Thermal cycle for automatic performance of the polymerase chain reaction with close temperature control

• US 20080299651A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1990
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applera Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applera Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ragusa, Robert P., Woudenberg, Timothy M., Williams, Fenton, Margulies, Marcel, Leath, Richard, Miles, Clive, Mossa, Albert Carmelo, Atwood, John Girdner, Goven, Lisa May
• Application Number:
  US11/999,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/303.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/185 using a liquid as fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 with covers or lids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/00 Heating or cooling apparatus autoclaves B01J3/04; Heat insulating devices
• 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: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/809 Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers

Abstract

A thermal cycler for automatic performance of the polymerase chain reaction is provided. The thermal cycler comprises a heater control that provides close temperature control of the reaction.

Claims

1. A thermocycler apparatus comprising:

at least one sample well capable of receiving a sealed vessel containing a liquid sample mixture;

a heated platen with a heater being provided to heat said platen for contacting the top of a sealed vessel; and

a heater control adapted to control the heater so that the platen keeps an upper part of a sealed vessel disposed in the sample well at a temperature from 94°

C. to 110°

C. during an entire PCR cycle such that condensation and refluxing of such liquid sample in the sealed vessel is avoided.

2. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sealed vessel disposed in the at least one sample well.

3. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a liquid sample disposed in the sealed vessel.

4. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 2, further comprising ingredients for polymerase chain reaction disposed in the sealed vessel.

5. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sample well is formed in a sample block.

6. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel disposed in the at least one sample well.

7. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one sample well comprises a plurality of sample wells, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of sealed vessels respectively disposed in the plurality of sample wells, and the means for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel is adapted to press each sealed vessel of the plurality of sealed vessels firmly into its respective sample well.

8. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sealed vessels comprise a microtiter plate format.

9. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sealed vessels comprises a plurality of sample tubes, each sample tube comprises a cap, and the means for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel is adapted to deform the cap of each sample tube and press each sample tube into its respective sample well.

10. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heater control is adapted to control the heater so that the platen is kept at a temperature of from 100°

C. to 110°

C.

11. A thermocycler apparatus comprising:

at least one sample well capable of receiving a sealed vessel containing a liquid sample mixture;

a heated platen with a heater being provided to heat said heated platen, the heated platen configured to contact the top of a sealed vessel; and

a heater control adapted to control the heater so that the platen is heated to a temperature above the boiling point of water during an entire PCR cycle such that condensation and refluxing of such liquid sample in the sealed vessel is avoided.

12. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a sealed vessel disposed in the at least one sample well.

13. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a liquid sample disposed in the sealed vessel.

14. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 12, further comprising ingredients for polymerase chain reaction disposed in the sealed vessel.

15. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one sample well is formed in a sample block.

16. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a screw for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel disposed in the at least one sample well.

17. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one sample well comprises a plurality of sample wells, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of sealed vessels respectively disposed in the plurality of sample wells, and the screw for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel is adapted to press each sealed vessel of the plurality of sealed vessels firmly into its respective sample well.

18. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sealed vessels comprise a microtiter plate format.

19. The thermocycler apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sealed vessels comprises a plurality of sample tubes, each sample tube comprises a cap, and the screw for forcing the heated platen against the top of a sealed vessel is adapted to deform the cap of each sample tube and press each sample tube into its respective sample well.