title: Rapid DNA amplification using a battery-powered thin-film resistive thermocycler.
abstract: A prototype handheld, compact, rapid thermocycler was developed for multiplex analysis of nucleic acids in an inexpensive, portable configuration. Instead of the commonly used Peltier heating/cooling element, electric thin-film resistive heater and a miniature fan enable rapid heating and cooling of glass capillaries leading to a simple, low-cost Thin-Film Resistive Thermocycler (TFRT). Computer-based pulse width modulation control yields heating rates of 6-7 K/s and cooling rates of 5 K/s. The four capillaries are closely coupled to the heater, resulting in low power consumption. The energy required by a nominal PCR cycle (20 s at each temperature) was found to be 57+/-2 J yielding an average power of approximately 1.0 W (not including the computer and the control system). Thus the device can be powered by a standard 9 V alkaline battery (or other 9 V power supply). The prototype TFRT was demonstrated (in a benchtop configuration) for detection of three important food pathogens (E. coli ETEC, Shigella dysenteriae, and Salmonella enterica). PCR amplicons were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The 35 cycle PCR protocol using a single channel was completed in less then 18 min. Simple and efficient heating/cooling, low cost, rapid amplification, and low power consumption make the device suitable for portable DNA amplification applications including clinical point of care diagnostics and field use.
authors.affiliation: Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Herold
authors.forename: Nikolay
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sergeev
authors.forename: Andriy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matviyenko
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasooly
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006361:Heating / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008904:Miniaturization; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D004247:DNA