Numerical Prototyping of Microfluidic Systems with Autonomous Temperature Control

BONALDO, AGUSTÍN; CHEHADE, LUCAS; KLER, PABLO A.

Congreso; MECOM2022 - XXXVIII CONGRESO ARGENTINO DE MECÁNICA COMPUTACIONAL; 2022

Lab-on-a-chip devices are currently offering solutions in clinical diagnostics such as glucose determinations or blood electrolytes among others. However, the present needs of health system mainly involve the detection of complex pathogens such as viruses eg SARS-CoV-2, HIV or DENV. For these, the target analyte is a fraction (or fractions) of nucleic acids (NA), and consequently, those fractions of NA need to be amplified in order to produce detectable signals. There are several methods for NA amplification such as PCR or LAMP, among many others, with the common feature that all of them require a precise control of temperature in order to achieve an acceptable efficiency. In order to implement effective strategies for thermal control in lab-on-a-chip-based AN amplification, constant temperature must be kept within a narrow tolerance (usually±1 C).