AUTOMATED SAMPLE-TO-MICROARRAY SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
a sample port for placing a liquid biological sample into the housing;
a microarray port for inserting an oligonucleotide microarray into the housing;
a lysis module within the housing and coupled to the sample port;
a purification module within the housing coupled to the lysis module and capable of containing a solid phase for binding of oligonucleotides;
a thermocycling module within the housing coupled to the purification module and capable of containing a polymerase chain reaction;
a fragmentation module within the housing coupled to the thermocycling module; and
a microarray module within the housing coupled to the fragmentation module and capable of holding the microarray and a liquid in contact with the microarray;
wherein the apparatus is configured to be coupled to a device capable of;
pumping a liquid through, in order, the lysis module, the purification module, the thermocycling module, the fragmentation module, and the microarray module;
sonicating any contents of the lysis module;
thermocycling the thermocycling module to perform the polymerase chain reaction;
heating the fragmentation module to fragment any oligonucleotides contained therein;
circulating a fluid over the surface of the microarray; and
performing one or more washing or staining steps on the microarray.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus having within or as part of a housing; a sample port; a microarray port; a lysis module; a purification module for containing a solid phase for binding of oligonucleotides; a thermocycling module for containing a polymerase chain reaction; a fragmentation module; and a microarray module for holding a microarray and a liquid in contact with the microarray. The apparatus is configured to be coupled to a device for: pumping a liquid through, in order, the lysis, purification, thermocycling, fragmentation, and microarray modules; sonicating any contents of the lysis module; thermocycling the thermocycling module to perform the polymerase chain reaction; heating the fragmentation module to fragment any oligonucleotides contained therein; circulating a fluid over the surface of the microarray; and performing one or more washing or staining steps on the microarray.
114 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a housing;
a sample port for placing a liquid biological sample into the housing;
a microarray port for inserting an oligonucleotide microarray into the housing;
a lysis module within the housing and coupled to the sample port;
a purification module within the housing coupled to the lysis module and capable of containing a solid phase for binding of oligonucleotides;
a thermocycling module within the housing coupled to the purification module and capable of containing a polymerase chain reaction;
a fragmentation module within the housing coupled to the thermocycling module; and
a microarray module within the housing coupled to the fragmentation module and capable of holding the microarray and a liquid in contact with the microarray;
wherein the apparatus is configured to be coupled to a device capable of;
pumping a liquid through, in order, the lysis module, the purification module, the thermocycling module, the fragmentation module, and the microarray module;
sonicating any contents of the lysis module;
thermocycling the thermocycling module to perform the polymerase chain reaction;
heating the fragmentation module to fragment any oligonucleotides contained therein;
circulating a fluid over the surface of the microarray; and
performing one or more washing or staining steps on the microarray. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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providing an apparatus comprising;
a housing;
a sample port for placing a liquid biological sample into the housing;
a microarray port for inserting an oligonucleotide microarray into the housing;
a lysis module within the housing and coupled to the sample port;
a purification module within the housing coupled to the lysis module and capable of containing a solid phase for binding of oligonucleotides;
a thermocycling module within the housing coupled to the purification module and capable of containing a polymerase chain reaction;
a fragmentation module within the housing coupled to the thermocycling module; and
a microarray module within the housing coupled to the fragmentation module and capable of holding the microarray and a liquid in contact with the microarray;
inserting an oligonucleotide microarray into the microarray port;
inserting the sample through the sample port and into the lysis module; and
coupling the apparatus to a device, the device performing a process comprising;
sonicating the sample in the lysis module;
pumping the product of the sonication into the purification module;
binding oligonucleotides to the solid phase;
eluting the bound oligonucleotides to the thermocycling module;
introducing a set of PCR primers into the thermocycling module;
performing a polymerase chain reaction within the thermocycling module;
pumping the product of the polymerase chain reaction into the fragmentation module;
introducing a restriction enzyme into the fragmentation module;
heating the contents of the fragmentation module to cause fragmentation of the oligonucleotides;
pumping the product of the fragmentation into the microarray module;
circulating the product of the fragmentation over the microarray to allow hybridization of oligonucleotides to the microarray; and
performing one or more washing or staining steps on the hybridized microarray. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification