HAND HELD MICRO PCR DEVICE

• US 20100297640A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bigtec Private Limited
• Original Assignee: Bigtec Private Limited
• Inventors: Viswanaihan, Sathyadeep, Mondal, Sudip, Venkataraman, Venkatakrishnan, Nair, Chandrasekhar Bhaskaran, Subbarao, Pillarisetti Venkata, Jagannath, Manjula, Kumar, Kishore Krishna, Jayaraman, Raviprakash, Chennakrishnaiah, Shilpa, Radhakrishnan, Renjith Mahiladevi, Narasimha, Sankaranand Kaipa
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6.11
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/16 Surface properties and coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046

Abstract

Instant invention is about a hand held micro PCR device comprising a LTCC micro PCR chip comprising a heater, a reaction chamber to load a sample. It also comprises a heater control to regulate the heater on basis of input received from a temperature sensor. It further has an optical system having an optical fiber to detect a fluorescence signal from the sample, and at least one communication interface to interact with other device(s).

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A hand held micro PCR device comprising:

a. a LTCC micro PCR chip comprising a heater, a reaction chamber to load a sample,

b. a heater control to regulate the heater on basis of input received from a temperature sensor,

c. an optical detection system to detect a fluorescence signal from the sample, and

d. at least one communication interface to interact with other device(s).

35. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein at least one conductor layer is provided between the heater and the reaction chamber.

36. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the reaction chamber is surrounded by conductor rings.

37. The device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the conductor rings are connected to conductor layer with posts.

38. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the temperature sensor is placed outside the chip or embedded in at least one layer of the chip to measure temperature of the chip.

39. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the temperature sensor is connected as one arm of a bridge circuit, said bridge circuit output is amplified before feeding it to the heater control to regulate the heater.

40. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the chip comprises a transparent sealing cap to cover the reaction chamber.

41. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the optical system comprises a light source and a photo detector, said optical detection system is selected from the group comprising of a beamsplitter optical detection system, a hybrid optical detection system and bifurcated optical detection system

42. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the communication interface is selected from the group comprising serial, USB, Bluetooth or combinations thereof.

43. The device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the other device is selected from group comprising smart phone, PDA and programmable device which collects temperature of the chip and the amplified signal from the hand held device.

44. A method to monitor and control hand held micro-PCR device, said method comprising of the steps:

a. establishing a communication between the hand held micro PCR device and other device through a communication interface,

b. initiating a thermal cycling process based on thermal profile values received from the other device to control an LTCC micro PCR chip, and

c. sending an optical signal detected by optical system to the other device.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein feeding the thermal profile values into the other device, creating, modifying or deleting the thermal profiles through the user interface.

46. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein the other device provides for authentication of the user, said other device stores plurality of thermal profiles.

47. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein the thermal profile provides for set point value and number of cycles wherein maintaining the chip at a temperature and for a time determined by the set point value.

48. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein bringing the micro PCR chip temperature to room temperature by stopping the thermal cycling process and maintaining the micro PCR chip temperature constant when the thermal cycle is paused.

49. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein plotting the thermal and optical data on a display unit of the other device.