Real-time PCR machine system modeling and a systematic approach for the robust design of a real-time PCR-on-a-chip system.
Chip-based DNA quantification systems are widespread, and used in many point-of-care applications. However, instruments for such applications may not be maintained or calibrated regularly. Since machine reliability is a key issue for normal operation, this study presents a system model of the real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine to analyze the instrument design through numerical experiments. Based on model analysis, a systematic approach was developed to lower the variation of DNA quantification and achieve a robust design for a real-time PCR-on-a-chip system. Accelerated lift testing was adopted to evaluate the reliability of the chip prototype. According to the life test plan, this proposed real-time PCR-on-a-chip system was simulated to work continuously for over three years with similar reproducibility in DNA quantification. This not only shows the robustness of the lab-on-a-chip system, but also verifies the effectiveness of our systematic method for achieving a robust design.
Department of Energy and Refrigerating Air Conditioning Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan. f11167@ntut.edu.tw
Da-Sheng
DS
Lee
D003199:Computer Systems; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation*
D004247:DNA