| abstract |
FIELD: biotechnology. n SUBSTANCE: disclosed is a microfluidic device for automatic purification of biological or chemical analytes (versions) and a method of purifying a biological or chemical analyte from a complex biological sample (versions). In one version, the device comprises a reservoir, a cleaning cavity, a receiving container for wastes and a filter overlapping the cross-section of the cleaning cavity. In another version, the device comprises a closed chamber with a filter. Cleaning chamber and chamber comprise first port for gas exchange with vacuum generator, second port for liquid exchange with reservoir and third port for gas and liquid exchange with receiving container. In one version, the method includes feeding a sample into a cleaning cavity, and in another embodiment, feeding a sample into a chamber, wherein each method involves passing a sample through a filter into a receiving container and eluting the analyte from the filter. n EFFECT: inventions provide continuous automated purification of nucleic acids. n 34 cl, 1 tbl, 16 dwg |