Polymerase chain reaction heating device and polymerase chain reaction temperature control system
The PCR heating device with an opening structure and thermally conductive components addresses size and durability issues, enabling efficient and durable high-temperature operations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024065908
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-01-02
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-13
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-04-16
AI Technical Summary
Conventional PCR heating devices are large in size due to the cumulative thickness of circuit board, heater, and thermally conductive components, and are prone to damage from high temperatures, which affects their durability and efficiency.
A PCR heating device with an opening structure on the circuit board to house the heater, using first and second thermally conductive components to clamp the heater and reduce thickness, while exposing conductive contacts to prevent melting and incorporating a heat dissipation system for rapid temperature adjustments.
The design reduces the device's overall thickness and prevents damage to electronic components, ensuring stable high-temperature operations and efficient reagent detection.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a polymerase chain reaction heating device and a polymerase chain reaction temperature control system, and more particularly to a polymerase chain reaction heating device with rapid temperature adjustment function and an associated polymerase chain reaction temperature control system. [Background technology]
[0002] Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique for rapid DNA amplification. Its principle and main operational steps are as follows: (a) denaturation: double-stranded DNA is dissociated into single-stranded DNA by incubation at 90 to 95°C, and the single-stranded DNA is then used as a template for replication; (b) primer annealing: when the temperature is lowered to the appropriate temperature, the primers bind to the correct position of the target gene; (c) primer extension: the reaction temperature is corrected to 72°C, and DNA polymerase sequentially binds deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) to the primers to synthesize another strand of a new DNA fragment.
[0003] Nucleic acid amplification is performed through three sequential steps: denaturation, primer annealing, and primer extension. The number of target genes can be doubled with each of these three steps. If the three steps are repeated 40 times, the number of target genes can be amplified by nearly 109 times, and a large number of target gene fragments can be obtained by PCR in vitro. Therefore, as one of the molecular diagnostic techniques currently widely used in clinical diagnostics, PCR can be applied to a variety of applications, including the diagnosis of genetic diseases, the diagnosis of pathogens, the diagnosis and prognosis of tumors and cancers, and basic research. Therefore, PCR is also widely used in clinical diagnostics.
[0004] A conventional polymerase chain reaction heating device includes a circuit board, a heater, and a thermally conductive component. The heater is welded to the side of the circuit board. The thermally conductive component is attached to the side of the circuit board and contacts and covers the heater. The thermally conductive component has a reagent container. The conventional polymerase chain reaction heating device uses a temperature-controlled metal as the heater, which has a rapid temperature adjustment function and performs repeated heating and cooling operations to achieve the reaction temperature for the denaturation, primer annealing, and primer extension steps. The temperature of the reagents and reaction mixture (containing the target gene fragment) in the reagent container is adjusted by heating a plastic reagent container to amplify the target gene and detect a fluorescent signal.
[0005] When the heater is turned on, the heat generated by the heater is conducted to the reagent container through the thermally conductive component, and the reagents and reactants in the reagent container are processed through the steps of denaturation, primer annealing, and primer extension. The heater rapidly heats and cools the reagents and reactants in the reagent container within a short period of time within a range of 55 to 98°C, so the energy provided by the heater is much greater than the 98°C required for rapid heating. However, the thickness of a conventional PCR heating device is the sum of the thicknesses of the circuit board, heater, and thermally conductive component, making the device large in size. The heater must generate more energy to rapidly increase the temperature of the reagents and reactants in the reagent container, thereby avoiding heat dissipation or reduced heat conduction efficiency. Furthermore, the thermally conductive component directly covers the contact point between the heater and the circuit board, and the heat generated by the heater and accumulated in the thermally conductive component can easily melt and damage the contact point, resulting in heater separation. Therefore, designing a polymerase chain reaction heating device that reduces the overall thickness of the structure and prevents damage to electronic components due to high temperatures is an important issue in the related medical device industry. Summary of the Invention
[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a polymerase chain reaction heating device with rapid temperature adjustment function and a related polymerase chain reaction temperature control system to solve the above drawbacks.
