Heater Unit for Microfluidic Diagnostic System
First Claim
1. A heater unit, comprising:
- a substrate having embedded therein a plurality of groups of resistive heaters, and at least one temperature sensor per group of heaters; and
control circuitry for supplying electric current to the plurality of groups of resistive heaters at selected intervals, whereinthe substrate has a surface configured to make thermal contact with a microfluidic cartridge having a plurality of PCR reaction chambers, and to deliver heat from the plurality of groups of resistive heaters to regions of the cartridge, such that each of the groups of resistive heaters delivers heat to a select PCR reaction chamber to perform a reaction, wherein the heat delivery from each group of resistive heaters is controlled by sensing temperature using the at least one temperature sensor of the group.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present technology provides for a heater substrate that contains networks of heater elements configured to controllably and selectively deliver heat to one or more PCR reaction chambers in a microfluidic substrate with which the heater substrate makes contact. In exemplary embodiments, the heater substrate can deliver heat to 12, 24, 48, or 96 chambers independently of one another, or simultaneously. The heater substrate is located in a heater unit that may be introduced into a diagnostic apparatus that can receive and position a microfluidic substrate, such as in a cartridge, in contact with the heater unit, receive one or more polynucleotide containing samples into one or more lanes in the microfluidic substrate, and cause amplification of the polynucleotides to occur, and detect presence of absence of specified polynucleotides in the amplified samples.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A heater unit, comprising:
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a substrate having embedded therein a plurality of groups of resistive heaters, and at least one temperature sensor per group of heaters; and control circuitry for supplying electric current to the plurality of groups of resistive heaters at selected intervals, wherein the substrate has a surface configured to make thermal contact with a microfluidic cartridge having a plurality of PCR reaction chambers, and to deliver heat from the plurality of groups of resistive heaters to regions of the cartridge, such that each of the groups of resistive heaters delivers heat to a select PCR reaction chamber to perform a reaction, wherein the heat delivery from each group of resistive heaters is controlled by sensing temperature using the at least one temperature sensor of the group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A heater substrate comprising:
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a plurality of groups of resistive heaters, and at least one temperature sensor per group of heaters, wherein the substrate has a surface configured to make thermal contact with a microfluidic substrate having a plurality of PCR reaction chambers, and to deliver heat from one or more of the plurality of groups of resistive heaters to one or more of the PCR reaction chambers so that a PCR reaction takes place therein, and wherein the heat delivery from each group of resistive heaters is controlled by sensing temperature using the at least one temperature sensor of the group. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification