US 4,865,986 A · Temperature control apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the heating and cooling of a plurality of upright containers containing a mixture used for performing gene amplification. The apparatus includes a support rack comprising aluminum blocks which is partially submerged in a thermally conductive fluid such that at least the lower portions of the containers are submerged in the fluid with the upper portions engaging the aluminum blocks for efficient heat transfer. Heaters are disposed within the aluminum block for heating the block and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling cells are used to cool the block. A programmable microprocessor is used for controlling the heating and cooling cycles, thereby allowing repetitive heating and cooling of the mixture to produce the copies of the genetic material sought to be copied. A cam separates the support rack from the cooling cells during the heating portion of the process.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Apparatus for selectively heating and cooling a plurality of upright containers and their contents comprising:

a metal heating block with vertical cavities therethrough for supporting said upright containers;
a container for holding a quantity of thermally conductive fluid and for reception of said heating block within said fluid container with a portion of said upright containers in contact with the fluid;
means for heating the metal heating block and the fluid, said heating means being disposed within said heating block between said vertical cavities;
a metal cooling block below the fluid container and in vertical surface to surface engagement with said fluid container;
thermoelectric cooling means beneath said cooling block and engaging said cooling block for cooling said heating block and fluid;
temperature monitoring means within said heating block;
and
means selectively operative to provide alternatively for vertical separation of the fluid container and cooling block and vertical surface to surface engagement to enable heating of the contents of the upright containers rapidly and cooling of the contents of the upright containers rapidly while maintaining precise temperature conditions for precise periods of time.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Temperature control apparatus

Life of this patent

Temperature control apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10