Detection Chip Heating Layout for Uniform Digital PCR Temperature
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital PCR detection chips face challenges with poor thermal conductivity, uneven heat dissipation, and increased chip size due to the need for large-area blank regions for temperature uniformity, which limits the number of micro-reaction chambers and complicates production.
Innovation Solution
The detection chip incorporates a heating electrode with multiple sub-electrodes of varying resistance values and widths, allowing for differential heating control. This design ensures uniform temperature distribution across the chip, reducing the edge low-temperature region, and enabling a smaller chip size with more micro-reaction chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional heating electrode is used in the detection chip, then the chip structure is simple, but the heat distribution is uneven and temperature control accuracy is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The heating electrode is divided into multiple sub-electrodes (first sub-electrode, second sub-electrode, third sub-electrode) with different resistance values. Each sub-electrode can be independently controlled to provide differentiated heating to different regions of the micro-reaction chamber, thereby achieving uniform temperature distribution and improving temperature control accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sub-electrodes are designed with different resistance values to provide localized heating characteristics. The first sub-electrode has lower resistance for higher heating output, while the second and third sub-electrodes have higher resistance for lower heating output, allowing precise control of heat distribution across different chip regions.
2Productivity
If the chip size is reduced to increase the number of micro-reaction chambers, then the detection throughput increases, but the thermal conductivity becomes poor and heat dissipation becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The heating electrode is segmented into multiple sub-electrodes with different resistance values distributed across the chip. This segmentation allows different regions to be heated according to their specific thermal requirements, compensating for the poor heat dissipation caused by reduced chip size and ensuring uniform temperature distribution across all micro-reaction chambers.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance values of different sub-electrodes are changed to optimize heat distribution. By adjusting the resistance parameters of each sub-electrode, the heating output is optimized for local thermal conditions, enabling effective temperature control in a compact chip design with high detection throughput.
3Manufacturing precision
If surface tension effects are not addressed during sample injection, then the injection process is simple, but air residue increases and detection accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The surface properties of the micro-reaction chamber are modified by changing the hydrophilicity parameter. A hydrophilic layer is introduced to alter the surface tension characteristics, enabling uniform sample injection and preventing air residue formation without requiring complex device modifications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves high-efficiency, accurate, and uniform temperature control, improving temperature uniformity and reducing chip size while increasing the number of micro-reaction chambers, thus enhancing the detection accuracy and throughput.
Implementation Method 1
a heating electrode, located on the first substrate and closer to the first substrate than the micro-chamber definition layer, configured to release heat after being energized
Implementation Method 2
the at least two of the plurality of sub-electrodes have different heating values per unit time after being energized
Data Source
AI summary
A detection chip, a method of using a detection chip and a reaction system are provided. The detection chip includes a first substrate, a micro-chamber definition layer and a heating electrode. The micro-chamber definition layer is located on the first substrate and defines a plurality of micro-reaction chambers. The heating electrode is located on the first substrate and closer to the first substrate than the micro-chamber definition layer, and configured to release heat after being energized. The heating electrode includes a plurality of sub-electrodes, orthographic projections of the plurality of micro-reaction chambers on the first substrate overlap with orthographic projections of at least two of the plurality of sub-electrodes on the first substrate, and the at least two of the plurality of sub-electrodes have different heating values per unit time after being energized.