A miniature analytical instrument for nucleic acids based on micromachined silicon reaction chambers

In this paper, we describe a miniature analytical thermal cycling instrument (MATCI) to amplify and detect DNA via the polymerase chain reaction in real-time. The MATCI is an integrated, miniaturized analytical system that uses silicon-based, high-efficiency reaction chambers with integrated heaters and simple, inexpensive electronics to precisely control the reaction temperatures. Optical windows in the silicon and solid-state, diode-based detection components are employed to perform real-time fluorescence monitoring of product DNA production. The entire system fits into a briefcase and runs on rechargeable batteries. The applications of this miniaturized nucleic acid analysis system include clinical, research, environmental, and agricultural analyses as well as others which require rapid, portable, and accurate analysis of biological samples for nucleic acids. This paper describes the MATCI and presents results from ultrafast thermal cycling and real-time PCR detection. Examples include human genes and pathogenic viruses and bacteria.