Thermal cycling device with mechanism for ejecting sample well trays
AssigneeApplera Corporation
InventorsHon Siu Shin, Jew Kwee Ngui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal cycling device for biological samples. The thermal cycling device may include a sample block, an annular plate, and a plurality of spring devices interposed between the sample block and the annular plate. The sample block has a plurality of openings for receiving sample wells of a sample well tray. The annular plate may be positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the sample block and may be configured to abut a bottom surface of the sample well tray when the sample well tray is positioned thereon. The plurality of spring device may be interposed between the sample block and the annular plate to urge the annular plate and sample well tray away from the sample block.
Claims30
A thermal cycling device for biological samples, comprising:
- a sample block having a plurality of openings for receiving sample wells of a sample well tray therein, the sample block further having an upper surface positioned about the outer periphery of the sample block in a region outside of the openings in the sample block, the upper surface of the sample block defining a plurality of recesses;
- an annular plate positioned above the sample block adjacent the outer periphery of the sample block, the annular plate configured to abut a bottom surface of the sample well tray when the sample well tray is positioned therein;
- and
- a plurality of spring devices interposed between the sample block and the annular plate, the spring devices positioned at least partially within the plurality of recesses in the sample block, the spring devices configured to contact the annular plate to urge the annular plate and sample well tray away from the sample block.
A system for ejecting a sample well tray having a plurality of sample wells configured for containing biological material from a sample block of a thermal cycling device, comprising:
- a sample block configured to be engageable with a sample well tray, the sample block comprising a plurality of openings for receiving sample wells of a sample well tray therein;
- and
- an urging mechanism interposed between the sample block and the sample well tray to urge the sample well tray away from the sample block, the urging mechanism comprising an annular urging plate configured to engage a sample well tray, and a plurality of springs interposed between the sample block and the annular plate to urge the annular plate away from the sample block, the plurality of springs being positioned at least partially within a plurality of recesses in the sample block, the urging mechanism further configured to eject the sample wells of the sample well tray from contacting the plurality of openings of the sample block automatically upon the opening of a cover of the thermal cycling device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.