and has a terminal portion on its surface for data communication by being in electrical contact with an external device. It is not practical to incorporate a large circuit for identification in this. Therefore, a device that operates with one IC is used. This is realized using a device similar to an IC used for an IC card or the like. The occupied area of the circuit is about one square centimeter.

In some cases, even in the above case, the area occupied by the ID device is too large. Further, the form in which the electrodes for external communication are exposed on the substrate surface may be an obstacle to the chemical treatment of the chip substrate. To solve this problem, a coil-on-chip type ID device in which a communication coil is directly mounted on the surface of an IC is used.

Recent advances in semiconductor technology have enabled the design of electronic circuits that operate at extremely low power. Further, it has become possible to form an entire electronic circuit into a single mechanical component by forming an electromagnetic coupling coil on the surface of the semiconductor using copper wiring instead of the conventional aluminum wiring on the semiconductor surface.

When the above IC is mounted on a substrate, a dent is formed in the substrate, and the IC is buried with a resin or the like so that the substrate and the IC are inseparable from each other, thereby preventing problems such as chip detachment.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to identify the types of DNA chips which can exist innumerably, and to hold the information of the subject without error, the memory embedded in the DNA chips is used. The convenience and reliability of DNA analysis can be improved by storing information of a DNA chip and information of a specimen in an IC having an effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a DNA chip and a head of an analyzer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Chip substrate 11: DNA sequence
12: IC chip 13: Medium antenna coil 14: External device antenna coil 1
5: Dent of substrate for embedding IC chip

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A DNA chip comprising a substrate on which a plurality of DNAs having a known base sequence are arranged, and an identification device incorporating an IC memory integrated with the substrate. 2. The DNA chip according to claim 1, wherein the identification device is formed of one IC chip, and has contact terminals on the substrate surface that are electrically connected to the IC chip for exchanging signals with an external device. D characterized by the fact that
NA chip. 3. The DNA chip according to claim 1, wherein the identification device has a communication coil on the IC chip surface for exchanging signals with an external device in a non-contact manner. 4. The DNA chip according to claim 1, wherein said identification device includes a nonvolatile memory rewritable and readable from an external device.