Apparatus and method for specific detection and quantization of nucleic acid

A kit for detecting and quantifying a target nucleic acid sequence in a test sample, comprising:

• a first container holding a sample solution possibly comprising the target nucleic acid;
• a second container holding, in solution, a first phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) probe comprising a first fluorescent dye actionable under exposure to incident light to act as a donor, the first PMO probe having a sequence complementary to a first portion of the of the target nucleic acid sequence;
• a third container holding, in solution, a second PMO probe comprising a second fluorescent dye actionable as a receptor, the second probe having a sequence complementary to a second portion of the target nucleic acid sequence, the second portion in near proximity to the first portion;
• a light source enabled to illuminate contents of the first container at a wavelength inducing the first fluorescent dye to donate energy in a non-radiative manner to the second fluorescent dye;
• and
• a device to collect and measure fluorescent light emissions from the acceptor probe dye.

A portable detection system for detecting and quantifying a target nucleic acid sequence in a sample, comprising:

• a hand-held, computerized appliance having a cartridge holder for holding a sample cartridge, a laser for illuminating a sample in a cartridge in the cartridge holder, a light sensor for detecting light emission from the sample in the cartridge, and wireless circuitry for communication with a network-connected communication device;
• and
• a cartridge configured to insert and withdraw from the cartridge holder, the cartridge comprising a donor probe chamber, an acceptor probe chamber, a sample chamber, and a target reaction chamber, with interconnecting internal channels;
• wherein a cartridge implemented with donor and acceptor probes specific to a particular target nucleotide in respective chambers is loaded with a sample in the sample chamber, and inserted into the cartridge holder, where the sample and probes are mixed in the reaction chamber and illuminated by the laser, and intensity determined by the light detector is communicated wirelessly to the network-connected communication device.