Flow Cell Thermal Control via Turbulent Air and LED Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current temperature control technologies for high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing are inadequate in terms of speed, precision, and uniformity, particularly for large area flow cells, which affects the efficiency and quality of sequencing data.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device thermal system that includes a cooling fixture with a turbulent air flow cavity and air flow diverters, and a heating fixture with an array of light emitting diodes emitting infra-red light, allowing for rapid and uniform temperature cycling between cooled and heated states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional temperature control technologies are used, then the flow cell can be heated or cooled, but the temperature control speed is too slow and cannot keep up with rapid sequencing cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical thermal contact systems with a radiant heating system using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit infrared light directly at the flow cell. This optical/thermal radiation approach eliminates the need for physical thermal contact, enabling much faster heating rates (e.g., 10-20°C per second) compared to conventional methods, thus resolving the speed-time contradiction in temperature control.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional temperature control technologies are used, then the flow cell temperature can be adjusted, but the temperature uniformity across the reaction space is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heating system into multiple independent LED elements arranged in an array, with each LED targeting a specific region of the flow cell. This segmentation allows independent control of different zones, enabling precise temperature uniformity across the entire reaction space by adjusting individual LED intensities to compensate for edge effects and thermal gradients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality control by allowing different regions of the flow cell to receive different heating intensities from specific LED elements. This enables targeted temperature adjustment in different zones (e.g., higher power at edges, lower at center) to achieve uniform overall temperature distribution, directly addressing the temperature uniformity precision requirement.
3Measurement precision
If conventional temperature control technologies are used, then the flow cell can be thermally cycled, but the precision and repeatability of temperature setpoints are inadequate for high-quality sequencing data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by incorporating temperature sensors that continuously monitor the actual temperature in the flow cell and feed this information back to the control system. The system adjusts LED power output in real-time based on the difference between target and actual temperatures, achieving precise temperature setpoint control (±0.1°C) and high repeatability across sequencing cycles, which directly improves sequencing data quality.
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 thermal system achieves fast, precise, and uniform temperature control, reducing the average temperature by at least 15 degrees Celsius in less than 45 seconds and maintaining temperature uniformity across the reaction space to less than 2 degrees Celsius.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fixture configured to reduce the temperature in the fluidic passage, the cooling fixture comprising a turbulent air flow cavity, a plurality of air flow diverters in the cavity
Implementation Method 2
a heating fixture having an array of light emitting diodes configured to emit infra-red light incident on the second member of the microfluidic device
Implementation Method 3
emit infra-red light incident on the second member of the microfluidic device
Data Source
AI summary
Thermal systems and methods including cooling and heating fixtures for use with flow cells and other analytic substrates. The cooling fixture includes a turbulent air flow cavity with an array of air flow diverters that facilitates fast, accurate, and uniform cooling of a flow cell or other substrate positioned across an opening of the cavity. The heating fixture includes an array of light emitting diodes that are spaced apart from and configured to provide overlapping radiation intensity profiles that facilitate fast, accurate, and uniform heating of the flow cell or other substrate positioned relative to the LED array.