[0007] According to the claimed invention, a polymerase chain reaction heating device includes at least one circuit board, a heater, a first thermally conductive component, and a second thermally conductive component. The at least one circuit board has an opening structure and first and second surfaces facing each other. The heater is disposed inside the opening structure and exposed through the first and second surfaces. The first thermally conductive component is disposed on the first surface. The first thermally conductive component includes a first reagent storage portion and at least one first thermally conductive component. The second thermally conductive component is disposed on the second surface. The second thermally conductive component includes a second reagent storage portion and at least one second thermally conductive component. The second reagent storage portion is assembled with the first reagent storage portion to form a reagent holder. The at least one first thermally conductive component and the at least one second thermally conductive component abut two opposite positions of the heater to transfer heat generated by the heater toward the reagent holder.
[0008] According to the claimed invention, at least one circuit board is divided into a shielded area and a non-shielded area connected to each other, an opening structure is formed on the shielded area, at least one first heat conductive portion and at least one second heat conductive portion are arranged on the shielded area to clamp the at least one circuit board, and a heater is electrically connected to the conductive contacts of the at least one circuit board, the conductive contacts being arranged on the non-shielded area.
[0009] According to the claimed invention, the polymerase chain reaction heating device further includes two circuit boards spaced apart from each other, a first thermally conductive component including a storage area and a positioning area connected to each other, a first reagent storage portion disposed on the storage area with a gap between the two circuit boards, and at least one first thermally conductive component disposed on the positioning area, the at least one circuit board further including a through-hole structure formed on the shielding area, and the first thermally conductive component including a locking hole structure formed on the positioning area to align with the through-hole structure for a locking operation, and the first thermally conductive component including at least one heat dissipation hole structure formed on the storage area and disposed adjacent to the first reagent storage portion.
[0010] According to the claimed invention, a polymerase chain reaction temperature control system includes a polymerase chain reaction heating device, a heat dissipation device, a light source, and a spectrometer. The polymerase chain reaction heating device includes at least one circuit board, a heater, a first thermally conductive component, and a second thermally conductive component. The at least one circuit board has an opening structure and first and second surfaces facing each other. The heater is disposed inside the opening structure and is exposed through the first and second surfaces. The first thermally conductive component is disposed on the first surface. The first thermally conductive component includes a first reagent storage portion and at least one first thermally conductive portion. The second thermally conductive component is disposed on the second surface. The second thermally conductive component includes a second reagent storage portion and at least one second thermally conductive portion. The second reagent storage portion is assembled with the first reagent storage portion to form a reagent holder. The at least one first thermally conductive portion and the at least one second thermally conductive portion abut two opposing positions of the heater to transfer heat generated by the heater toward the reagent holder. The heat dissipation device is disposed adjacent to the polymerase chain reaction heating device to dissipate heat from the reagent holder. The light source is disposed adjacent to the reagent holder, and an illumination beam emitted by the light source is projected onto the reagent holder. The spectrometer is disposed adjacent to the reagent holder and adapted to receive a detection signal generated by the illumination beam projected onto the reagent holder for signal analysis.
[0011] The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system and polymerase chain reaction heating device of the present invention can have an opening formed on the circuit board to reduce the overall thickness of the structure, and the heater can be fitted inside the opening so as to be exposed through the opposing surface of the circuit board. In addition, each of the first and second thermally conductive components can include a cover portion used to cover the heater and the temperature sensor; the conductive contacts of the leads connected between the heater and the circuit board can extend to be located inside the unshielded area of the circuit board and not covered by the first and second thermally conductive components to prevent damage to the conductive contacts due to high temperatures during the heating process.
[0012] These and other objects of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those skilled in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a polymerase chain reaction temperature control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a polymerase chain reaction heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is an assembly diagram of a polymerase chain reaction heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a partially exploded view of a polymerase chain reaction heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) temperature control system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used method for rapidly making millions to billions of copies of a DNA sample. The PCR temperature control system 10 may include at least a PCR heating device 12, a heat dissipation device 14, a light source 16, a spectrometer 18, a power supply 20, and an operation processor 22. When the PCR temperature control system 10 is operated, a reagent container (not shown) containing reagents and reactants can be placed in the PCR heating device 12, and the power supply 20 can be switched on to provide energy to the PCR heating device 12 to raise its temperature; once the PCR heating device 12 has heated to a preset maximum temperature, the heat dissipation device 14 can be switched on to dissipate heat from the PCR heating device 12 to cool it to a preset minimum temperature.
