Xie Yaping, Jiang Qin, Chang Chang, Zhao Xin, Yong Haochen, Ke Xingxing, Wu Zhigang
State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Sansure Biotech Inc., Changsha 410205, China.
Micromachines (Basel). 2024 Nov 30;15(12):1462. doi: 10.3390/mi15121462.
Distinguished by its exceptional sensitivity and specificity, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a pivotal technology for pathogen detection. However, traditional PCR instruments that employ thermoelectric cooling (TEC) are often constrained by cost, efficiency, and performance variability resulting from the fluctuations in ambient temperature. Here, we present a thermal cycler that utilizes electromagnetic induction heating at 50 kHz and anti-freezing water cooling with a velocity of 0.06 m/s to facilitate rapid heating and cooling of the PCR reaction chamber, significantly enhancing heat transfer efficiency. A multi-physics theoretical heat transfer model, developed using the digital twin approach, enables precise temperature control through advanced algorithms. Experimental results reveal average heating and cooling rates of 14.92 °C/s and 13.39 °C/s, respectively, significantly exceeding those of conventional methods. Compared to commercial PCR instruments, the proposed system further optimizes cost, efficiency, and practicality. Finally, PCR experiments were successfully performed using cDNA (Hepatitis B virus) at various concentrations.
聚合酶链反应（PCR）以其卓越的灵敏度和特异性脱颖而出，是病原体检测的关键技术。然而，采用热电冷却（TEC）的传统PCR仪器常常受到成本、效率以及因环境温度波动导致的性能变异性的限制。在此，我们展示了一种热循环仪，它利用50 kHz的电磁感应加热以及流速为0.06 m/s的抗冻水冷却，以促进PCR反应腔的快速加热和冷却，显著提高了热传递效率。使用数字孪生方法开发的多物理场理论热传递模型，通过先进算法实现精确的温度控制。实验结果表明，平均加热速率和冷却速率分别为14.92℃/s和13.39℃/s，显著超过传统方法。与商用PCR仪器相比，该系统进一步优化了成本、效率和实用性。最后，使用不同浓度的cDNA（乙型肝炎病毒）成功进行了PCR实验。
