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Open Thermal Control System for Stable Polymerase Chain Reaction on a Digital Microfluidic Chip
Jiajian Ji1,2, Chenxuan Hu1,2, Xinpei Pang1,2
1School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
ACS Omega
|March 11, 2024
Summary
A new digital microfluidic system with fuzzy PID control enhances polymerase chain reaction (PCR) thermal stability by 67.8% and reduces reaction time. This innovation improves lab-on-a-chip applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
- Control Systems Engineering
Background:
- Accurate temperature control is crucial for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) efficiency.
- Existing microfluidic systems face challenges in maintaining thermal stability during PCR.
- Digital microfluidics offers potential for integrated and precise thermal management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a digital microfluidic thermal control system for stable PCR.
- To implement a fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control method for enhanced thermal regulation.
- To assess the system's performance in terms of thermal stability, speed, and accuracy.
Main Methods:
- A digital microfluidic system integrating a thermoelectric cooler, thermal control board, and GUI software was designed.
- A fuzzy PID control algorithm was developed and applied to the thermal management system.
- Simulation analysis was conducted to evaluate reagent temperature distribution.
- Experimental validation involved PCR amplification of a rat GAPDH gene.
Main Results:
- The fuzzy PID control enhanced thermal stability by 67.8% and reduced PCR time by 1195 seconds.
- The system demonstrated excellent dynamic response and thermal robustness.
- Experimental results showed over 99% data consistency with simulations for planar temperature distribution.
- Successful amplification of rat GAPDH gene at 193 copies/μL was achieved.
Conclusions:
- The digital microfluidic thermal control system with fuzzy PID offers superior thermal stability and efficiency for PCR.
- The system's high accuracy and speed make it suitable for advanced lab-on-a-chip applications.
- This technology has significant potential to benefit various microfluidic-based biological assays.