[0015] The reagent vessels of the PCR heating device 12 can be rapidly and repeatedly heated and cooled to perform denaturation, primer annealing, and primer extension steps on the reagents and reactants contained in the reagent vessels. The operation processor 22 can switch on the light source 16 to emit an illumination beam. The illumination beam can be an excitation beam; the illumination beam can be projected from the bottom of the PCR heating device 12 through a lens assembly 24 onto the reagent vessels to excite fluorescent materials in the reagent vessels and cause them to emit fluorescent light. The fluorescent light can pass through the lens assembly 24 and be received by the spectrometer 18 as a detection signal. Finally, the spectrometer 18 can send the received detection signal to the operation processor 22 for signal analysis to perform qualitative or quantitative analysis of the targets in the reagent vessels.
[0016] In the present invention, the polymerase chain reaction heating device 12 can be heated to 94 to 98°C during the denaturation step, where the high temperature dissociates double-stranded DNA into single-stranded DNA and breaks hydrogen bonds between bases. During the primer annealing step, the polymerase chain reaction heating device 12 can be cooled to 55 to 75°C to allow the primers to bind to the gene fragments of the target DNA. The polymerase chain reaction heating device 12 can be further heated to 68 to 72°C during the primer extension step to copy the gene fragments of the target DNA. The above three steps can belong to a set of thermal cycles that can amplify the target DNA for detection.
[0017] For temperature regulation, the PCR temperature control system 10 of the present invention can provide a new type of PCR heating device 12 with a thin structure. The specific design of the PCR heating device 12 prevents the solder in the internal circuit from melting due to a rapid temperature rise, thereby improving product durability. In addition, the heat dissipation device 14 can be a fan or a thermoelectric cooler. The present invention can utilize one or more heat dissipation devices 14 to achieve a rapid cooling effect. The light source 16 can be a light-emitting diode or laser, or any light source that uses a wavelength matching the fluorescent dye. The illumination beam from the light source 16 can excite the fluorescent dye to produce fluorescence. The lens assembly 24 can be a combination of various types of lenses. The operation processor 22 can be an external processor adapted to control other electronic components.
[0018] The arrangement of the PCR heating device 12, heat dissipation device 14, light source 16, spectrometer 18, power supply 20, and operation processor 22 of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the figures. Any system in which the light source 16 and the associated light emission path are located to the side of the PCR heating device 12, the illumination beam from the light source 16 passes through the lens assembly 24 toward the PCR heating device 12 to excite the fluorescent dye in the reagent containers, and the fluorescent signal generated by the reagent containers passes through the lens assembly 24 and is received as a detection signal by the spectrometer 18 can fit within the design scope of the present invention. In this embodiment, the light source 16 and lens assembly 24 are located below the reagent containers of the PCR heating device 12, and its actual application is not limited to the above embodiment.
[0019] Please refer to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is an exploded view of a polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an assembled view of a polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a partially separated view of a polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus 12 may include a circuit board 26, a heater 28, a first thermally conductive component 30, and a second thermally conductive component 32. In a preferred embodiment, the polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus 12 may have two circuit boards 26 spaced apart from each other. Each of the circuit boards 26 may have an opening structure 34 and first and second surfaces 36 and 38 facing each other. The opening structure 34 may penetrate the first and second surfaces 36 and 38. Furthermore, the circuit board 26 may be divided into a shielded region 40 and an unshielded region 42 that are connected to each other; the opening structure 34 may be formed on the shielded region 40.
[0020] The heaters 28 may be temperature-controlled metals, ceramic substrates, or any components that generate heat electrically. The number of heaters 28 may correspond to the number of circuit boards 26. Each heater 28 may be disposed on an opening structure 34 of a corresponding circuit board 26 and may be partially exposed through a first surface 36 and a second surface 38. The circuit boards 26 may further have lead slots 35 connected to the opening structures 34; when the heaters 28 engage with the opening structures 34, the leads 281 of the heaters 28 may be disposed inside the lead slots 35, and the leads 281 may be secured onto the conductive contacts 60 of the circuit boards 26 using solder or other suitable materials.
[0021] Instead of disposing the heater 28 on the outer surface of the circuit board 26, the present invention can engage the heater 28 within the opening structure 34 to reduce the overall thickness of the structure. The present invention does not require the use of any extra fixing components, and the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 can be fixed to two opposing surfaces of the circuit board 26, respectively, to clamp the heater 28 for restraint. However, its actual application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can engage the heater 28 within the opening structure 34 of the circuit board 26 for structural configuration without using any extra fixing components, so as to effectively reduce the thickness of the PCR heating device 12.
