Non-toxic formulation for collecting biological samples, and device for capturing and eluting nucleic acids in the samples

A device comprising:

• first means for receiving therein a sample-containing mixture containing therein a biological sample;
• second means in fluid communication with the first means for receiving the sample-containing mixture therefrom, for allowing the sample-containing mixture to pass across the second means, and for capturing nucleic acids in the biological sample on the second means;
• third means for receiving and holding the sample-containing mixture after passing across the second means;
• fourth means in fluid communication with the second means and the third means for pumping the sample-containing mixture across the second means and into the third means;
• fifth means for containing an eluent therein and for allowing the eluent to flow across the second means after the sample-containing mixture passes across the second means, and for removing from the second means captured nucleic acids from the biological sample with the eluent;
• sixth means in fluid communication with the solid-state membrane for receiving and collecting the eluent with captured nucleic acids from the biological sample therein;
• and
• seventh means in fluid communication with the second means and the fifth means for pumping the eluent to flow from the fifth means across the second means, elute captured nucleic acids from the second means, and flow with the captured nucleic acids into the sixth means.