Devices and methods for the performance of miniaturized in vitro amplification assays

A centripetally-motivated Microsystems platform for performing an in vitro amplification reaction comprising:

• a) a rotatable platform comprising a substrate having a surface comprising one or a multiplicity of microfluidics structures embedded in the surface of the platform, wherein each microfluidics structure comprises
• i) a sample chamber comprising a sample input port;
• ii) a cell lysis buffer reservoir containing a cell lysis buffer;
• iii) a neutralization buffer reservoir containing a neutralization buffer that is fluidly connected to a first reservoir by a microchannel;
• iv) a first mixing microchannel fluidly connected to the sample buffer chamber and the cell lysis buffer reservoir, wherein the first mixing microchannel defines a longitudinal path in the surface of the platform having a length sufficient to mix the sample and the cell lysis buffer to a lysed cell mixture, wherein the first mixing microchannel is fluidly connected to
• v) a second reservoir, wherein the first and second reservoirs are fluidly connected to
• vi) a second mixing microchannel wherein the second mixing microchannel defines a longitudinal path in the surface of the platform having a length sufficient to mix the lysed cell mixture and the neutralization buffer to a DNA sample mixture, wherein the first mixing microchannel is fluidly connected to
• vii) a third reservoir;
• wherein the platform further comprises
• viii) a fourth reservoir containing a solution comprising a DNA amplification reagent mixture, wherein the third and fourth reservoirs are fluidly connected to
• ix) a third mixing microchannel wherein the third mixing microchannel defines a longitudinal path in the surface of the platform having a length sufficient to mix the DNA sample mixture and the DNA amplification reagent mixture to produce a DNA amplification reaction mixture, wherein the third mixing microchannel is fluidly connected to
• x) a thermal cycling chamber in thermal contact with
• xi) a temperature control element
• fluid within the microchannels of the platform is moved through said microchannels by centripetal force arising from rotational motion of the platform for a time and a rotational velocity sufficient to move the fluid through the microchannels and wherein DNA amplification is performed in the thermal cycling chamber by alternating the temperature to denature template DNA, anneal primers and extend the primers with a polymerase.