Vessel and method of manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. Vessel for thermal cycling applications, the vessel being made from a thermoplastic material and comprising at least one cavity capable of containing a sample, the walls of the cavity having a thin wall portion which has a consistent wall thickness of less than about 0.0065 inch (less than about 0.17 mm), wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polymeric resin, which has been hardened in pressurized condition, the pressurized condition being achieved at least partly by mechanical clamping of molten resin.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns a novel sample tube and a method of manufacturing a such a sample tube. According to the method an oversized mould cavity is formed with an opposing pair of mould members of an injection moulding machine, the mould members being movable relative to each other and between which mould members the sample tube is formed. A volume of resin exceeding the prescribed volume of the sample tube is injected into the cavity and force is applied to said mould members in order to reduce the volume of said mould cavity for displacing molten polymer in the cavity and for compressing the polymer to form said sample tube. By means of the invention, sample tubes and vessels having ultra thin walls can be manufactured.
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Citations
13 Claims
- 1. Vessel for thermal cycling applications, the vessel being made from a thermoplastic material and comprising at least one cavity capable of containing a sample, the walls of the cavity having a thin wall portion which has a consistent wall thickness of less than about 0.0065 inch (less than about 0.17 mm), wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polymeric resin, which has been hardened in pressurized condition, the pressurized condition being achieved at least partly by mechanical clamping of molten resin.
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5. A method of manufacturing a sample tube having a predetermined volume and mass, said method being carried out by injection moulding in an injection moulding machine using a molten thermoplastic resin, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming an oversized mould cavity with an opposing pair of mould members of said injection moulding machine, the mould members being movable relative to each other and between which mould members said sample tube is formed;
injecting into said oversized cavities a volume of resin exceeding the prescribed volume of the sample tube to be formed; and
applying force to said mould members to reduce the volume of said mould cavity for displacing molten polymer in the cavity and for compressing the polymer to form said sample tube. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A mould arrangement for manufacturing vessels for thermal cycling applications comprising at least one well having a wall using a mould comprising
a first mould member having core pins, which define the internal diameter and the internal shape of well, and a second mould member defining the outer diameter and outer shape of the well, wherein the mould members are adapted movably relative to each other between two positions, in the first position a volume of resin exceeding the prescribed volume of the sample tube to be formed can be injected between the mould members, in the second position, the mould members are adapted to displace and compress the injected resin to form said vessel.
Specification