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US 2002/0053532 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for analysis and sorting of polynucleotides based on size
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsStephen Quake, Wayne D. Volkmuth
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Abstract
The invention relates to a microfabricated device and methods of using the device for analyzing and sorting polynucleotide molecules by size.
Claims24
A microfabricated device for sorting reporter-labelled polynucleotide molecules by size, comprising
- a chip having a substrate into which is microfabricated at least one analysis unit, said analysis unit comprising
- a main channel, having at one end a sample inlet, having along its length a detection region, and having, adjacent and downstream of said detection region, a branch point discrimination region;
- a plurality of branch channels originating at the discrimination region and in communication with the main channel;
- means for passing a continuous stream of solution containing said molecules through said detection region, such that on average only one molecule occupies the detection region at any given time;
- means for measuring the level of reporter from each molecule within the detection region;
- and
- means for directing said molecule to a selected branch channel based on said level of reporter.
4 more elements
A method of isolating polynucleotides having a selected size, comprising
- A) flowing a continuous stream of solution containing reporter-labeled polynucleotides through a channel comprising a detection region having a selected volume, where the concentration of the molecules in the solution is such that most molecules pass through the detection region one by one,
- B) determining the size of each molecule as it passes through the detection region by measuring the level of said reporter,
- C) in said continuous stream of solution, diverting (i) molecules having said selected size into a first branch channel, and (ii) molecules not having said selected size into a second branch channel, and
- D) collecting polynucleotides diverted into said first branch channel.
1 more element
A method of sizing polynucleotides in solution, comprising
- A) flowing a continuous stream of solution containing reporter-labeled polynucleotides through a microfabricated channel comprising a detection region having a selected volume, where the concentration of the molecules in the solution is such that most molecules pass through the detection region one by one, and
- B) determining the size of each molecule as it passes through the detection region by measuring the level of said reporter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.