Thermocycling system, composition, and microfabrication method

Inventors

Brahmasandra, Sundaresh • Haddock, Thomas • Duffy, Patrick • Williams, Jeffrey

Assignees

NeumoDx Molecular Inc

Abstract

A system and method of manufacture for the system, comprising a set of heater-sensor dies, each heater-sensor die comprising an assembly including a first insulating layer, a heating region comprising an adhesion material layer coupled to the first insulating layer and a noble material layer, and a second insulating layer coupled to the heating region and to the first insulating layer through a pattern of voids in the heating region, wherein the pattern of voids in heating region defines a coarse pattern associated with a heating element of the heating region and a fine pattern, integrated into the coarse pattern and associated with a sensing element of the heating region; an electronics substrate configured to couple heating elements and sensing elements of the set of heater-sensor dies to a controller; and a set of elastic elements configured to bias each of the set of heater-sensor dies against a detection chamber.

Core Innovation

A system for thermocycling biological samples within detection chambers is provided using a set of heater-sensor dies. Each heater-sensor die comprises an assembly with a first insulating layer, a heating region that includes an adhesion material layer coupled to the first insulating layer and a noble material layer coupled to the adhesion material layer, and a second insulating layer coupled to the heating region and to the first insulating layer through a pattern of voids in the heating region.

The pattern of voids in the heating region defines a coarse pattern including a global morphology at a first scale and an associated heating element of the heating region. The pattern further defines a fine pattern including a local morphology at a second scale smaller than the first scale, integrated into the coarse pattern and associated with a sensing element of the heating region. This coarse global morphology and fine local morphology are used to integrate heater and sensing functions within a heater-sensor die heating region.

The system includes an electronics substrate configured to couple heating elements and sensing elements of the set of heater-sensor dies to a controller, and a set of elastic elements coupled to a second substrate surface of the electronics substrate opposing a first substrate surface interfacing with the assemblies of the set of heater-sensor dies. The elastic elements bias each heater-sensor die against a detection chamber in a configuration in which the set of heater-sensor dies is in thermal communication with a set of detection chambers.

The description further addresses heater-sensor die stability by annealing the adhesion material layer and the noble material layer to provide stabilized resistance behavior and prevent drift in heating and sensing. A non-reflective coating can be provided near a heating surface to mitigate optical interference with photodetectors of an optical subsystem, with heater-sensor dies facing the photodetectors.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim identified is clm-00001. The main inventive features are centered on the heater-sensor die heating region construction with an insulating-and-void pattern that defines both global heater morphology and local sensing morphology, and on system-level biasing to maintain thermal communication with detection chambers.

Across the independent claim, the key claimed inventive structure is the combination of an insulating-and-void heating region whose void pattern defines both coarse global heater morphology and fine local sensing morphology, and an overall system in which heater-sensor dies are elastically biased into thermal communication with detection chambers while providing electrical coupling to a controller.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications