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Design and fabrication of a microfluidic device for polymerase chain reaction application

Design and fabrication of a microfluidic device for polymerase chain reaction application
Design and fabrication of a microfluidic device for polymerase chain reaction application

In this thesis, a novel concept of rapid sub-microliter polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device is presented.  The PCR device consists of an integrated micro peristaltic pump and three reaction chambers connected in series by two micro channels.  Another micro channel links these three reaction chambers to a micro pump.  The reaction chambers are heated by three pairs of Pt thin film resistors and the temperatures are regulated by three pairs of temperature sensors.  Three reaction chambers are stable at three different temperatures.  Continuously driven by the bi-directional micro pump, a reaction solution droplet, of <1 µl volume, is pumped back and forth in micro chambers.  The location of the droplet is detected and regulated as a function of the voltage output from an integrated photodiode.  After the PCR is complete, the PCR product can be pumped out the PCR device for further analyses.  Only the temperature of reaction solution is changed, therefore the thermal cycling time is shortened.

Theoretical analysis and finite element methods (using ANSYS) were employed to optimise the dimensions of the piezoelectrically actuated pump diaphragm and to predict the flowrate of the micro peristaltic pump.  Transient and static thermal analyses have been carried out to design the PCR device.

The fabrication of the PCR device is based on the silicon and Pyrex substrates.  Silicon bulk micromachining by KOH etching has been used to etch the reaction chambers and connection channels. 

A micro peristaltic pump integrated in the micro PCR chip has been successfully fabricated and characterized, after the improvement in the pump structures.

University of Southampton
Bu, Minqiang
956689d1-b915-4084-bff8-44a746f885ad
Bu, Minqiang
956689d1-b915-4084-bff8-44a746f885ad

Bu, Minqiang (2004) Design and fabrication of a microfluidic device for polymerase chain reaction application. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

In this thesis, a novel concept of rapid sub-microliter polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device is presented.  The PCR device consists of an integrated micro peristaltic pump and three reaction chambers connected in series by two micro channels.  Another micro channel links these three reaction chambers to a micro pump.  The reaction chambers are heated by three pairs of Pt thin film resistors and the temperatures are regulated by three pairs of temperature sensors.  Three reaction chambers are stable at three different temperatures.  Continuously driven by the bi-directional micro pump, a reaction solution droplet, of <1 µl volume, is pumped back and forth in micro chambers.  The location of the droplet is detected and regulated as a function of the voltage output from an integrated photodiode.  After the PCR is complete, the PCR product can be pumped out the PCR device for further analyses.  Only the temperature of reaction solution is changed, therefore the thermal cycling time is shortened.

Theoretical analysis and finite element methods (using ANSYS) were employed to optimise the dimensions of the piezoelectrically actuated pump diaphragm and to predict the flowrate of the micro peristaltic pump.  Transient and static thermal analyses have been carried out to design the PCR device.

The fabrication of the PCR device is based on the silicon and Pyrex substrates.  Silicon bulk micromachining by KOH etching has been used to etch the reaction chambers and connection channels. 

A micro peristaltic pump integrated in the micro PCR chip has been successfully fabricated and characterized, after the improvement in the pump structures.

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Published date: 2004

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 465784
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465784
PURE UUID: f68813f1-6845-4e0d-a81e-82bc295e000c

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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 03:02
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 20:22

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Contributors

Author: Minqiang Bu

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