Design and Validation of a High-Speed Miniaturized Thermocycler with Peltier Elements for Efficient PCR Thermal Cycling

We present a high-speed, miniaturized, Peltier-driven thermocycler for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with heating rates of 22.25 °C/s and cooling rates of 5.30 °C/s, using a standard aluminum block (a four-well section of a 96-well plate) and laterally arranged micro-thermoelectric coolers (TECs) to induce predominantly horizontal heat flow. Simulations without copper preheating predict a cooling rate of 5.70 °C/s. Finite-element thermoelectric modeling (COMSOL 6.2) closely matches measurements. The selection of materials is guided by the introduction of the merit number Gβ that balances thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity, enabling consistent comparison across candidate block materials. The performance of this system is evaluated against data reported in scientific literature, encompassing both recent academic developments and selected commercial systems that employ silver components to enhance thermal conductivity. Despite aluminum’s lower thermal conductivity, our device achieves superior thermal cycling rates, demonstrating that with innovative design, less expensive materials can compete with higher-performing ones. This work includes detailed numerical simulations, comparative analyses of block materials, design considerations, fabrication methods, and experimental validation. By integrating insights from current scientific research, this study contributes to the advancement of accessible and high-performance diagnostic technologies.