System and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing a biological sample and separating a nucleic acid component from the biological sample comprising:
 receiving a cartridge at a cartridge platform of a molecular diagnostic module, the cartridge defining a fluidic pathway overlapping with a heating region;   within the molecular diagnostic module, vertically aligning a cartridge heater with the heating region of the cartridge along a gravity vector;   in coordination with vertically aligning the cartridge heater with the heating region, heating the biological sample, within the fluidic pathway, at the heating region with the cartridge heater;   in coordination with heating the biological sample, separating the nucleic acid component, within the fluidic pathway, from the biological sample;   delivering the nucleic acid component through the fluidic pathway to a detection chamber of the molecular diagnostic module; and   heating a surface of the detection chamber with a first detection chamber heater proximal the cartridge, wherein the molecular diagnostic module comprises the first detection chamber heater.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: displacing a first subset of a set of pins through the cartridge platform to occlude the fluidic pathway at a first set of occlusion positions, thereby forming a first truncated portion of the fluidic pathway, wherein heating the biological sample comprises heating the biological sample at the first truncated portion of the fluidic pathway. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 displacing a second subset of the set of pins through the cartridge platform to occlude the fluidic pathway at a second set of occlusion positions, thereby forming a second truncated portion of the fluidic pathway, wherein displacing the second subset of the set of pins comprises reversing occlusion at an occlusion position of the first set of occlusion positions; and   processing the biological sample with a processing reagent at the second truncated portion of the fluidic pathway.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein vertically aligning the cartridge heater with the heating region comprises displacing a linear actuator mechanically coupled to the cartridge heater, thereby actuating the linear actuator into an extended configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 displacing an optical subsystem into alignment with and proximal to the detection chamber in coordination with displacing the linear actuator, the optical subsystem mechanically coupled to the linear actuator; and   concurrently with heating the surface of the detection chamber, optically analyzing the nucleic acid volume in the detection chamber with the optical subsystem.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: displacing the detection chamber, using a force applied by the linear actuator, into physical contact with the detection chamber heater. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: with a spring coupled to the detection chamber heater, providing a counteracting force to a response force generated by the physical contact between the detection chamber and the detection chamber heater. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: independently controlling the cartridge heater and the first detection chamber heater, with the controller, to heat the biological sample at a first temperature and to heat the surface of the detection chamber at a second temperature, respectively, wherein the second temperature is different from the first temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: concurrently with heating the surface of the first chamber, controlling a second detection chamber heater with the controller to heat a surface of a second detection chamber at a third temperature, wherein the third temperature is distinct from the second temperature and the first temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating the nucleic acid component further comprises: concurrently with heating the biological sample, providing a magnetic field at the heating region with a magnet in a magnet housing region located under the heating region of the cartridge.