Patent ID: 8748165

Claim:
A method for generating short tandem repeat (STR) profiles on each of a plurality of samples comprising, for each sample: a) isolating DNA from the sample by: delivering a lysis buffer into a lysis chamber of a cartridge, wherein the lysis chamber contains a swab or swipe containing human cells from the sample, to produce a lysate, wherein the cartridge is configured as a disposable single-use device; transporting the lysate from the cartridge through a microfluidic channel in a microfluidic microchip to which the cartridge is mated and into a DNA isolation chamber comprising paramagnetic beads in the cartridge, wherein the microfluidic channel comprises at least one valve that controls movement of a fluid through the channel; binding the DNA onto the beads; applying a magnetic field to a side of the DNA isolation chamber to capture the paramagnetic beads; and washing the beads, to produce purified DNA bound to the beads; b) amplifying STR markers by: moving the purified DNA bound to the beads through a microfluidic channel in the microfluidic microchip to a reaction chamber of a thermocycler wherein the reaction chamber is in thermal contact with a temperature modulator, and wherein the reaction chamber is off-chip; capturing purified DNA bound to the beads in the reaction chamber of the thermocycler by applying a magnetic field; moving reagents for STR amplification to the reaction chamber of the thermocycler; performing PCR in the reaction chamber of the thermocycler to amplify STRs to produce amplification product; and c) analyzing the amplification product by: moving the amplification product to a loading channel, wherein the loading channel intersects a gel-filled separation channel, and wherein a cathode and an anode are configured to apply a voltage across the loading channel and the separation channel; injecting amplification product from the loading channel into the separation channel by applying a voltage across the cathode and the anode; performing electrophoresis on the amplification product in the separation channel to separate analytes in the amplification product; and generating an STR profile of the sample from the separation; wherein all the method is performed on each sample in parallel on an integrated system using software that automates the process.