Development of a disposable and easy-to-fabricate microfluidic PCR device for DNA amplification

Abstract

The production of microfluidic PCR devices within lab settings in a straightforward process and large numbers is limited due to complex methods of fabrication and high cost of development. In this study, we developed a unique disposable, low-cost, and easy-to-fabricate microfluidic PCR chip, comprised of a passive micromixer, reaction well, microheater, and a dynamic temperature control system. In addition to being compact, this device has the advantages of microfluidic PCR systems, such as low power and sample consumption, as well as being disposable and easy to fabricate. The disposable part of the chip is easy to fabricate and eliminates the run-to-run carryover contamination while its integration with a reusable heating system reduces the cost of producing a micro PCR device. The geometry of the micromixer and the pattern of microheater electrodes are analyzed through experiments to achieve comparable amplification to a conventional thermocycler. The temperature control system is designed to monitor the temperature within the reaction well with ±1 °C precision. Finally, the reliability and repeatability of the microfluidic device were verified by amplifying lambda (λ) DNA. The proposed device demonstrated high-quality amplification comparable to the conventional PCR and is an adaptable and low-cost on-chip PCR device for reliable molecular diagnostics.