Methods, systems, and applications for solar-thermal microfluidic PCR
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for solar-thermal microfluidic polymerase chain reaction. A device comprises a microfluidic chip including at least one PCR region, an energy absorption layer disposed adjacent to the microfluidic chip, a solar energy concentrator adapted to produce a plurality of temperature profiles on the microfluidic chip adapted to facilitate PCR, and a photomask disposed between the solar energy concentrator and the microfluidic chip.
1. A solar-thermal microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device, the PCR device comprising:
a microfluidic chip including at least one PCR region;
a light energy absorption layer disposed adjacent to the microfluidic chip;
a solar energy concentrator adapted to produce a plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles on the microfluidic chip, the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles adapted to facilitate PCR within said PCR region; and
a photomask disposed between said solar energy concentrator and said microfluidic chip.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor coupled to said microfluidic chip.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein said sensor is a thermometer.
4. The device of claim 2 , further comprising a user interface coupled to the sensor.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the solar energy concentrator and the microfluidic device is adjustable.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distance between said photomask and said solar energy concentrator is adjustable.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the opacity of the photomask is adjustable.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said photomask comprises a plurality of nested aluminum rings.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles comprises a first, denaturation temperature profile, a second, annealing temperature profile, and a third, elongation temperature profile.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein said microfluidic chip is configured to allow said sample to pass through said three temperature profiles in a time ratio of approximately 4:4:9.
11. A system for solar-thermal microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of nucleic acid, the system comprising:
a sample comprising nucleic acid;
a solar-thermal microfluidic PCR device comprising: (i) a microfluidic chip comprising a microfluidic chamber adapted to facilitate PCR of said sample; (ii) a solar energy absorption layer disposed adjacent to the microfluidic chip; (iii) a solar energy concentrator adapted to produce a plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles on the microfluidic chip, the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles adapted to facilitate PCR within a PCR region; and (iv) a photomask disposed between said solar energy concentrator and said microfluidic chip.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said solar-thermal microfluidic PCR device further comprises a thermometer.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the opacity of the photomask is adjustable.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein said photomask comprises a plurality of nested aluminum rings.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles comprises a first, denaturation temperature profile, a second, annealing temperature profile, and a third, elongation temperature profile.
16. A method for facilitating microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of nucleic acid, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a sample comprising nucleic acid;
providing a solar-thermal microfluidic PCR device comprising: (i) a microfluidic chip comprising a microfluidic chamber adapted to facilitate PCR of said sample; (ii) a light energy absorption layer disposed adjacent to the microfluidic chip; (iii) a solar energy concentrator adapted to produce a plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles on the microfluidic chip, the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles adapted to facilitate PCR within said PCR region; and (iv) a photomask disposed between said solar energy concentrator and said microfluidic chip;
applying said sample to said microfluidic chamber; and
performing PCR using said solar-thermal microfluidic PCR device.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of detecting a temperature of said solar-thermal microfluidic PCR device.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of adjusting the distance between the solar energy concentrator and the microfluidic device.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of adjusting the opacity of the photomask.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of monitoring one or more of the plurality of spatially modulated temperature profiles.