Co-axial plunger based home molecular diagnostics kit
Manu Prakash, Anesta Kothari, Adam Larson, Shailabh Kumar, Hazel Soto-Montoya
-
Instrument free “plasticware” is provided that enables multi-step molecular reactions in a diagnostics context. A hollow plunger that is movable within a surrounding tube defines a reaction chamber inside the plunger. By moving the plunger to different positions in the tube, a sample can be collected, then the sample can be washed, and finally the reaction chamber can be sealed to perform diagnostic reactions on the sample. The juxtaposition of large sample collection/washing volume with small reaction volume allows one to conduct a wide range of diagnostic assays including a LAMP (Loop mediated isothermal amplification) based saliva test in a small, portable self-contained device. Applications include Molecular diagnostics for health applications (including COVID19 test), Environmental Monitoring, Disease surveillance, and Veterinary health.
