| There have been tremendous advancements in the field of genetic engineering within the past century. Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a molecular diagnostic process, extensively used in genetics research, in which a single DNA sequence per control volume is amplified by undergoing thermal cycling between two temperatures limits, generally 55 °C and 95 °C. This paper presents an analysis of the convection thermal effects associated with different design parameters for a spinning digital PCR disk containing a helix micro-channel containing a thousand nano-wells, which serve as the control volumes for the DNA solution. Further understanding and management of these design parameters is needed to optimize the design and operation of the digital PCR technology. The parameters studied in this work are the location, Reynolds number and temperature of the heating/cooling air source, the PCR disk spinning rate, and the thermocycler volume size. Changes in these parameters significantly affect the heating and cooling cycle rates, as well as the temperature uniformity of the disk. The impingement location of the air jet on the disk has a significant impact on the heating process time (9% maximum change). However, the impingement location dramatically affects temperature uniformity on the disk (173% maximum change). The impinging air jet Reynolds number contributed to both process time and temperature uniformity by a 90% change. Temperature uniformity was adversely affected for Reynolds numbers greater than 30x103. |
