A Programmable Thermal Controlling Array for Microfluidic Lab-On-A-Chip Systems

The application of microfluidic lab-on-a-chip platform in different areas requires higher degree of flexibility of the supporting platform to facilitate the design and integration of the microfluidic chip. Here, a programmable thermal controlling array is proposed for generation of arbitrary patterns of thermal profiles that provides proper temperature environment for a wider range of lab-on-a-chip applications. This array is the integration of an array of thermal actuators and an array of thermal sensors, each can be driven and addressed individually. This platform will contribute to the on chip integration of bio/chemical analysis and molecular diagnostics.