Patent ID: 8412466

Claim:
A method of determining the identity of the genotype of a nucleic acid present in a biological sample, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a microfluidic device comprising one or more microfluidic channels and a controller that interfaces with the microfluidic device; (b) introducing a biological sample into the microfluidic device; (c) causing the biological sample to move through the microfluidic channel; (d) performing an amplification reaction on the biological sample; (e) causing a physical change of a nucleic acid from the biological sample; (f) measuring a signal representing said physical change; (g) causing the controller to perform the following steps: (i) generate a dynamic profile of an unknown genotype contained in the biological sample, wherein the dynamic profile comprises the measurements of the signal representing a physical change of the nucleic acid containing the unknown genotype relative to an independent variable; (ii) correlate the dynamic profile of the unknown genotype with an average dynamic profile of each known genotype in a class of known genotypes to generate a correlation vector, wherein the average dynamic profile of each known genotype comprises average measurements of a signal representing the physical change of a nucleic acid containing the known genotype relative to the independent variable and wherein the correlation vector comprises correlation coefficients between the dynamic profile of the unknown genotype and the average dynamic profile for each known genotype in the class of known genotypes; and (iii) determine whether the correlation vector or a transformation thereof falls within an acceptable range to classify the unknown genotype as one of the known genotypes in the class of known genotypes, whereby the identity of the genotype of the nucleic acid in the biological sample is determined.