Methods and systems for DNA isolation on a microfluidic device

1. A microfluidic system for isolating DNA from cells in a patient sample comprising:

(a) a cell lysis region in which cellular membranes of the cells in the patient sample are selectively lysed without lysing the nuclear membranes of the cells to produce intact nuclei from the cells;

(b) a nuclei separation region in a microfluidic device, said nuclei separation region comprising a nuclei size exclusion barrier which blocks passage of intact nuclei and which allows passage of other components of the patient sample to a waste reservoir, thereby permitting the isolation of intact nuclei by the nuclei size exclusion barrier;

(c) an elution buffer port in fluid communication with the nuclei separation region for providing elution buffer to the nuclei separation region, wherein the elution buffer being driven by a pressure differential resuspends the isolated intact nuclei and carries isolated intact nuclei out of the nuclei separation region;

(d) a nuclei lysis region in which the nuclear membranes of the intact nuclei are lysed to release the DNA, said nuclei lysis region being in fluid communication with the nuclei separation region; and

(e) a control system which controls the flow of the patient sample through the nuclei separation region and controls the flow of the elution buffer through the nuclei separation region, wherein the control system causes the patient sample to flow in a first direction and causes the elution buffer to flow in a second direction, wherein said first direction is substantially orthogonal to said second direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cell lysis region is off the microfluidic device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cell lysis region is in the microfluidic device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nuclei lysis region includes a source of heat sufficient to lyse the nuclear membranes.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said nuclei size exclusion barrier comprises an array of pillars fabricated into the nuclei separation region.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nuclei separation region has one or more holes in a bottom portion of the nuclei separation region to allow for collection of said other components of the patient sample that pass through the nuclei size exclusion barrier.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system controls the flow of the patient sample and elution buffer by vacuum pressure.

8. A microfluidic system for determining the presence or absence of a nucleic acid in a patient sample comprising:

(a) a cell lysis region in which the cellular membranes of the cells in the patient sample are selectively lysed without lysing the nuclear membranes of the cells to produce intact nuclei from the cells;

(b) a nuclei separation region in a micro fluidic device, said nuclei separation region comprising a nuclei size exclusion barrier which blocks passage of intact nuclei and which allows passage of other components of the patient sample to a waste reservoir, thereby permitting the isolation of intact nuclei by the nuclei size exclusion barrier;

(c) an elution buffer port in fluid communication with the nuclei separation region for providing elution buffer to the nuclei separation region, wherein the elution buffer being driven by a pressure differential resuspends the isolated intact nuclei and carries isolated intact nuclei out of the nuclei separation region;

(d) a nuclei lysis region in which the nuclear membranes of the intact nuclei are lysed to release the nucleic acid;

(e) a control system which controls the flow of the patient sample through the nuclei separation region and controls the flow of the elution buffer through the nuclei separation region, wherein the control system causes the patient sample to flow in a first direction and causes the elution buffer to flow in a second direction, wherein said first direction is substantially orthogonal to said second direction;

(f) an amplification reaction region in a microfluidic device in which the nucleic acid is amplified; and

(g) a detection region in a microfluidic device for determining the presence or absence of an amplified product.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cell lysis region is off the microfluidic device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cell lysis region is in the micro fluidic device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the nuclei lysis region is part of the amplification reaction region.

12. The system of claim 8 , which further comprises a nucleic acid quantification region before the amplification reaction region for quantifying the nucleic acid.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein region (b) is in one microfluidic device and regions (f) and (g) are in a second micro fluidic device.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein said nuclei size exclusion barrier comprises an array of pillars fabricated into the nuclei separation region.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control system controls the flow of the patient sample and elution buffer by vacuum pressure.