Patent ID: 6344325
Filing Date: 2002-02-05
Classification: B01L,C12Q,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of isolating polynucleotide molecules based on size, which method comprises:(a) flowing a stream of a solution containing reporter-labeled polynucleotide molecules through an analysis unit, wherein the analysis unit is microfabricated onto the substrate of a chip and comprises a main channel having (i) a polynucleotide sample inlet, (ii) a detection region downstream of the sample inlet, and (iii) a branch point discrimination region adjacent to and downstream of the detection region, wherein on average one polynucleotide molecule at a time is placed within the detection region; (b) determining the size of each polynucleotide molecule as it passes through the detection region by measuring the level of said reporter; (c) directing polynucleotide molecules in the flow that have a selected size into a branch channel originating at the branch point discrimination region; and (d) collecting polynucleotides directed into the branch channel.