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Microfluidics case study

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LAMP chip design for isothermal amplification

Point-of-care molecular tests favour isothermal amplification such as LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification, run near 63-65 C) because it needs no thermocycling. The chip's job is to meter the sample, mix reagents, fill multiple reaction chambers evenly, hold temperature, and present a readout.

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The problem

Multiple reaction chambers must fill evenly and reproducibly. If the feed resistance to each chamber differs, some fill first or starve, and the assay result becomes unreliable.

Architecture

  • Sample inlet and metering
  • Reagent mixing (serpentine or herringbone)
  • Parallel reaction chambers held at a uniform temperature
  • A colorimetric or fluorescent readout window
  • Balanced feed network so every chamber fills the same way

Assumptions

  • Isothermal reaction (single set-point)
  • Even filling requires matched chamber-feed resistance
  • Residence time set by chamber volume and flow

Model

Even multi-chamber filling is a hydraulic-balance problem: the feed resistance to each chamber must be equal. Residence time follows the chamber volume and the flow through it; the thermal zone holds the reaction set-point.

Even fill: equal feed resistance R = 12 mu L / (w h^3 C) to each chamberResidence time: t = V / QThermal set-point held near 63-65 C in the reaction zone

Simulation results

  • Balanced multi-chamber filling from the lumped-hydraulic solver.
  • The design assistant lays out the metering, mixing and chamber network.
  • Chamber volumes and feed channels are sized for a target residence time.

Limitations

  • The chip is one part of a working assay - validated reagents, thermal uniformity and evaporation control decide the outcome.
  • No confidential fabricated-device data is shown here; layouts are design output.
  • Wet-lab validation is required before any diagnostic use.

Try it in the free Studio

Build a network like this and solve it for pressure, flow and Reynolds number in your browser - the same lumped-hydraulic model, no account needed.

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