JP5919710B2 - Heat cycle equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat cycle apparatus.

  Technology that integrates advanced chemical analysis, chemical synthesis, or biotechnology-related analysis into a small microfluidic chip is called micro TAS (Total Analysis System) or Lab-on-a-chip, and is used for medical diagnosis and health. Applications are expected in a wide range of fields such as checks, on-site analysis of the environment and food, production of high-value-added substances such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and higher efficiency of biochemical analysis. In recent years, it has been studied to construct a micro TAS by processing a silicon or glass substrate by a fine processing technique in the semiconductor manufacturing field.

  Micro TAS has advantages such as a small amount of sample, a short reaction time, and a small amount of waste compared to the conventional technology. In addition, when microTAS is used in the medical field, the burden on the patient can be reduced by reducing the amount of the specimen such as blood, and the cost of the test can be reduced by reducing the amount of the reagent. . Furthermore, since the amount of the specimen and the reagent is small, the reaction time can be greatly shortened and the efficiency of the test can be improved.

  On the other hand, as an amplification method for examining genes such as DNA and RNA, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is widely used for research and clinical tests, for example. In PCR, a target nucleic acid is usually amplified by subjecting a reaction solution containing a target nucleic acid and a reagent to a plurality of temperature changes (for example, repeated temperature changes of 95 ° C., 74 ° C., and 55 ° C.) called thermal cycling.

  Applying micro TAS or Lab-on-a-chip to PCR is promising because only a small amount of sample is required and the reaction time can be shortened. In that case, the technology to move the position of the reaction liquid in the chip without using a tool or the like is useful in terms of suppression of contamination (contamination) and efficiency of thermal cycle. It has become. As a technique for moving a minute droplet, for example, a method has been proposed in which magnetic particles are blended into a droplet, and the magnetic particle receives an external magnetic force to move the entire droplet (Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2008-012490 A

  However, in a method using magnetic particles as a method of moving a minute droplet, it is necessary to cause the target liquid to follow the magnetic particle, and it is necessary to adjust the blending amount of the magnetic particle with respect to the volume of the droplet. In addition, when applying the method of moving droplets with magnetic particles to PCR, there is a concern that the added magnetic particles may inhibit the PCR reaction, or the thermal capacity of the magnetic particles may reduce the efficiency of the thermal cycle. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of the objects according to some embodiments thereof is to apply an efficient thermal cycle to the droplets by moving the droplets on the chip. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal cycle apparatus that can perform the above-described process.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following aspects or application examples.

  [Application Example 1] One aspect of the thermal cycling apparatus according to the present invention is a mounting unit for mounting a chip having a mounting surface on which a droplet is mounted, and the mounting surface described above for the gravitational acceleration received by the droplet. The inclination of inclining the mounting portion in a predetermined direction so that the product of the parallel component and the mass of the droplet is larger than the static frictional force when the droplet is placed on the placement surface. A mechanism, and a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the mounting surface of the chip so as to have a temperature distribution in the predetermined direction.

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, the tilting mechanism has a component parallel to the placement surface of the gravitational acceleration received by the droplet and the product of the mass of the droplet, and the droplet is placed on the placement surface. In order to incline the mounting part so as to be larger than the static friction force when it is applied, the droplet is moved on the chip mounting surface by using the drop of the liquid droplet placed on the chip. Can do. And since the said mounting surface is temperature-controlled by the temperature control part, the temperature of the said droplet can be changed rapidly by moving a droplet on a mounting surface. Therefore, according to the thermal cycle apparatus of this application example, an efficient thermal cycle can be performed on the droplets.

  Application Example 2 In the heat cycle apparatus according to Application Example 1, the tilt mechanism may include a rotating shaft in a direction intersecting the direction of the temperature distribution, and rotating means for rotating the rotating shaft.

  In the heat cycle device of this application example, the mounting portion can be inclined by the rotation mechanism. Therefore, it is easy to miniaturize and the mounting portion can be easily inclined.

  Application Example 3 In the thermal cycle device of Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, the temperature control unit may include a first temperature control unit and a second temperature control unit, and the first temperature control unit includes: A part of the placement surface of the chip is controlled in a temperature range of 90 ° C. or more and 100 ° C. or less, and the second temperature control unit controls a part of the placement surface of the chip of 50 ° C. or more and 75 ° C. or less. You may control to a temperature range.

