Apparatus for thermal cycling
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsGeorge Maltezos, Matthew Johnston, David Goodwin, Axel Scherer, Christopher I. Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention provides a system for performing PCR, and real time PCR in particular, with great speed and specificity. The system employs a heat block containing a liquid composition to rapidly transfer heat to and from reaction vessels. The system makes use of the reflective properties of the liquid metal to reflect signal from the PCR into the vessel and out the top. In this way, the signal can be measured by an optical assembly in real time without removing the vessels from the heat block.
Claims27
A thermal cycler apparatus comprising:
- a heat sink;
- a heating component in thermal contact with the heat sink, the heating component having a top surface;
- a closed bather sealing in a liquid composition, the closed bather having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the closed barrier having a plurality of wells configured to receive a plurality of sample vessels, wherein the wells extend into the liquid composition, and the bottom surface of the closed barrier being positioned in between the top surface of the closed barrier and the top surface of the heating component, the bottom surface of the closed barrier being in thermal contact with the top surface of the heating component;
- and
- a control assembly in communication with the heating component, the control assembly configured to cycle the temperature of samples in the plurality of sample vessels for nucleic acid amplification.
A thermal cycler apparatus comprising:
- a heat block comprising a container sealing in a liquid having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface comprising wells configured to receive sample vessels, wherein the wells extend into the liquid composition;
- and
- means for controlling the temperature of samples in the sample vessels for nucleic acid amplification, the means for controlling temperature comprising a heating component in thermal contact with the liquid, wherein the heating component has a heating surface in contact with the second surface of the heat block.
A thermal cycler apparatus comprising:
- a heat sink;
- a heating component in thermal contact with the heat sink;
- a closed barrier sealing in a liquid composition, the closed barrier having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface having a plurality of wells configured to receive a plurality of sample vessels, wherein the wells are made of a flexible material, wherein the wells extend into the liquid composition, and wherein the bottom surface is in thermal contact with the heating component;
- and
- a control assembly in communication with the heating component, the control assembly configured to cycle the temperature of samples in the plurality of sample vessels for nucleic acid amplification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.