Methods and apparatuses for sorting objects in forensic DNA analysis and medical diagnostics
First Claim
1. A method of sorting objects and identifying the objects in a sample, comprising:
- providing a holographic optical trapping apparatus;
providing a sample, said sample containing objects to be separated, in a fluidic stream in a microfluidics chip having an input chamber and a plurality of output chambers;
streaming said sample from said input chamber and through said microfluidics chip into said plurality of output chambers;
optically trapping said objects in said sample at said input chamber, using said holographic optical trapping apparatus;
sorting said optically trapped objects into wanted and unwanted objects;
individually removing said wanted objects into each of said plurality of output chambers such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and
performing single-cell PCR-based STR analysis downstream from said plurality of output chambers on each of said single wanted objects to determine an identification of each of said single wanted objects.
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Accused Products
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. A method of sorting objects and identifying the objects in a sample, comprising:
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providing a holographic optical trapping apparatus; providing a sample, said sample containing objects to be separated, in a fluidic stream in a microfluidics chip having an input chamber and a plurality of output chambers; streaming said sample from said input chamber and through said microfluidics chip into said plurality of output chambers; optically trapping said objects in said sample at said input chamber, using said holographic optical trapping apparatus; sorting said optically trapped objects into wanted and unwanted objects; individually removing said wanted objects into each of said plurality of output chambers such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and performing single-cell PCR-based STR analysis downstream from said plurality of output chambers on each of said single wanted objects to determine an identification of each of said single wanted objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 27)
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8. A method of sorting objects and identifying the objects in a sample, comprising:
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providing a microfluidics chip having an input chamber and a plurality of output chambers; providing a sample in a fluidic stream in said input chamber, said sample containing objects to be sorted; streaming said sample from said input chamber and through said microfluidics chip into said plurality of output chambers; sorting said objects using said microfluidics fluid stream, such that said objects are sorted into wanted and unwanted objects; individually removing said wanted objects into each of said plurality of output, chambers, such that each of said output chambers contains a single wanted object; and performing single-cell PCR-based STR analysis downstream from said plurality of output chambers on each of said single wanted objects to determine an identification of each of said wanted objects. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification