Ruggedized apparatus for analysis of nucleic acid and proteins
First Claim
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1. A ruggedized apparatus for analyzing a sample of biomolecular analyte, the ruggedized apparatus comprising:
- a holder for supporting a transparent test module having at least one channel disposed therein;
an electrophoresis device connected to the holder and for providing energy to the transparent test module;
a light source drawing less than about 10 amps at 240 volts, the light source for emitting a light beam that excites fluorescence in the sample of biomolecular analyte;
a light detector; and
a plurality of optical devices mounted within the apparatus to transmit the light beam emitted by the light source to the transparent test module and from the transparent test module to the light detector.
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and systems for ruggedizing a nucleic acid analyzing apparatus. The ruggedized apparatus can be used reliably and effectively in uncontrolled environments, such as, for example at a crime scene to collect and analyze forensic data, as well as in semi-controlled environments, such as, for example at a point of care location.
113 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A ruggedized apparatus for analyzing a sample of biomolecular analyte, the ruggedized apparatus comprising:
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a holder for supporting a transparent test module having at least one channel disposed therein;
an electrophoresis device connected to the holder and for providing energy to the transparent test module;
a light source drawing less than about 10 amps at 240 volts, the light source for emitting a light beam that excites fluorescence in the sample of biomolecular analyte;
a light detector; and
a plurality of optical devices mounted within the apparatus to transmit the light beam emitted by the light source to the transparent test module and from the transparent test module to the light detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for analyzing a sample of biomolecular analyte, the apparatus comprising:
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a holder for supporting a transparent test module having at least one microfluidic channel disposed therein;
an electrophoresis device connected to the holder and for providing energy to the transparent test module;
a low powered light source for emitting a light beam that excites fluorescence in the sample of biomolecular analyte;
a light detector; and
a plurality of optical devices mounted within the apparatus to transmit the light beam emitted by the light source to the transparent test module and from the transparent test module to the light detector. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for processing a sample of biomolecular analyte, the apparatus comprising:
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a holder for supporting a transparent test module having at least one channel disposed therein;
an electrophoresis device connected to the holder and for providing energy to the transparent test module;
a light source for emitting a light beam that excites fluorescence in the sample of biomolecular analyte;
a light detector; and
a plurality of optical devices rigidly mounted to a base plate formed from a single piece of material, the optical devices disposed on the base plate to transmit the light beam emitted by the light source to the transparent test module and from the transparent test module to the light detector. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A transparent test module for analyzing a sample of biomolecular analyte, the transparent test module comprising:
at least one fluid channel disposed within a member formed of a transparent material, each of the at least one fluid channel including a separation portion, a waste arm portion, a first sample arm portion, and a second sample arm portion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of determining center channel locations in a transparent test module including a plurality of separate fluid channels disposed therein, the method comprising:
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providing a transparent test module including the plurality of separate fluid channels, each of the separate fluid channels having a front end position, a center channel position, and a known channel width;
scanning over a portion of the transparent test module including each of the plurality of separate fluid channels with a light beam to generate a reflected light beam;
collecting the reflected light beam with a light detector to generate a waveform of intensity through the portion of the transparent test module including each of the plurality of separate fluid channels;
eliminating peaks determined not to be associated with the plurality of separate fluid channels;
identifying a location within the waveform of the front end position for each of the plurality of separate fluid channels;
identifying all remaining peaks along the waveform within a first distance extending from each of the identified front end positions; and
determining the center channel positions of each of the plurality of separate fluid channels from an average of locations of all of the remaining peaks within the first distance from each of the identified front end positions.
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Specification