Thermocycler with a temperature control block driven in cycles

• US 20030214994A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Original Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Inventors: Hofmann, Claudia, Schicke, Kirsten
• Application Number:
  US10/437,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/11
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/14 Process control and prevention of errors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/54 using spatial temperature gradients

Abstract

A thermocycler comprising a temperature control block (1,2,3) which is designed to receive several specimens and which is fitted with a control unit (6) that in consecutive cycles applies the different temperature levels (40° C., 70° C., 95° C.) of a PCR procedure to said block, said thermocycler being characterized in that said temperature controlling block is sub-divided into thermally separate segments (1, 2, 3) each of which is controlled separately and receives several specimens, the control unit (6) being designed to drive the said segments at different cycling rates (nine, seven, four).

Claims

1. A thermocycler comprising a temperature controlling block (1, 2, 3) which is fitted to receive several specimens and which is driven by a control unit (6) in consecutive cycles to assume in a consecutive manner the different temperature levels (40°

C., 70°

C., 95°

C.) of a PCR procedure,

characterized in that the temperature controlling block is sub-divided into segments (1, 2, 3) each receiving several specimens and that are thermally separated and are controlled separately, the control unit (6) being designed to control the segments at different numbers of cycles (nine, seven, four).

2. Thermocycler as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the individual cycles in all segments are identical.

3. Thermocycler as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that upon termination of their last cycle the segments (1, 2, 3) are controlled at a constant temperature (10°

C.).