Ricerc@Sapienza

This work presents a miniaturized lab-on-chip system suitable for monitoring the activity of living cells through the on-chip detection of their bioluminescence emission. The system integrates amorphous silicon diodes, acting as temperature and light sensors, and indium tin oxide film, acting as heater, on a single glass substrate. During its operation, the glass is thermally and optically coupled to the investigated cells and electrically connected to an electronic board, which controls the lab-on-chip temperature and monitors the sensor photocurrents.

The present paper describes the development of an integrated lab-on-chip, in which viral DNA amplifica- tion with real-time on-chip detection is carried out under constant temperature of 65 °C. The lab-on-chip is composed of a disposable 10-uL polydimethylsiloxane reaction chamber which is thermally and opti- cally coupled to a glass substrate that hosts a thin-film metallic resistive heater and thin-film amorphous silicon diodes which act as temperature and radiation sensors.