Patent ID: 8852919

Claim:
A microfluidic method for preparing a tissue sample for nucleic acid purification, comprising: providing a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sample in an aqueous solution having a density and a boiling point, in a vessel that contains a volume of liquid; providing a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oil, mineral oil and a solid silicone oil/wax mixture, having a density that is less than the density of the aqueous solution and a boiling point that is greater than the boiling point of the aqueous solution, in the vessel; performing a nucleic acid purification step on the tissue sample; and performing a liquid-liquid extraction to remove the paraffin from the tissue sample prior to the nucleic acid purification step, wherein the liquid-liquid extraction step and the nucleic acid purification step are performed in a single microfluidic device.