A Compact Fully Automated Nucleic Acid Extractor

We report on a compact system for automated nucleic acid extraction. The processing takes place inside a disposable part, which in turn fits into a non-disposable part including controls and actuators. The device performs all the sample preparation steps preliminary to a qPCR analysis, within linear dimensions of a few centimeters and a limited weight. It is engineered to be simple, robust and flexible, which makes it capable of implementing a range of magnetic bead-based extraction protocols commonly used on larger instruments. The results from different types of samples compare well with that of the reference instruments themselves. Our device is also ready for seamless integration with a type of chip for qPCR already developed and previously described by the authors. This will make it one of the smallest and most versatile sample-to-answer systems for molecular analysis available today.