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, it is possible to subject the droplets to two or more thermal cycles. Further, the thermal cycle apparatus of this application example is still suitable for PCR because the temperature of the droplet can be controlled to 90 ° C. or higher and 100 ° C. or lower and 50 ° C. or higher and 75 ° C. or lower.

  [Application Example 4] The thermal cycle device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, may further include a lid provided so as to form a sealed space including the mounting surface of the chip. .

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, the chip and the droplet can be held in the sealed space. Thereby, the contamination (contamination) with respect to a droplet can be suppressed.

  Application Example 5 In the heat cycle apparatus according to Application Example 4, the heat cycle apparatus may further include a heating unit that heats the lid.

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, the lid is prevented from being clouded by condensation or the like, and thus, for example, when the droplet is a PCR reaction solution, water droplets or the like generated by condensation are reacted with the reaction solution. It is possible to more accurately perform fluorescence measurement of the reaction solution.

  [Application Example 6] In the thermal cycle device according to Application Example 4 or Application Example 5, the lid is transparent in a visible light wavelength region at a position where the placement surface of the chip can be visually recognized from the outside of the lid. You may have a window formed with various materials.

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, the droplets can be observed from the outside or measured by optical means. Therefore, for example, when the droplet is a PCR reaction solution, fluorescence measurement or the like can be performed even during the thermal cycle.

  Application Example 7 In the thermal cycle device according to any one of Application Examples 4 to 6, the sealed space formed by the lid body may be a saturated atmosphere of water.

  According to the thermal cycle device of this application example, when the droplet contains moisture, it is possible to suppress the evaporation of moisture from the droplet, for example, it is possible to suppress a change in the concentration of the solute in the reaction solution. .

The top view which shows an example of the chip | tip mounted | worn with a heat cycle apparatus. The top view which shows typically the principal part of the heat cycle apparatus which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows typically the principal part of the heat cycle apparatus which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows typically a mode that the mounting surface of the heat cycle apparatus which concerns on embodiment was inclined. The schematic diagram which expands and shows the cross section of the principal part of the heat cycle apparatus which concerns on embodiment.

  Several embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The embodiments described below illustrate examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments at all, and includes various modifications that are carried out within the scope not changing the gist of the present invention. Note that not all of the configurations described in the following embodiments are indispensable constituent requirements of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a chip 1 which is an example of a chip attached to the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a main part of the heat cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a main part of the heat cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the mounting portion 12 of the heat cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is inclined.

  The thermal cycle apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a mounting unit 12 that mounts the chip 1, a tilting mechanism 20 that tilts the mounting unit 12 in a predetermined direction, and a temperature control unit 30 that controls the temperature of the mounting surface s of the chip 1. .

1. Chip The chip 1 has a shape that can be mounted on the mounting portion 12 of the heat cycle apparatus 100. A droplet d is placed on the chip 1. One of the functions of the chip 1 is to apply heat to the droplet d by holding the placed droplet d and moving the droplet d in the chip 1. The chip 1 has such a shape that the droplet d does not leak from the chip 1 when the chip 1 is tilted. For example, the chip 1 may have a frame that prevents leakage of the droplet d around it. The material of the chip 1 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include glass, silicon, and various resins. When the chip 1 is used for a PCR reaction, the chip 1 is preferably disposable in order to prevent contamination, and the material is more preferably a resin in terms of cost.

  The chip 1 has a placement surface s on which the droplet d is placed. The placement surface s has an area large enough to allow the droplet d to move. The placement surface s has the property of holding the droplet d in the shape of a droplet. The shape of the mounting surface s can be a flat surface or a curved surface, for example. The placement surface s may have, for example, a groove L that regulates a range in which the droplet d moves. When the placement surface s has the groove L, for example, when a plurality of droplets d are placed on the chip 1, the plurality of droplets can be prevented from being combined with each other, and contamination can be suppressed. In the chip 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of grooves L along the moving direction of the chip 1 are formed on the mounting surface s.

