Numerical Simulation on Micro Flow-Through PCR Chip

The miniaturization of clinical analysis device by microfabrication technology has great impact on medical and biological fields. In the present work, a two dimensional model has been put forward to numerically analyzing the thermal cycling of the micro flow-through PCR chip, which is different from the conventional PCR instruments and micro chamber PCR chip. In the micro flow-through PCR chip, sample and reagent continuously flow through a microchannel in the chip with three different temperature regions (denaturation, annealing and extension) to realize the nucleic acid amplification. Two parameters, U and D, are adapted to describe the temperature uniformity and deviation from the target temperature of the sample and reagent. Effects of the microchip’s geometrical structure, materials, designed temperatures of the three temperature regions, flow rate of the samples and reagents and the thermal boundary conditions around the microchip on the thermal cycling of micro flow-through PCR chip were numerically studied. Based on the simulation results, the silicon-glass-bonding micro PCR chip is recommended, and the optimally designed temperatures of the heaters in the three regions are given. The applicability of silicon-glass-bonding micro flow-through PCR chip with denaturation region heated alone is examined.