Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rapid and accurate detection of nucleic acid in a single reaction chamber are provided. In one aspect, a patient specimen suspected of comprising a first nucleic acid is used to form a crude lysate which is combined with an infrared absorbing material, a detecting nucleic acid, and at least one reporter molecule in the single reaction chamber and heated by irradiating the reaction mixture with infrared light. Another aspect is directed to an apparatus for detecting a presence or absence of a plurality of different molecules within a reaction container. The apparatus comprises an infrared light source aimed to illuminate contents of the reaction container; an excitation light source positioned to illuminate contents of the reaction container; and a spectrometer positioned to detect emission light emanating from the reaction container.

Abstract: Aspects described herein provide blood sample purification and microfluidic nucleic acid amplification systems and methods for purifying blood samples and amplifying a target nucleic acid on the same system. The described systems and methods include a filter component and a microfluidic amplification component for amplification of nucleic acid from the blood sample, and can be used, for example, for point of care blood analysis.