  The mounting surface s may be subjected to liquid repellent treatment such as water repellent treatment and oil repellent treatment. The liquid repellent treatment of the placement surface s is selected in consideration of, for example, the type of liquid constituting the droplet d or the size of the droplet d. When the mounting surface s is liquid-repellent, for example, the movement of the droplet d can be facilitated. Examples of the liquid repellent treatment of the mounting surface s include coating with a fluororesin or a silicon resin.

  The droplet d is placed in such a size that it becomes a droplet when placed on the placement surface s. The droplet d may be either aqueous or oily as long as it becomes a droplet when placed. The droplet d may be, for example, a PCR reaction solution. When the droplet d is a PCR reaction solution, the reaction solution contains a nucleic acid to be amplified (target nucleic acid) and a reagent necessary for the reaction.

2. Mounting Unit The heat cycle apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a mounting unit 12. The mounting portion 12 is a portion where the chip 1 is mounted. In the heat cycle apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 12 is formed on the stage 10. A plurality of mounting portions 12 may be formed in the heat cycle apparatus 100. As a mechanism for mounting the chip 1 on the mounting portion 12, as long as there is no problem such as the chip 1 moving on the stage 10 due to the inclination of the mounting portion 12 to be described later, or a problem such as dropping off from the stage 10, in particular. Not limited. Examples of the method of fixing the chip 1 to the mounting portion 12 include a method of mechanically fixing the chip 1 with a clip or the like, a method of sucking the chip 1 under reduced pressure, a method of fixing with a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, and the like. In the heat cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the chip 1 is fixed to the mounting portion 12 with an adhesive sheet (not shown).

  The stage 10 is configured to be able to tilt in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the mounting portion 12 is inclined in a predetermined direction, and when the chip 1 is mounted on the mounting portion 12, the chip 1 can be inclined in the predetermined direction. As long as it has such a function, there is no limitation on the configuration and shape of the stage 10. The range in which the stage 10 is tilted in a predetermined direction is not particularly limited as long as the droplet d does not leak from the chip 1, and depends on the moving range of the droplet d on the chip 1 and the configuration of the tilt mechanism 20. Can be set as appropriate. The shape of the mounting portion 12 can be appropriately designed according to the shape of the chip 1. The position at which the mounting portion 12 is formed on the stage 10 is not particularly limited. In the heat cycle apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, the mounting portion 12 is formed on the upper surface of the stage 10.

3. Tilt mechanism 3.1. Configuration of Inclination Mechanism The thermal cycle apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes an inclination mechanism 20. The tilt mechanism 20 can tilt the stage 10 in a predetermined direction. With such an inclination, the chip 1 is inclined, and the droplet d placed on the chip 1 moves according to the direction of the inclination. Here, the predetermined direction is a direction in which when the droplet d moves, it can reach different temperature regions on the chip 1 before and after moving.

  In the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the tilt mechanism 20 includes a rotating shaft 22 having an axis in a direction intersecting the direction of the temperature distribution formed by the temperature control unit 30, and a motor 24 that rotates the rotating shaft 22. including. Specifically, the thermal cycle apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has the stage 10 around an axis that intersects the direction in which the groove L formed in the chip 1 extends, that is, the temperature distribution direction, with the chip 1 mounted. The inclination mechanism 20 in which the (mounting part 12) is rotated and inclined is illustrated.

  The configuration of the tilt mechanism 20 is not limited as long as the mounting portion 12 can be tilted. The tilting mechanism 20 can be appropriately configured including, for example, a motor as a power source and cams, gears, belts, and the like as mechanisms.

  FIGS. 2 to 4 show a thermal cycle apparatus 100 including a rotating shaft 22 connected to the stage 10 and a tilt mechanism 20 having a motor 24 that rotates the rotating shaft 22 as power. The heat cycle apparatus 100 can tilt the stage 10 in a predetermined direction by the motor 24. The direction of inclination in this case depends on the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft 22.

  Although not shown in the drawings, the tilt mechanism 20 is, for example, a stopper mechanism that limits the rotation of the rotary shaft 22 (the tilt of the mounting portion 12), a damper mechanism that suppresses vibration, a control mechanism that controls the magnitude of the tilt, A droplet sensor, a posture sensor, etc. may be included. Further, the rotating shaft 22 may be configured integrally with the stage 10.

