| abstract |
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device for amplifying and detecting target nucleic acid sequences, the LOC device having electrochemiluminescent (ECL), resonant energy transfer, linear probes for hybridization with the target nucleic acid sequences, each of the probes having a linear portion containing a sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence, an ECL luminophore for emitting photons when in an excited state, a functional moiety for quenching photon emission from the ECL luminophore by resonant energy transfer, and a covalently attached primer for extension along a complementary sequence denatured from the target nucleic acid sequence to replicate the target nucleic acid sequence, heaters for thermally cycling the target nucleic acid sequences through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in which the covalently attached primers anneal to oligonucleotides containing the target nucleic acid sequences, and, electrodes for receiving an electrical pulse to excite the ECL luminophores, wherein during use, replicating the target nucleic acid sequence causes the linear portion to dissociate from the functional moiety such that the complementary nucleic acid sequence therein hybridizes to the target nucleic acid sequence and photons emitted by the ECL luminophore are not quenched. |