Processing polynucleotide-containing samples
AssigneeHandyLab, Inc.
InventorsBetty Wu, John S. Althaus, Sundaresh N. Brahmasandra, Kalyan Handique, Nikhil Phadke
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Abstract
Methods and systems for processing polynucleotides (e.g., DNA) are disclosed. A processing region includes one or more surfaces (e.g., particle surfaces) modified with ligands that regain polynucleotides under a first set of conditions (e.g., temperature and pH) and release the polynucleotides under a second set of conditions (e.g., higher temperature and/or more basic pH). The processing region can be used to, for example, concentrate polynucleotides of a sample and/or separate inhibitors of amplification reactions from the polynucleotides. Microfluidic devices with a processing region are disclosed.
Claims28
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a processing region having a vertical central axis therethrough, the processing region comprised of an inlet, a retention member, a filter, and an outlet;
- said retention member being configured to preferentially retain one or more polynucleotides in a sample as compared to polymerase chain reaction inhibitors in the sample, wherein said retention member comprises a plurality of polynucleotide binding particles, and said plurality of binding particles having surfaces that comprise a poly-cationic polyamide bound thereto, further wherein the retention member is configured to retain polynucleotides from a sample preferentially to inhibitors in the sample as the sample passes through the retention member from the processing region inlet to the processing region outlet;
- wherein the vertical central axis of the processing region is perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the microfluidic device;
- wherein the processing region outlet is disposed along the vertical central axis above the processing region inlet;
- wherein the filter is configured to prevent the plurality of binding particles from passing downstream of the processing region;
- a device inlet in communication with, and upstream of, the processing region;
- a device outlet in communication with, and downstream of, the processing region;
- and
- a detection region in fluid communication with and downstream of the retention member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.