  In the present embodiment, the predetermined direction in which the stage 10 (mounting portion 12) is tilted is exemplified by one direction (one-dimensional movement), but is not limited to this. The tilt mechanism 20 may be configured to tilt the stage 10 in one direction. In such a case, the droplet d can be arbitrarily moved (two-dimensionally moved) within a predetermined range on the mounting surface s of the chip 1.

3.2. Droplet Movement The mounting portion 12 is tilted by the tilt mechanism 20. As shown in FIG. 4, in the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, an angle θ at which the mounting portion 12 is tilted by the tilt mechanism 20 is defined as an elevation angle from the horizontal plane H. The maximum value of the angle θ is larger than the angle at which the droplet d can move on the placement surface s. Specifically, the range of the angle θ is at least the product of the component g ′ (g ′ = g · sin θ) parallel to the placement surface s of the gravitational acceleration g received by the droplet d and the mass of the droplet d. Includes an angle that is larger than the static frictional force when the droplet d is placed on the placement surface s. Further, the product of the component g ′ of the gravitational acceleration g parallel to the placement surface s and the mass of the droplet d corresponds to the force that the droplet d receives.

  Therefore, the product of the component g ′ of the gravitational acceleration g parallel to the placement surface s and the mass of the droplet d is larger than the static friction force when the droplet d is placed on the placement surface s. In this case, the droplet d moves on the mounting surface s of the chip 1 (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4). Note that the static frictional force of the droplet d on the placement surface s can be estimated by, for example, a method in which the placement surface s is tilted from a horizontal state in advance and the tilt angle at which sliding starts is measured.

  Then, the droplet d moved by the inclination of the mounting surface s can be stopped, for example, at the end of the groove L of the mounting surface s, or the inclination of the mounting surface s is in a gentler direction or opposite. It can be stopped by inclining in the direction of.

  In addition, if the direction of the tilt by the tilt mechanism 20 is reversed, the same action can be obtained, and in this case, the direction of the component g ′ parallel to the placement surface s of the gravitational acceleration g is reversed. The droplet d moves in the direction opposite to the above-described direction. Therefore, in the heat cycle apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the moving direction of the droplet d can be reversed only by reversing the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 22, so that the droplet can be formed with a simple configuration. d can be moved. Therefore, the droplet d can be easily reciprocated between regions having different temperatures. For example, a temperature cycle can be easily applied to the droplet d. The tilting mechanism 20 of the present embodiment can be easily configured in a small scale, can simplify the structure, can easily reduce the size of the heat cycle device, and can be excellent in productivity.

4). Temperature Control Unit The thermal cycle apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a temperature control unit 30. The temperature control unit 30 can control the temperature of the mounting surface s of the chip 1. The size of the region of the placement surface s whose temperature is controlled by the temperature controller 30 is not particularly limited, but at least two stages of temperatures can be obtained in the region where the droplet d moves on the placement surface s. Designed. For example, when the movement of the droplet d is along a predetermined direction (one axis), the temperature is designed to be controlled to at least two stages of temperatures in the predetermined direction. That is, the temperature control unit 30 controls the temperature of the mounting surface s of the chip 1 so that a temperature distribution is formed along a predetermined direction in which the mounting unit 12 (stage 10) is inclined.

  The position where the temperature control unit 30 is formed is not particularly limited, but can be formed on the stage 10, for example. The shape of the temperature control unit 30 is not particularly limited. As a function of the temperature control unit 30, when the temperature of the placement surface s of the chip 1 is controlled and the droplet d exists on the temperature-controlled placement surface s, the temperature of the droplet d is reduced to that temperature. And heating or cooling.

  The configuration of the temperature control unit 30 can include, for example, an electric heater, a Peltier element, a heat storage medium or a refrigerant circulation mechanism, or a combination thereof. The configuration of the temperature control unit 30 can be appropriately selected in consideration of the heat capacity of the chip 1 and the size of the stage 10. In the example of the heat cycle apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the temperature control unit 30 is formed in the mounting unit 12 of the stage 10. And the temperature control part 30 is arrange | positioned so that the chip | tip 1 may be contacted.