[0022] Furthermore, the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 can be disposed on the first surface 36 and the second surface 38 of the circuit board 26, respectively. The first thermally conductive component 30 can include a first reagent storage portion 44 and a first thermally conductive portion 46; the structural design of the second thermally conductive component 32 can be symmetrical to that of the first thermally conductive component 30, such that the second thermally conductive component 32 can include a second reagent storage portion 48 and a second thermally conductive portion 50. When the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 are respectively attached to two opposing surfaces of the circuit board 26, the first reagent storage portion 44 can be assembled with the second reagent storage portion 48 to form a reagent holder 52 for accommodating reagent containers. It should be noted that the bottom of the reagent holder 52 can have an opening 54, and the size of this opening 54 can be smaller than the size of the reagent container to prevent the reagent container from falling out of the reagent holder 52. An illumination beam from the light source 16 can be projected through the opening 54 onto the fluorescent material in the reagent container. The first and second thermally conductive portions 46 and 50 can be fixed to the first and second surfaces 36, 38, respectively, of the circuit board 26 via external elements (not shown). The first and second thermally conductive portions 46 and 50 can cover the opening structure 34 and the heater 28 that engages inside the opening structure 34 to limit movement of the heater 28.
[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the two first thermally conductive portions 46 of the first thermally conductive component 30 can be disposed on two opposing sides of the first reagent storage portion 44, and the two second thermally conductive portions 50 of the second thermally conductive component 32 can be disposed on two opposing sides of the second reagent storage portion 48. Each of the first thermally conductive portions 46 and the associated second thermally conductive portions 50 can abut two opposing sides of the corresponding heater 28. The operation processor 22 can drive the power source 20 to provide electricity to the heater 28, and heat generated by the heater 28 can be conducted via the first thermally conductive portions 46 and the second thermally conductive portions 50 to a reagent holder 52 formed by the first reagent storage portion 44 and the second reagent storage portion 48.
[0024] Generally, at least one thermally conductive layer (not shown) may be optionally disposed between the heater 28 and the first thermally conductive portion 46, and also between the heater 28 and the second thermally conductive portion 50. The thermally conductive layer may be a thermal paste with high thermal conductivity. The thermally conductive layer may be beneficial for heat dissipation and may ensure that the heater 28 can be in close contact with the first thermally conductive portion 46 and the second thermally conductive portion 50 without any air gaps, so as to effectively increase the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 and the heating rate of the PCR heating device 12.
[0025] 2 to 4. Each of the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 can be divided into several regions according to functional requirements, such as a shielded region 40 and an unshielded region 42 separated from the circuit board 26. Taking the first thermally conductive component 30 as an example, the first thermally conductive component 30 can be further divided into a receiving region 56 and a positioning region 58 connected to each other. The first reagent storage portion 44 can be disposed inside the receiving region 56, with a gap between the two circuit boards 26. The first thermally conductive portion 46 can be disposed inside the positioning region 58. The second thermally conductive component 32 can have a similar structural design to the first thermally conductive component 30, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here for the sake of brevity. When the first and second thermally conductive components 30, 32 are attached to the circuit board 26, the positioning regions 58 of the first and second thermally conductive components 30, 32 can face toward the shielded region 40 of the circuit board 26, and the first and second thermally conductive portions 46, 50 can cover the shielded region 40 to clamp the circuit board 26. The unshielded region 42 of the circuit board 26 cannot be covered by the first and second thermally conductive components 30, 32.
[0026] The first thermally conductive component 30 and / or the second thermally conductive component 32 may preferably include a cover portion 47, which is located inside the positioning region 58 and disposed on the first thermally conductive portion 46 and / or the second thermally conductive portion 50. The cover portion 47 may cover a portion of the heater 28 exposed through and protruding from the first surface 36 and the second surface 38. Generally, the cover portion 47 may be integrally integrated with the positioning region 58 in a stamping manner or any available manner, but its actual application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.
[0027] Furthermore, although the heater 28 engages with the opening structure 34 of the circuit board 26 located inside the shielded region 40, the conductive contacts 60 of the heater 28, which are electrically connected to the circuit board 26, can extend outward to be located inside the non-shielded region 42. As described above, because the non-shielded region 42 is not covered by the first and second thermally conductive components 30 and 32, the solder at the conductive contacts 60 will not melt due to heat conducted from the first and second thermally conductive components 30 and 32. Furthermore, the circuit board 26 may further have at least one through-hole structure 62 formed on the shielded region 40; each of the first and second thermally conductive components 30 and 32 may have at least one locking hole structure 64. The locking hole structure 64 may be formed on the positioning region 58 to align with the through-hole structure 62. The present invention can utilize external elements, such as screws or bolts, to be inserted into the locking hole structure 64 and the through-hole structure 62 for fastening.
