Polymerase chain reaction has gained attention since the outbreak of novel coronavirus in 2019. Due to its high specificity and capability for early detection, it is considered a standard method for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. However, the conventional thermocyclers used for nucleic acid amplification are not suitable for point-of-care testing applications, as they require expensive instruments, high-power consumption, and a long turnaround time. To suppress the widespread of the pandemic, there is an urgent need for the development of a rapid, inexpensive, and portable thermal cycler. Therefore, in this paper, we present a conductive silver/carbon fiber film-based thermal cycler with low power consumption (<5 W), efficient heating (~4.5 °C/s), low cost (<USD 200), and handheld size (11.5 × 7.1 × 7.5 mm). The conductive film, which was used as a heating source of the thermal cycler, was fabricated by the electrochemical deposition method. The successful coating of Ag was characterized by a scanning electron microscope and confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The film showed excellent electrical/thermal conductivity and durability. Using our thermal cycler, 35 cycles of amplification were accomplished within 10 min. We also successfully demonstrated the multiplexed detection of various human coronaviruses (e.g., OC43, 229E, and NL63) using our thermal cycler.
Keywords: human coronavirus; low power thermal cycler; polymerase chain reaction; silver/carbon fiber.