US 11,110,462 B2 · Systems and methods for a thermal cycler heated cover · patentgrep

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Abstract

A thermal cycler system for use with a sample holder configured to receive a plurality of samples includes a sample block configured to receive the sample holder, a cover lid configured to move in a direction toward the sample block from an open position to a closed position, a heated cover operatively coupled to the cover lid and configured to move in a direction toward the sample block from a raised position to a first lowered position, in which the heated cover contacts the sample holder when the sample holder is received by the sample block, and a drive assembly including a motion guide configured to move in a direction toward the sample block from a first position, wherein the cover lid is in the open position and the heated cover is in the raised position, to a second position, wherein the cover lid is in the closed position.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A thermal cycler system comprising:

a sample block comprising a sample holder receiving surface configured to receive the sample holder;
and
a cover assembly moveable in a first direction parallel to the sample holder receiving surface between an open position and a closed position relative to the sample holder receiving surface, wherein the cover assembly covers the sample holder receiving surface in the closed position and exposes the sample holder receiving surface in the open position, wherein the cover assembly comprises:
a platen moveable, in the closed position of the cover assembly, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sample holder receiving surface,
a cover lid over the platen, the cover lid comprising a cover surface and opposing side walls extending from the cover surface,
an actuatable linkage coupled to and extending transversely across the platen in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, opposite ends of the actuatable linkage being received in recesses in an interior surface of the opposing side walls of the cover lid, the recesses oriented in the second direction, the opposite ends being movable along the recesses in the second direction to move the actuatable linkage in the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, and
an elastically deformable member between the actuatable linkage and the platen, the elastically deformable member arranged to exert a compressive force against the platen in the lowered position of the platen and the actuatable linkage.

4 more elements

A thermal cycler system comprising:

a sample block comprising a sample holder receiving surface configured to receive the sample holder;
a cover assembly moveable in a first direction parallel to the sample holder receiving surface between an open position and a closed position relative to the sample holder receiving surface, wherein the cover assembly covers the sample holder receiving surface in the closed position and exposes the sample holder receiving surface in the open position, wherein the cover assembly comprises:
a platen moveable, in the closed position of the cover assembly, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sample holder receiving surface,
a cover lid over the platen, the cover lid comprising a cover surface and opposing side walls extending from the cover surface,
an actuatable linkage coupled to and extending transversely across the platen in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, opposite ends of the actuatable linkage being received in recesses in an interior surface of the opposing side walls of the cover lid, the opposite ends being movable along the recesses in the second direction to move the actuatable linkage in the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, and
an elastically deformable member between the actuatable linkage and the platen, the elastically deformable member arranged to exert a compressive force against the platen in the lowered position of the platen and the actuatable linkage;
and
a motion guide coupled to the cover assembly, the motion guide configured to transfer a drive force to the cover assembly, wherein in response to the drive force:
the motion guide and the cover assembly are movable together over a first range of motion between the open position and the closed position of the cover assembly, and
in the closed position, the motion guide is movable relative to the cover assembly.

7 more elements

A thermal cycler system comprising:

a sample block comprising a sample holder receiving surface configured to receive the sample holder;
a cover assembly moveable in a first direction parallel to the sample holder receiving surface between an open position and a closed position relative to the sample holder receiving surface, wherein the cover assembly covers the sample holder receiving surface in the closed position and exposes the sample holder receiving surface in the open position, wherein the cover assembly comprises:
a platen moveable, in the closed position of the cover assembly, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sample holder receiving surface,
a cover lid over the platen, the cover lid comprising a cover surface and opposing side walls extending from the cover surface,
an actuatable linkage coupled to and extending transversely across the platen in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, opposite ends of the actuatable linkage being received in recesses in an interior surface of the opposing side walls of the cover lid, the opposite ends being movable along the recesses in the second direction to move the actuatable linkage in the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, and
an elastically deformable member between the actuatable linkage and the platen, the elastically deformable member arranged to exert a compressive force against the platen in the lowered position of the platen and the actuatable linkage;
and
a motion guide coupled to the cover assembly, the motion guide configured to transfer a drive force to the cover assembly,
wherein the actuatable linkage is coupled to the motion guide via a cam-slot mechanism.

6 more elements

A thermal cycler system comprising:

a sample block comprising a sample holder receiving surface configured to receive the sample holder;
a cover assembly moveable in a first direction parallel to the sample holder receiving surface between an open position and a closed position relative to the sample holder receiving surface, wherein the cover assembly covers the sample holder receiving surface in the closed position and exposes the sample holder receiving surface in the open position, wherein the cover assembly comprises:
a platen moveable, in the closed position of the cover assembly, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sample holder receiving surface,
a cover lid over the platen, the cover lid comprising a cover surface, opposing side walls extending from the cover surface, and a rear wall located at a trailing end of the cover lid based on movement of the cover assembly from the open position to the closed position,
an actuatable linkage coupled to and extending transversely across the platen in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, opposite ends of the actuatable linkage being received in recesses in an interior surface of the opposing side walls of the cover lid, the opposite ends being movable along the recesses in the second direction to move the actuatable linkage in the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, and
an elastically deformable member between the actuatable linkage and the platen, the elastically deformable member arranged to exert a compressive force against the platen in the lowered position of the platen and the actuatable linkage;
and
a motion guide coupled to the cover assembly, the motion guide comprises a crossbar parallel to the rear wall,
wherein the elastically deformable member is a first elastically deformable and the system further comprises a second elastically deformable member, the second elastically deformable member coupled to the rear wall and the crossbar.

6 more elements

A thermal cycler system comprising:

a sample block comprising a sample holder receiving surface configured to receive the sample holder;
and
a cover assembly moveable in a first direction parallel to the sample holder receiving surface between an open position and a closed position relative to the sample holder receiving surface, wherein the cover assembly covers the sample holder receiving surface in the closed position and exposes the sample holder receiving surface in the open position, wherein the cover assembly comprises:
a platen moveable, in the closed position of the cover assembly, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sample holder receiving surface,
a cover lid over the platen, the cover lid comprising a cover surface and opposing side walls extending from the cover surface,
an actuatable linkage extending transversely across the platen in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, opposite ends of the actuatable linkage being received in recesses in an interior surface of the opposing side walls of the cover lid, the opposite ends being movable along the recesses in the second direction to move the actuatable linkage in the second direction between a raised position and a lowered position, and
an elastically deformable member between the actuatable linkage and the platen, the elastically deformable member arranged to exert a compressive force against the platen in the lowered position of the platen and the actuatable linkage,
wherein:
the actuatable linkage comprises at least one through-hole extending in the second direction, and
the cover lid further comprises at least one guide extending through the at least one through-hole configured to:
slide through the at least one through-hole in the second direction,
guide movement of the platen in the second direction between the raised position and the lowered position, and
minimize movement of the actuatable linkage in the first direction.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/515,533Filed 18 Jul 2019 · division
Priority: 22 Dec 2015
Published: US 2020/0016599 A116 Jan 2020
Granted: 7 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B01L 7/52
Heating or cooling apparatus ; Heat insulating devices: with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different…
G01N 35/026
Using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations: having blocks or racks of…
B01L 2200/025
Adapting objects or devices to another: align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
B01L 2200/143
Process control and prevention of errors: quality control, feedback systems

Family

Application62/270,695Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2015
Application15/387,631Parent of this division · filed 21 Dec 2016
US 2020/0016599 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Jan 2020
US 10,384,208 B2Parent of this division
US 2017/0173587 A1Published application
US 11,110,462 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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