# US 10,307,762 B2 · Thermal cycler having a temperature analysis and/or verification unit and a method for analyzing or verifying a thermal performance of a thermal cycler and for calibrating the thermal cycler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,762 B2 - Document ID: US10307762B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/103,543 - Filed: 2014-12-02 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-12 - Assignees: Hahn Lifescience GmbH - Applicants: Hain Lifescience GmbH - Inventors: James Courtney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307762B2 ## CPC - B01L 7/52: {with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples} - B01L 3/50851: {specially adapted for heating or cooling samples} - C12P 19/34: Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides - B01L 2200/028: Modular arrangements - B01L 2200/147: Employing temperature sensors - B01L 2200/148: Specific details about calibrations - B01L 2300/025: Displaying results or values with integrated means - B01L 2300/041: Connecting closures to device or container - B01L 2300/0663: Whole sensors - B01L 2300/0829: Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates - B01L 2300/1805: Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks - B01L 2300/1822: using Peltier elements - B01L 2300/1894: Cooling means; Cryo cooling - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} ## Abstract Provided is a thermal cycler including a housing, the housing with a thermal block having sample wells, each for receiving a test sample in a sample vessel, an electric heater for heating the thermal block, a power supply and an electronic control for controlling the electric heater, and a temperature analysis and/or verification unit for analyzing and/or verifying a thermal performance of the thermal block. Also provided is a method for analyzing or verifying a thermal performance of a thermal cycler and for calibrating the thermal cycler. The thermal cycler has a temperature analysis and/or verification unit integrated into the housing and connected to the power supply and electronic control by an internal interface, whereas the method is characterized by the following steps: providing the thermal cycler with an integrated temperature analysis and/or verification unit and using the integrated temperature analysis and/or verification unit for self-calibration of the thermal cycler. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for analyzing or verifying a thermal performance of a thermal cycler (10) and for calibrating the thermal cycler (10) comprising: providing the thermal cycler (10) with an integrated temperature analysis and verification unit (28), the integrated temperature analysis and verification unit (28) comprising a temperature probe plate (34) having a plurality of temperature probes (36), measuring the temperatures within selected sample wells (32) of a thermal block (14) of the thermal cycler (10) by means of the plurality of temperature probes (36) of the temperature probe plate (34), whereby the temperature probes (36) communicate temperature values to an electronic control (22) by means of an internal interface (26) of the thermal cycler (10), verifying with the integrated temperature analysis and verification unit (28) that the temperatures achieved in the samples wells (32) are according to specification, self-calibrating the thermal cycler (10) with the integrated temperature analysis and verification unit (28), disconnecting an electrical connection between the temperature probe plate (34) and the thermal cycler (10), and removing the temperature probe plate (34) from the thermal cycler (10) for separate external calibration of the temperature probe plate (34). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a self-calibration of the thermal cycler is a closed-loop process using the temperature values communicated by the temperature probes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature analysis and verification unit (28) comprises a closed loop control for calibration of the electric heater means (18) using the temperature values measured by the temperature probes within selected sample wells (32). ### Claim 4 A method of amplifying segments of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction comprising: providing a thermal cycler (10) comprising a housing (12), the housing (12) accommodating a thermal block (14) having a plurality of sample wells (32), each for receiving a test sample in a sample vessel, an electric heater means (18) for heating the thermal block (14), a power supply (24), an electronic control (22) for controlling the electric heater means (18), a temperature analysis and verification unit (28) for analyzing and verifying a thermal performance of the thermal block (14), the temperature analysis and verification unit (28) comprising a temperature probe plate (34) having a plurality of temperature probes (36) for measuring the temperature within selected sample wells (32), wherein the temperature analysis and verification unit (28) is integrated into the housing (14) and is connected to the power supply (24) and to the electronic control (22) by means of an internal interface (26) and an electric connection between the temperature probe plate (34) and the interface (26) can be disconnected for removal of the temperature probe plate (34) from the thermal cycler (10) for external calibration; placing sample vessels containing test samples or reaction mixtures in said sample wells (32) of the thermal block (14), and alternately heating and cooling the test samples in said sample vessels (32) with the thermal block (14) to amplify the segments of DNA.