This paper reports on the implementation and
characterisation of a thermally controlled device for
in vitro
biomedical applications, based on standard Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) technology. This is proposed as a low cost alternative
to state-of-the-art microfluidic devices and Lab-on-Chip (LoC)
platforms, which we refer to as the thermal Lab-on-PCB concept.
In total, six different prototype boards have been manufactured
to implement as many mini-hotplate arrays. 3D multiphysics
software simulations show the thermal response of the modelled
mini-hotplate boards to electrical current stimulation, highlight-
ing their versatile heating capability. A comparison with the
results obtained by the characterisation of the fabricated PCBs
demonstrates the dual temperature sensing/heating property of
the mini-hotplate, exploitable in a larger range of temperature
with respect to the typical operating range of LoC devices. The
thermal system is controllable by means of external off-the-shelf
circuitry designed and implemented on a single-channel control
board prototype.