<p>(A) An overview of the real-time microchip PCR system, including a PCR microchip, a fluorescence detector housing coupled to an LED and a PMT, a cooling fan to accelerate cooling, and a microcontroller unit (MCU) for thermocycle control and fluorescence signal acquisition. (B) The PCR microchip is composed of a heater layer and a reaction chamber layer bonded together. The widest line of the heater is located at the center of the chamber, and the widths gets bigger by 1.25 times from the outermost trace to the center trace, thus are 1280, 1600, 2000, and 2500 µm. The gap between the spiral heater lines is 630 µm. The diameter and depth of the circular reaction chamber is 7.8 mm and 80 µm, respectively. White dotted line in the image shows the location of the reaction chamber and the inlet/outlet. (C) Schematic of the compact fluorescence detector housing and optical components inside the housing.</p
