Miniaturized PCR chips for nucleic acid amplification and analysis: latest advances and future trends

Zhang, Chunsun; Xing, Da

The chamber-based stationary PCR chips lack the flexibility to change the PCR speed. The dynamic continuous-flow-based PCR amplification can overcome this issue by utilizing the 'time-space conversion' concept. The nucleic acid amplification occurs as the sample is continuously pumped through a microfluidic channel during each temperature cycle. The attractive features of this approach include: (i) The analysis processes of nucleic acids can be performed in a dynamic format on an integrated PCR chip. (ii) The temperature transition times depend only on the sample flow rate and the time needed for the sample to reach a thermal equilibrium. (iii) The heat inertia of PCR system is decreased to a minimum because only the sample's thermal mass need to be taken into consideration. (iv) The reaction volume can range from several microliters to several tens of microliters.