Channels with cross-sectional thermal gradients
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- a) providing a device comprising;
i) a microchannel comprising a surface configured for transmission a carrier medium comprising droplets,ii) a first thermal layer positioned along said microchannel configured to heat a portion of said microchannel surface to a nucleic acid denaturation temperature; and
iii) a second thermal layer positioned along said microchannel configured to heat or cool a portion of said microchannel surface to a nucleic acid annealing temperature;
wherein said first and said second thermal layers are positioned along opposing surface walls of said microchannel to create a thermal gradient across a cross-section of said microchannel, and wherein said thermal gradient comprises a nucleic acid denaturation zone, a nucleic acid annealing zone, and a nucleic acid polymerization zone; and
b) flowing said carrier medium through said microchannel such that said droplets repeatedly pass through said thermal gradient causing temperature cycling in said droplets, wherein said droplets each comprise primers, a nucleic acid template, a polymerase, and nucleotides, and wherein said temperature cycling causes amplification of said nucleic acid templates in said droplets.
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Abstract
Provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for generating thermal gradients in channels and uses thereof. In particular, provided herein are system, methods, and devices employing first and second thermal layers positioned around a channel in order to create a thermal gradient across a cross-section of the channel having, for example, a nucleic acid denaturation zone, a nucleic acid annealing zone, and a nucleic acid polymerization zone. Such devices find use in, for example, nucleic acid amplification procedures, including digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) to temperature cycle droplets for amplification of nucleic acid templates within the droplets.
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17 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a) providing a device comprising; i) a microchannel comprising a surface configured for transmission a carrier medium comprising droplets, ii) a first thermal layer positioned along said microchannel configured to heat a portion of said microchannel surface to a nucleic acid denaturation temperature; and iii) a second thermal layer positioned along said microchannel configured to heat or cool a portion of said microchannel surface to a nucleic acid annealing temperature; wherein said first and said second thermal layers are positioned along opposing surface walls of said microchannel to create a thermal gradient across a cross-section of said microchannel, and wherein said thermal gradient comprises a nucleic acid denaturation zone, a nucleic acid annealing zone, and a nucleic acid polymerization zone; and b) flowing said carrier medium through said microchannel such that said droplets repeatedly pass through said thermal gradient causing temperature cycling in said droplets, wherein said droplets each comprise primers, a nucleic acid template, a polymerase, and nucleotides, and wherein said temperature cycling causes amplification of said nucleic acid templates in said droplets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification