低成本PCR微反应器阵列的温度测量与控制技术

Measurement and Control Technology for the Array of Low Cost PCR Microreactors

设计了一种用于聚合酶链式反应的低成本微反应器,其内部无微加热器、微传感器。针对这种低成本的微反应器,提出了一种温度测量与控制方案,其特点是将各反应器温度的集中控制与分散控制有机结合,能够同时完成上百只微反应器快速、准确的温度循环。重点阐述了温度传感器负荷效应的提取与补偿、动态误差补偿、微反应器温度间接测量误差评定、微反应器温度串级控制策略。

In this paper a new style of polymerase chain reaction （PCR） equipment is studied and the goal of the study is to reduce the cost of micro-reactor PCR chips, improve its reliability and make a hundred of chips working together in the same time. There are no micro-sensors and micro-heaters in the chips. It is the concrete way to reduce the cost of PCR chips and improve the reliability of the chips. So the focus of the study transfers from the design, simulation and processing to the measurement and control of the chips. The measurement and control scheme for the low-cost PCR chips is designed. By selecting several chips as model chips and combining unitized macroscopic control and distributed microcosmic control, the system is able to do temperature cycling control to the chip array which is made of many chips at the same time. The loading effect applied to the temperature field by the temperature sensor and the compensation method for the loading effect are studied. The main idea of this method is to compare the measurement result gained from the temperature field in which two sensors are set with the measurement result gained from the same temperature field but in which one sensor is set, and the difference is the loading effect that one sensor applies to the temperature field. The temperature measurement errors to the liquid internal the model chips are analyzed and synthesized in considerable detail and an intelligent prediction compensation method for dynamic measurement errors is obtained. The uncertainty of indirect to the temperature of PCR liquid in low-cost PCR chips is also assessed. Cascade control strategy is applied to further improving the performance of control system. Its performance in temperature cycling meets the requirements of PCR.