Patent ID: 8222023

Claim:
An apparatus for performing a nucleic acid assay on a biological sample, said apparatus comprising: (a) a plastic disposable cartridge body with external surface, said body containing dry and fluid reagents for said nucleic acid assay, wherein said cartridge body comprises: (i) a first fluidic subcircuit for extracting a nucleic acid from said sample; (ii) a second fluidic subcircuit for synthesizing an amplicon product, wherein said second fluidic subcircuit is configured for receiving said nucleic acids from said first fluidic subcircuit; (iii) a third fluidic subcircuit for detecting said amplicon product, wherein said third fluidic subcircuit is configured for receiving said amplicon product from said second fluidic subcircuit; (iv) a sanitary waste collection chamber having a fluid inlet and valve with fluidic connection to said first fluidic circuit, a bibulous pad within said chamber, and a film covering said bibulous pad and separating said fluid inlet from an outside vent, said outside vent for venting said chamber through said external surface; and (v) a pneumatic interconnect subcircuit with control arms for pneumatically actuating said first, second and third fluidic subcircuits; and (b) an off-cartridge pneumatic actuation manifold configured with pneumatic interface to said cartridge body and programmed to actuate said first, second and third fluidic subcircuits according to a train of positive and negative pneumatic pressure pulses delivered to said pneumatic interconnect subcircuit under control of a microprocessor.