# US 11,440,015 B2 · Integrated solid-state rapid thermo-cycling system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,440,015 B2
- Document ID: US11440015B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/058,953
- Filed: 2018-08-08
- Published: 2020-02-13
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-08
- Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
- Applicants: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
- Inventors: N. Reginald Beer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440015B2

## CPC

- B01L 7/52: {with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples}
- B01L 7/525: {with physical movement of samples between temperature zones}
- C12Q 1/6869: Methods for sequencing
- H10N 10/13: characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
- 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 2300/1844: using fans
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for implementing a portable lab system for PCR testing. The portable lab system comprises a thermal cycling device including a first well and a second well to receive samples to be thermally cycled, a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) element coupled to the first well and the second well, and a controller to control operation of the TEC element. The portable lab system further includes an electronic interface including a power interface to supply power to the TEC element and the controller of the thermal cycling device to allow the TEC element to transfer energy from the first well to the second well when current flows through the TEC element in a first direction, and from the second well to the first well when current flows through the TEC element in a second direction, and a data interface to collect data from the controller.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A portable lab system, comprising:
a thermal cycling device including:
a first well and a second well to receive samples to be thermally cycled,
a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) element affixed to the first well and the second well,
a substrate on which the TEC element is positioned, wherein the first well and the second well are positioned within the substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a thermally conductive ground positioned between the first well and the second well configured to allow the first well and the second well to exchange heat with the substrate and to allow each of the first well and the second well to operate independently from one another, and
a controller coupled to the TEC element to control operation of the TEC element; and
an electronic interface including:
a power interface to supply power to the TEC element and the controller of the thermal cycling device, wherein the TEC element is configured to transfer energy from the first well to the second well when current flows through the TEC element in a first direction, and from the second well to the first well when current flows through the TEC element in a second direction, and
a data line to collect data from the controller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a capacitor to store power to facilitate operation of the thermal cycling device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive ground is a thermal ground lattice, line, trace, or plane.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive ground has a grid geometry between the first well and the second well.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive ground has a rectilinear shape outside of the first well and the second well.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive ground forms a concentric ring outside or inside of the first well and the second well.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive ground comprises one or more of copper, aluminum, conductive alloy, or ceramic.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a fan to maintain the system at a temperature around 50°.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory including a non-transitory computer-readable medium with processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the processor-executable instructions configure the controller to conduct testing of the samples and to configure the data interface for data collection.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising processor-executable instructions corresponding to a user interface to display the data collected by the data interface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a part of a USB device with approximate dimensions equal to a human thumb.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each well has a volume of less than 10 micro liters.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, configured to operate at a cycle time from 95° to 50° Celsius of approximately 5 seconds.