In-Check system: A highly integrated silicon Lab-on-Chip for sample preparation, PCR amplification and microarray detection of nucleic acids directly from biological samples

The sample preparation process was entirely performed in a single step in the silicon microreactor, and assessed by RT-qPCR and direct DNA quantification. The extracted DNA, after PCR amplification, was hybridized on the DNA microarray. Both the DNA amount and the amplification efficiency were higher than those obtained with a conventional multi-step process used for comparison. Altogether, the results demonstrate the feasibility of casting a sample preparation step in miniaturized microfluidics systems to develop fully integrated, simple and rapid sample-to-detection nucleic acids-based diagnostic systems.