563 results about "Molecular diagnostics" patented technology

The present invention relates to automated devices and methods for the amplification of segments of nucleic acid in a convenient and portable manner. A single-use nucleic acid amplification device for producing an amplicon includes a housing and an amplification chamber. The chamber includes an ingress with a first reversible seal, an egress with a second reversible seal, a sealable sample entry orifice, and a first wall forming a portion of the chamber. The first wall includes a thermally conductive material and includes an interior surface and an exterior surface. The exterior surface includes a heating circuit and a temperature sensor. The sample entry orifice permits a sample of nucleic acid to enter the amplification chamber. The ingress is connected to a first conduit along with a pneumatic pump and a fluid pouch. The egress is connected to a second conduit permitting egress of the amplicon from the amplification chamber.

A non-invasive screening or diagnostic method for determining the likelihood of a fetus with a genetic abnormality or a potential pregnancy complication, which utilizes a liquid blood sample from a pregnant woman. Antibodies specific to a section of histone 3.1 which is exposed to a far greater extent in chromatin of fetal origin than in chromatin of maternal origin are used to sequester and isolate such fetal nucleosomes including the associated fetal DNA. Following isolation/enrichment of such fetal DNA, genetic analysis is carried out using known molecular diagnostics.

A method for the imaging of a particular volume of plant or animal tissue, wherein the plant or animal tissue contains at least one photo-active molecular agent. The method comprises the steps of treating the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue with light sufficient to promote a simultaneous two-photon excitation of the photo-active molecular agent contained in the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue, photo-activating at least one of the at least one photo-active molecular agent in the particular volume of the plant or animal tissue, thereby producing at least one photo-activated molecular agent, wherein the at least one photo-activated molecular agent emits energy, detecting the energy emitted by the at least one photo-activated molecular agent, and producing a detected energy signal which is characteristic of the particular volume of plant or animal tissue. The present invention also provides a method for the imaging of a particular volume of material, wherein the material contains at least one photo-active molecular agent.

Improved sub-assemblies and methods of control for use in a diagnostic assay system adapted to receive an assay cartridge are provided herein. Such sub-assemblies include: a brushless DC motor, a door opening/closing mechanism and cartridge loading mechanism, a syringe and valve drive mechanism assembly, a sonication horn, a thermal control device and optical detection/excitation device. Such systems can further include a communications unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile device of a user so as to receive a user input relating to functionality of the system with respect to an assay cartridge received therein and relaying a diagnostic result relating to the assay cartridge to the mobile device.

A methodology for bioassays and diagnostics in which a particulate label (ranging in size from nm-scale molecular assemblages to organisms on the scale of tens or hundreds of microns), such as, but not limited to, nanoparticles, bacteria, bacteriophage, Daphnia, and magnetic particles, serve carriers for analytes bound by molecular recognition elements such as antibodies, aptamers, etc. The described methodology is generally applicable to most pathogen assays and molecular diagnostics and also leads to enhanced sensitivity and convenience of use.

The present invention relates to a micro fluidic device for analysis of a fluid sample, especially for molecular diagnostics applications, comprising: —a substrate having a surface with at least one micro channel structure thereon; —at least one detecting, controlling and/or processing element; —at least one reception chamber for receiving the fluid sample, wherein the reception chamber is formable between a membrane and the substrate, wherein the reception chamber is fluently connected with at least one micro channel; —at least one membrane, wherein the membrane covers the upper surface of at least one micro channel structure arranged on said substrate leakage proof, whereby movement of said membrane causes a pump action on fluid located in said reception chamber in said micro channel and/or causes a valve action on fluid directed through said micro channel; and—at least one device for actuating the movement of the membrane, comprising pressure and/or vacuum generating means.

The invention provides methods for detecting contamination in a PCR reaction. Methods of the invention are especially useful for detection of contamination in heterogeneous samples containing a rare nucleic acid to be detected.

The invention relates to application of a long-chain non-coding RNA as a blood molecular marker for disease diagnosis. Specifically, the inventor successfully isolates and detects a long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in blood of human or non-human mammal; the long-chain non-coding RNA in blood of human or non-human mammal stably exists in form of fragments with different expressive abundance; a short-chain RNA (named as MD miniRNA)from lncRNA MALAT-1 in blood is from prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and releases into blood; PCa cells cultured in vitro can secrete MD-miniRNA and release into a nutrient solution; and high expression of MD-miniRNA can be detected in transplanted tumor mice plasma. In addition, expression of MD-miniRNA is in positive correlation with morbidity of PCa, and the MD-miniRNA realizes sensitivity higher than 40% and specificity higher than 80% in distinguishing prostate puncture positive and negative patients. Therefore, the MD-miniRNA is a novel cancer (especially prostate cancer) blood molecular diagnostic marker, and can significantly improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

A method for processing DNA polymerase and/or dNTPs for use in an amplification procedure, includes providing a solution mixture, the solution mixture including a DNA polymerase and/or dNTPs, a buffer solution and at least one stabilizing agent and hydration reducing the solution mixture. The solution mixture is hydration reduced at a temperature between 0 °C. and about 100 ° C.

Surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and related modalities offer greatly enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for detection of molecular species through the excitation of plasmon modes and their coupling to molecular vibrational modes. One of the chief obstacles to widespread application is the availability of suitable nanostructured materials that exhibit strong enhancement of Raman scattering, are inexpensive to fabricate, and are reproducible. I describe nanostructured surfaces for SERS and other photonic sensing that use semiconductor and metal surfaces fabricated using femtosecond laser processing. A noble metal film (e.g., silver or gold) is evaporated onto the resulting nanostructured surfaces for use as a substrate for SERS. These surfaces are inexpensive to produce and can have their statistical properties precisely tailored by varying the laser processing. Surfaces can be readily micropatterned and both stochastic and self-organized structures can be fabricated. This material has application to a variety of genomic, proteomic, and biosensing applications including label free applications including binding detection. Using this material, monolithic or arrayed substrates can be designed. Substrates for cell culture and microlabs incorporating microfluidics and electrochemical processing can be fabricated as well. Laser processing can be used to form channels in the substrate or a material sandwiched onto it in order to introduce reagents and drive chemical reactions. The substrate can be fabricated so application of an electric potential enables separation of materials by electrophoresis or electro-osmosis.

This invention provides methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic analyses and procedures, particularly miniaturized cell based assays. These methods are useful for performing a variety of cell-based assays, including drug candidate screening, life sciences research, and clinical and molecular diagnostics.

The early prediction or diagnosis of sepsis advantageously allows for clinical intervention before the disease rapidly progresses beyond initial stages to the more severe stages, such as severe sepsis or septic shock, which are associated with high mortality. Early prediction or diagnosis is accomplished using a molecular diagnostics approach, involving comparing an individual's profile of biomarker expression to profiles obtained from one or more control, or reference, populations, which may include a population who develops sepsis. Recognition of features in the individual's biomarker profile that are characteristic of the onset of sepsis allows a clinician to diagnose the onset of sepsis from a bodily fluid isolated at the individual at a single point in time. The necessity of monitoring the patient over a period of time is, therefore, avoided, advantageously allowing clinical intervention before the onset of serious symptoms. Further, because the biomarker expression is assayed for its profile, identification of the particular biomarkers is unnecessary. The comparison of an individual's biomarker profile to biomarker profiles of appropriate reference populations likewise can be used to diagnose SIRS in the individual.

The present invention relates to allelic variants of human Spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) gene and provides allele-specific primers and probes suitable for detecting these allelic variants for applications such as molecular diagnosis, prediction of an individual's disease susceptibility, and/or the genetic analysis of SCA2 gene in a population.

Surface enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and related modalities offer greatly enhanced sensitivity and selectivity for detection of molecular species through the excitation of plasmon modes and their coupling to molecular vibrational modes. One of the chief obstacles to widespread application is the availability of suitable nanostructured materials that exhibit strong enhancement of Raman scattering, are inexpensive to fabricate, and are reproducible. I describe nanostructured surfaces for SERS and other photonic sensing that use semiconductor and metal surfaces fabricated using femtosecond laser processing. A noble metal film (e.g., silver or gold) is evaporated onto the resulting nanostructured surfaces for use as a substrate for SERS. These surfaces are inexpensive to produce and can have their statistical properties precisely tailored by varying the laser processing. Surfaces can be readily micropatterned and both stochastic and self-organized structures can be fabricated. This material has application to a variety of genomic, proteomic, and biosensing applications including label free applications including binding detection. Using this material, monolithic or arrayed substrates can be designed. Substrates for cell culture and microlabs incorporating microfluidics and electrochemical processing can be fabricated as well. Laser processing can be used to form channels in the substrate or a material sandwiched onto it in order to introduce reagents and drive chemical reactions. The substrate can be fabricated so application of an electric potential enables separation of materials by electrophoresis or electro-osmosis.

Factors affecting the fragmentation pattern of cell-free DNA (e.g., plasma DNA) and the applications, including those in molecular diagnostics, of the analysis of cell-free DNA fragmentation patterns are described. Various applications can use a property of a fragmentation pattern to determine a proportional contribution of a particular tissue type, to determine a genotype of a particular tissue type (e.g., fetal tissue in a maternal sample or tumor tissue in a sample from a cancer patient), and/or to identify preferred ending positions for a particular tissue type, which may then be used to determine a proportional contribution of a particular tissue type.