SU-8 based continuous-flow RT-PCR bio-chips under high-precision temperature control

Being beneficial from dramatic progress in bio-chemical and micro-electro-mechanical technologies, DNA manipulation devices can be miniaturized to expedite amplification processing for virus detection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are two typical examples of them. In this report, a micro-RT-PCR (mu RT-PCR) chip is designed to quantitatively detect tumor viruses. Test sample reservoirs, RT-PCR meanders, and capillary electrophoresis are integrated on a SU-8 based monolithic chip. A high-precision temperature control module is well developed by embedding signal amplification circuits and an Intel 8051 microprocessor. The integrated system exhibits high efficacy for heat transfer, exemption of fluid flow clogging and superior sensitivity to precisely control the required reaction temperatures in all heated zones of mu RT-PCR unit. Intensive simulations and experiments are presented to verify the validity of the fabricated bio-chip. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.