System and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids

摘要

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a capture plate and a capture plate module configured to facilitate binding of nucleic acids within the set of biological samples to magnetic beads; a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols; and an assay strip configured to combine nucleic acid samples with molecular diagnostic reagents for analysis of nucleic acids.

主权项

1. A method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a biological sample, with a cartridge including a fluidic pathway coupled to a sample port and a reagent port, wherein the method comprises:
aligning the cartridge at a cartridge platform of a molecular diagnostic module, the cartridge platform having a set of slots, and the molecular diagnostic module having a cam module contacting a set of pins aligned with the set of slots; dispensing the biological sample into the fluidic pathway through the sample port of the cartridge; moving the cam module by transitioning the actuator into an extended configuration, thereby displacing a subset of the set of pins through the set of slots of the cartridge platform and occluding the fluidic pathway at a subset of occlusion positions to form a first truncated portion of the fluidic pathway for controlling the flow of the biological sample through the fluidic pathway; separating a volume of nucleic acids from the biological sample within the first truncated portion of the fluidic pathway; removing a portion of the volume of nucleic acids from the fluidic pathway through at least one of the reagent port and the sample port of the cartridge; combining the portion of the volume of nucleic acids with a molecular diagnostic reagent to produce a nucleic acid-reagent mixture; and delivering the nucleic acid-reagent mixture through a second portion of the fluidic pathway to a detection chamber.