[0028] Each of the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 may have at least one heat dissipation hole structure 66, which is formed on the accommodating area 56 and disposed adjacent to the reagent holder 52 formed by the first reagent storage portion 44 and the second reagent storage portion 48. The shielding area 40 of the circuit board 26 can be attached to the positioning area 58 of the first thermally conductive component 30 and / or the second thermally conductive component 32. The accommodating areas 56 of the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 can be located inside the gap between the two circuit boards 26, and the heat dissipation hole structure 66 of the accommodating area 56 can provide favorable heat dissipation efficiency through airflow. That is, the heater 28 located inside the shielding area 40 can heat the positioning area 58 of the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32, and conduct heat from the positioning area 58 through the accommodating area 56 to the reagent containers installed in the reagent holder 52; when the heat dissipation device 14 is switched on, airflow can quickly pass through the heat dissipation hole structure 66 to dissipate the heat accumulated in the accommodating area 56, so as to quickly reduce the temperature of the reagent holder 52 and the associated reagent containers.
[0029] The first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 may have multiple heat-dissipating hole structures 66 arranged on the sides of the first reagent storage portion 44 and the second reagent storage portion 48, respectively. The multiple heat-dissipating hole structures 66 may have the same size or different sizes. The size and arrangement of the heat-dissipating hole structures 66 may depend on the remaining space of the first thermally conductive component 30 or the second thermally conductive component 32 for a preferred structural configuration. The heat-dissipating hole structures 66 may be used to secure the thermally conductive components. For example, the polymerase chain reaction heating device 12 may secure the first thermally conductive component 30 and the second thermally conductive component 32 together through an external element (not shown) in the central heat-dissipating hole structure 66; its actual application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.
[0030] 2 to 4. The polymerase chain reaction heating device 12 may further include a temperature sensor 68, which is disposed on the circuit board 26 adjacent to the reagent holder 52 and electrically connected to the operation processor 22 via the circuit board 26. The operation processor 22 can obtain temperature parameters of the reagent holder 52 from the sensing results of the temperature sensor 68 to determine whether the reagent holder 52 has reached the temperatures required for the denaturation, primer annealing, and primer extension steps, so as to decide whether to turn on or off the heater 28 and the heat dissipation device 14. The temperature sensor 68 can be covered by a cover portion 47 for protection.
[0031] In conclusion, the polymerase chain reaction temperature control system and polymerase chain reaction heating device of the present invention can form an opening structure on the circuit board, and the heater can be fitted inside the opening structure and exposed through the opposing surface of the circuit board to reduce the overall thickness of the structure. In addition, each of the first and second thermally conductive components can include a cover portion used to cover the heater and temperature sensor. To prevent damage to the conductive contacts due to high temperatures during the heating process, the conductive contacts of the leads connected between the heater and the circuit board can extend to the inside of the unshielded area of the circuit board and not be covered by the first and second thermally conductive components. Compared to the prior art, the present invention can effectively reduce the structural size of the polymerase chain reaction temperature control system, allowing the polymerase chain reaction temperature control system to stably apply the heater to high-temperature heating processes without causing failures in the temperature adjustment function and reagent detection function.
[0032] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications and variations of the apparatus and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A polymerase chain reaction heating device, comprising: at least one circuit board having an aperture structure and first and second opposing surfaces; a heater disposed inside the aperture structure and exposed through the first surface and the second surface; a first thermally conductive component disposed on the first surface; a first reagent reservoir; and at least one first thermally conductive portion; a first thermally conductive component comprising: a second thermally conductive component disposed on the second surface; a second reagent storage portion assembled with the first reagent storage portion to form a reagent holder; and at least one second heat-conducting portion; a second thermally conductive component comprising: Including, A polymerase chain reaction heating device, wherein the at least one first thermally conductive portion and the at least one second thermally conductive portion abut two opposite positions of the heater, respectively, to transfer heat generated by the heater toward the reagent holder.
2. 2. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit board is divided into a shielded area and a non-shielded area connected to each other, the opening structure is formed on the shielded area, and the at least one first thermally conductive portion and the at least one second thermally conductive portion are disposed on the shielded area to clamp the at least one circuit board.
