Patent ID: 8097222

Claim:
A microfluidic device for nucleic acid analysis comprising: a) a monolithic semiconductor body and a structure arranged on said monolithic semiconductor body; b) a micro fluidic circuit at least partially accommodated in said monolithic semiconductor body, wherein said microfluidic circuit includes a sample preparation channel formed on said monolithic semiconductor body and at least one microfluidic channel buried in said monolithic semiconductor body; c) a micropump, including a plurality of sealed chambers provided with respective openable sealing elements and having a first pressure therein that is different from a second pressure in said microfluidic circuit, wherein said sealed chambers include at least one superficial sealed chamber formed in and delimited by said structure, above said monolithic semiconductor body, and said sealed chambers include at least one buried chamber formed inside said body; wherein said micropump and said microfluidic circuit are configured so that opening said openable sealing elements provides fluidic coupling between the respective chambers and said microfluidic circuit, wherein said openable sealing elements are integrated in said monolithic semiconductor body; and wherein groups of alternating buried chambers and superficial sealed chambers are series connectable through connecting passages reversibly closed by respective openable sealing elements and wherein one superficial sealed chamber in each group is connectable to said microfluidic circuit.