Patent ID: 7494770

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a substrate comprising at least one sample flow channel and at least one cell lysing region disposed in fluid communication with said sample flow channel, said cell lysing region comprising a portion of a flow channel having a cell lysing structure therein, at least one of said cell lysing region and said sample flow channel having a mesoscale cross-sectional dimension; flowing the cell-containing fluid sample through the sample flow channel into the cell lysing region; lysing at least one cell in the cell-containing fluid sample in the cell lysing region, wherein the lysing results from the application of a flow pressure to force the at least one cell into contact with the cell lysing structure in the cell lysing region, said cell lysing structure comprising cell membrane piercing protrusions extending from a wall of the flow channel, or sharp-edged particles trapped within a chamber of the flow channel; and detecting an intracellular component of the at least one cell.