3. 3. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heater is electrically connected to conductive contacts of the at least one circuit board, the conductive contacts being disposed on the unshielded area.
4. 3. The polymerase chain reaction heating device of claim 2, further comprising two circuit boards spaced apart from each other, the first thermally conductive component comprising a storage area and a positioning area connected to each other, the first reagent storage portion being positioned on the storage area with a gap between the two circuit boards, and the at least one first thermally conductive portion being positioned on the positioning area.
5. 5. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one circuit board further has a through-hole structure formed on the shielding area, and the first thermally conductive component has a locking hole structure formed on the positioning area to align with the through-hole structure for a locking operation.
6. 5. The polymerase chain reaction heating device of claim 4, wherein the first thermally conductive component has at least one heat dissipation hole structure formed on the receiving area and positioned adjacent to the first reagent storage portion.
7. 10. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed at a location on the at least one circuit board adjacent the reagent holder.
8. 8. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first thermally conductive component further includes a cover portion, the cover portion being positioned on the at least one first thermally conductive portion and adapted to cover the heater and the temperature sensor.
9. 10. The polymerase chain reaction heating device of claim 1, wherein the heater is a temperature-controlled metal, ceramic substrate, or any component that generates heat electrically.
10. 10. The polymerase chain reaction heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein a thermally conductive layer is disposed between the heater, the at least one first thermally conductive portion, and the at least one second thermally conductive portion.
11. A polymerase chain reaction heating device, comprising: at least one circuit board having an aperture structure and a first surface and a second surface facing each other; a heater disposed inside the aperture structure and exposed through the first surface and the second surface; a first thermally conductive component disposed on the first surface; a first reagent reservoir; and at least one first thermally conductive portion; a first thermally conductive component comprising: a second thermally conductive component disposed on the second surface; a second reagent storage portion assembled with the first reagent storage portion to form a reagent holder; and at least one second heat-conducting portion; a second thermally conductive component comprising: Including, a polymerase chain reaction heating device, wherein the at least one first thermally conductive portion and the at least one second thermally conductive portion abut two opposite positions of the heater, respectively, to transfer heat generated by the heater toward the reagent holder; a heat dissipation device positioned adjacent to the polymerase chain reaction heating device for dissipating heat from the reagent holder; a light source positioned adjacent to the reagent holder, wherein an illumination beam emitted by the light source is projected onto the reagent holder; a spectrometer positioned adjacent to the reagent holder and adapted to receive a detection signal generated by the illumination beam projected onto the reagent holder for signal analysis; A polymerase chain reaction temperature control system comprising:
12. 12. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 11, wherein the at least one circuit board is divided into a shielded area and a non-shielded area connected to each other, the opening structure is formed on the shielded area, and the at least one first thermally conductive portion and the at least one second thermally conductive portion are disposed on the shielded area to clamp the at least one circuit board.
13. 13. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 12, wherein the heater is electrically connected to conductive contacts of the at least one circuit board, the conductive contacts being disposed on the unshielded area.
14. 13. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 12, wherein the polymerase chain reaction heating device further includes two circuit boards spaced apart from each other, the first thermally conductive component includes a storage area and a positioning area connected to each other, the first reagent storage portion is positioned on the storage area with a gap between the two circuit boards, and the at least one first thermally conductive portion is positioned on the positioning area.
15. 15. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 14, wherein the at least one circuit board further has a through-hole structure formed on the shielding area, and the first thermally conductive component has a locking hole structure formed on the positioning area to align with the through-hole structure for a locking operation.
16. 15. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 14, wherein the first thermally conductive component has at least one heat dissipation hole structure formed on the containing area and positioned adjacent to the first reagent storage portion.
17. 12. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 11, wherein the polymerase chain reaction heating device further comprises a temperature sensor disposed at a location on the at least one circuit board adjacent to the reagent holder.
18. 20. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 17, wherein the first thermally conductive component further includes a cover portion, the cover portion being positioned on the at least one first thermally conductive portion and adapted to cover the heater and the temperature sensor.
19. 12. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 11, wherein a thermally conductive layer is disposed between the heater, the at least one first thermally conductive portion, and the at least one second thermally conductive portion.
20. 12. The polymerase chain reaction temperature control system of claim 11, wherein the heater is a temperature-controlled metal, ceramic substrate, or any component that generates heat electrically.
Citation Information
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