  One temperature control unit 30 may be provided, or a plurality of temperature control units 30 may be provided. 2 to 4 illustrate a case where two temperature control units 30 are provided. Three or more temperature control units 30 may be provided. In the heat cycle apparatus 100 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first temperature control unit 31 and the second temperature control unit 32 are formed on the stage 10. Thereby, two temperature control regions 33 are formed on the mounting surface s, and the temperature of the droplet d can be controlled to at least two stages of temperatures on the chip 1.

  The temperature controlled by the temperature control unit 30 is not particularly limited. For example, when the droplet d moves to the temperature control region 33, the temperature of the droplet d is 90 ° C. or more and 100 ° C. or less, and 50 The temperature may be controlled in the temperature range of not lower than 75 ° C. and lower than 75 ° C. This is more preferable for thermal cycling when the droplet d is a PCR reaction solution. In order to realize such a temperature range on the mounting surface s, it may be possible to use a heating means such as one heater as a configuration of the temperature control unit 30. However, when a plurality of temperature control units 30 are provided, each of the temperature control units 30 can control the temperature, so that it is easier to control the temperature so that different temperature regions are formed on the placement surface s. Become. The thermal cycle apparatus 100 illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 can easily control the temperature of the droplet d from 90 ° C. to 100 ° C. and from 50 ° C. to 75 ° C. This reaction solution is particularly suitable.

5. Other Configurations The thermal cycle device according to the present embodiment may have a lid 40. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a cross section in the vicinity of the stage 10 of the thermal cycle apparatus of the present embodiment.

  The lid 40 can form a sealed space including at least the mounting surface s of the chip 1. The lid 40 may be configured to be connected to the chip 1 as a member of the thermal cycle apparatus, or may be configured to be connected to the stage 10. In the example of FIG. 5, the lid 40 is fixed in contact with the stage 10. When the thermal cycle device of the present embodiment includes the lid body 40, the droplet d placed on the placement surface s is disposed in a sealed space formed by the lid body 40 and the stage 10. Therefore, for example, contamination (contamination) on the droplet d and mechanical contact from the outside can be suppressed.

  The material of the lid 40 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include glass, silicon, and various resins. In addition, the lid 40 may include packing or the like as necessary in order to improve airtightness.

  When the material of the lid 40 is an opaque material in the visible light wavelength region (about 380 nm to 780 nm), the placement surface s may not be observed from the outside due to the lid 40 being installed. In such a case, the window 42 may be formed at a position where the placement surface s can be visually recognized from the outside of the lid 40. In the illustrated example, the window 42 is provided near the center of the placement surface s. However, the position where the window 42 is provided is not limited to this. For example, the window 42 may be provided at a position corresponding to the temperature control region 33. Good.

  The window 42 can be formed of a material that is transparent in the wavelength region of visible light, such as glass or acrylic resin. When the lid 40 has such a window 42, the droplet d can be observed from the outside of the thermal cycler. When the droplet d contains a fluorescent substance or the like, the fluorescence of the droplet d can be observed from the outside even during the thermal cycle. Therefore, for example, the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment can be used for applications in which fluorescence measurement is performed during a reaction (thermal cycle), such as real-time PCR.

  Further, when the lid 40 has the window 42 or when the lid 40 is formed of a transparent material, the lid 40 further includes a heating unit that heats a position where the window 42 or the placement surface s can be visually recognized. May be. Examples of the heating unit include a transparent heating element such as a heater formed of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). If it does in this way, it can control that the position which can visually recognize window 42 and mounting surface s becomes cloudy by dew condensation.

  Furthermore, the sealed space formed by the lid 40 may be a saturated atmosphere of water. As a method of making the sealed space a saturated atmosphere of water, for example, there is a method of arranging water so as not to interfere with the droplet d in the sealed space. In this way, when the droplet d contains moisture, evaporation of the moisture in the droplet d can be suppressed. For example, when the droplet d is a PCR reaction solution, Changes in the solute concentration can be kept small.

  The lid 40 may contact the droplet d. When the lid 40 is in contact with the droplet d, the droplet d is in contact with the placement surface s and the lid 40, so that the ratio of the free surface of the droplet d can be reduced. Thereby, the evaporation of moisture from the droplet d can be further suppressed. In this case, since the static frictional force of the droplet d is the sum of the static frictional force between the mounting surface s and the static frictional force between the lid 40, the tilt mechanism 20 The product of the component g ′ parallel to the mounting surface s of the gravitational acceleration g and the mass of the droplet d is the static frictional force of the droplet d on the mounting surface s of the chip 1 and The degree of application is appropriately set so as to be larger than the sum of the static frictional forces on the lid 40.

