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 system for automatically processing nucleic acid content of one or more samples in cooperation with a cartridge comprising a set of microfluidic pathways for performing amplification and detection of said nucleic acid content, the system comprising:
 one or more lysis containers for executing a lysis operation on one or more samples and capturing nucleic acid content resulting from the lysis operation at a set of beads coupled with chemical entities for capturing said nucleic acid content;   a molecular diagnostic module comprising:
 a cartridge location for positioning the cartridge within the molecular diagnostic module, 
 one or more heaters at the cartridge location for amplifying said nucleic acid content, and 
 an optical subsystem for detecting said nucleic acid content; 
   one or more storage containers for one or more reagents, the one or more reagents comprising: a release solution for releasing at least a portion of the nucleic acid content from the set of beads, and reagents for amplifying one or more nucleic acids;   a fluid handling subsystem comprising an actuator and an aspiration and delivery component; and   one or more processors comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the one or more processors   
       perform steps of:
 positioning the cartridge at the cartridge location, 
 executing a delivery mode with movement of the aspiration and delivery component of the fluid handling system between the one or more lysis containers, the one or more storage containers, and one or more inlets of the cartridge, thereby delivering said nucleic acid content into the cartridge, 
 transmitting heat to one or more amplification regions of the set of microfluidic pathways of the cartridge with the one or more heaters, thereby performing amplification of said nucleic acid content, 
 detecting the nucleic acid content with the optical subsystem, and 
 delivering the cartridge from the cartridge location. 
 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of beads comprises at least one of magnetic beads and paramagnetic beads. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more magnets positioned proximal to at least one of the one or more lysis containers and the cartridge for retention of the set of beads in position. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more magnets comprises at least one of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more magnets comprises a set of magnets, each subset of magnets in the set of magnets coupled to and separated from an adjacent subset of magnets with each subset of magnets dedicated to a sample of the one or more samples. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the molecular diagnostic module further comprises a valve actuation subsystem for directing fluid flow within the cartridge. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the one or more processors perform: transitioning one or more of the set valves to between a first state and a second state, and in coordination with the fluid handling system, transmitting said nucleic acid content downstream within the set of microfluidic pathways prior to amplification. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein performing amplification and detection of said nucleic acid content comprises performing a real time PCR reaction. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge location comprises a platform aligned with the one or more heaters, the molecular diagnostic module further comprising an actuation subsystem configured to displace at least one of the platform and the one or more heaters for relative displacement of the cartridge with the one or more heaters. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the optical subsystem is coupled to the actuation subsystem, the system comprising a cartridge retention mode in which the actuation subsystem simultaneously positions the optical subsystem and the one or more heaters for communication with the cartridge at the cartridge location.