Process for microfabrication of an integrated PCR-CE device and products produced by the same
US6261431A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 17, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/44791
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fully integrated monolithic small volume PCR-CE device in glass, or the like materials, is fabricated using thin film metal heaters and thermocouples to thermally cycle sub-microliter PCR volumes. Successful amplification of a PCR fragment is demonstrated on a PCR-CE chip. The process utilizes a linear polyacrylamide surface coating coupled with addition of BSA to the amplification buffer was necessary to obtain amplification efficiencies comparable to a positive control. The micro-reactor reduced significantly the time required for amplification and the reaction volume was in the sub-microlitre regime. Likewise addressed are the known problems connected with reliable microfabrication of metal coatings and the insulating layers required to shield these layers from the PCR reaction mix, and the longstanding unresolved issue of exposed metal regions in the PCR-CE chip resulting in electrolysis of water and bubble formation whenever a voltage is applied. The instant teachings employ external heaters and thermocouples and, as such, have alleviated many of these problems. Heaters and thermocouples may still be thin film deposited after chip bonding allowing for easy scale-up to multic…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.