Method and apparatuses for sorting objects in forensic DNA analysis and medical diagnostics
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sorting objects, comprising:
- a holographic optical trapping apparatus, said optical trapping apparatus which optically traps and sorts a sample of wanted objects from unwanted objects;
a microfluidics chip containing an input chamber in which said sample is disposed, for streaming said sample from said input chamber to a plurality of output chambers;
wherein said sorting of said sample into said wanted objects and said unwanted objects takes place at said input chamber using said holographic optical trapping apparatus;
wherein said sorting removes said wanted objects individually into each of said plurality of output chambers, such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and
an apparatus which performs single-cell PCR-based STR analysis on each of said single wanted objects, said apparatus being disposed downstream from said plurality of output chambers.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of sorting objects and identifying the objects in a forensics sample, including using holographic optical trapping to sort objects from contaminants, and performing (single cell) PCR-based STR analysis on the objects to determine their identification. In addition, the chip used as a support for sorting the objects can also be used for performing single cell PCR-based STR analysis. In another embodiment, a microfluidics chip is used to stream the sample and sort the objects, before single cell PCR-based STR analysis is performed. The chip used for sorting utilizing HOT in the absence or presence of microfluidic streaming and sorting can also be the same as that used for the single cell PCR-based STR analysis.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sorting objects, comprising:
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a holographic optical trapping apparatus, said optical trapping apparatus which optically traps and sorts a sample of wanted objects from unwanted objects; a microfluidics chip containing an input chamber in which said sample is disposed, for streaming said sample from said input chamber to a plurality of output chambers; wherein said sorting of said sample into said wanted objects and said unwanted objects takes place at said input chamber using said holographic optical trapping apparatus; wherein said sorting removes said wanted objects individually into each of said plurality of output chambers, such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and an apparatus which performs single-cell PCR-based STR analysis on each of said single wanted objects, said apparatus being disposed downstream from said plurality of output chambers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26)
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8. An apparatus for sorting objects, comprising:
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a microfluidics chip containing an input chamber and a plurality of output chambers, said input chamber containing a sample of wanted objects and unwanted objects to be separated; wherein said microfluidics chip streams said sample from said input chamber into said plurality of output chambers, such that said wanted objects are sorted from said unwanted objects; wherein said sorting removes said wanted objects individually into each of said plurality of output chambers. such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and an apparatus which performs single-cell PCR-based STR analysis on each of said single wanted objects, said apparatus being disposed downstream from said plurality. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27)
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Specification