6). According to the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment described above, the droplet d is placed on the placement surface s of the chip 1 by gravity acceleration applied to the droplet d placed on the chip 1. Can be moved. Since the placement surface s is temperature-controlled by the temperature controller 30, the temperature of the droplet d is rapidly changed to a desired temperature by moving the droplet d on the placement surface s. be able to. Furthermore, the droplet d can be maintained at that temperature for a desired period of time after reaching the desired temperature. Then, the temperature of the droplet d can be rapidly changed to another desired temperature by reversing the direction of the inclination and moving the droplet d on the placement surface s. Various conditions such as an operation time interval and a moving distance of the tilt mechanism 20 can be appropriately designed in accordance with a thermal cycle condition required for the droplet d. Therefore, according to the thermal cycle apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, for example, in PCR, an efficient thermal cycle can be performed on the reaction solution (droplet d).

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the present invention includes substantially the same configuration (for example, a configuration having the same function, method, and result, or a configuration having the same purpose and effect) as the configuration described in the embodiment. In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. In addition, the present invention includes a configuration that achieves the same effect as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration that can achieve the same object. In addition, the invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tip, s ... Placement surface, d ... Droplet, L ... Groove, g ... Gravitational acceleration, [theta] ... Angle, H ... Horizontal plane, 10 ... Stage, 12 ... Mounting part, 20 ... Inclination mechanism, 22 ... Rotation axis DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 24 ... Motor, 30 ... Temperature control part, 31 ... 1st temperature control part, 32 ... 2nd temperature control part, 33 ... Temperature control area | region, 40 ... Lid body, 42 ... Window, 100 ... Thermal cycle apparatus

Claims (10)

The droplet is provided so as to form a mounting surface in which the liquid droplet moves forward between the first region and a second region different from the first region, and a sealed space including the mounting surface. A lid having a window formed of a transparent material in a visible light wavelength region at a position where the placement surface can be visually recognized, and a mounting portion capable of mounting a chip having a chip,
A temperature control unit that performs temperature control so that a temperature distribution is generated in a first direction in which the droplets on the mounting surface move when the chip is mounted on the mounting unit;
The product of a component parallel to the placement surface of the gravitational acceleration received by the droplet and the mass of the droplet is greater than the static friction force when the droplet is placed on the placement surface. An inclination mechanism for inclining the mounting portion;
A thermal cycle apparatus comprising: In claim 1,
The lid contacts the droplet;
The tilt mechanism is configured such that a product of a component parallel to the placement surface of the gravitational acceleration received by the droplet and the mass of the droplet is stationary when the droplet is placed on the placement surface. A thermal cycle device that tilts the mounting portion so as to be larger than a sum of a frictional force and a static frictional force between the lid and the droplet. In claim 1 or 2 ,
The thermal cycle device, wherein the placement surface includes a groove extending in the first direction. In claim 1 or 2 ,
The heat cycle apparatus, wherein the placement surface includes a plurality of grooves extending in the first direction. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4 ,
The tilt mechanism includes a rotation shaft arranged in a direction intersecting the first direction,
Rotating means for rotating the rotating shaft;
Including a heat cycle device. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 5 ,
The temperature control unit includes a first temperature control unit and a second temperature control unit,
The first temperature control unit controls the first portion of the mounting surface to a temperature of 90 ° C. or more and 100 ° C. or less,
The second temperature control unit is a thermal cycle device that controls the second portion of the mounting surface to a temperature of 50 ° C. or higher and 75 ° C. or lower. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 6 ,
The mounting surface is a thermal cycle device in which a liquid repellent treatment is performed on the droplets. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7 ,
A thermal cycle device having a heating unit for heating the lid. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 8 ,
A thermal cycling apparatus, wherein the droplet is a PCR reaction solution. In any one of Claims 7 thru | or 9 ,
The sealed space formed by the lid is a thermal cycle device having a saturated atmosphere of water.

Images