Development of detection equipment for a polymerase chain reaction with a loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction

In this research, low-cost detection equipment intended to carry out a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) through a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction is presented. We designed the internal structure with SolidWorks and AutoCAD. The equipment comprised a Raspberry Pi development board, a temperature control module, and a fluorescent optical detection module. The main program, temperature control, florescent signal processing, signal analysis, and screen display were programmed with Java. We applied the digital temperature controller module to obtain precise temperature control of the equipment. The experimental results showed that the heating rate of the testing equipment could reach 65°C within 4 minutes and could be accurately controlled to within 1°C. The duration of the LAMP PCR experiment was found to be significantly shorter than that of the conventional PCR. The results also revealed that with LAMP PCR, the temperature could be accurately controlled within a specific range, and the designed heating tasks could be completed within 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the specimen. The equipment could also correctly read both the positive and negative reactions with fluorescent signals. Thus, the proposed LAMP PCR detection equipment is more sensitive, more stable, and more cost-effective than other conventional alternatives and can be used in numerous clinical applications.