Temperature control device with a flexible temperature control surface

• US 20090087903A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akonni Biosystems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akonni Biosystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Miraghaie, Reza, Cooney, Christopher G., Hickerson, Anna, Irvine, Bruce, Nadim, Ali, Doebler, Robert, Belgrader, Phil, Sterling, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/303.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00531 essentially square
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/185 using a liquid as fluid
• 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 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/48 Holding appliances; Racks; Supports holding devices for laboratory apparatus B01L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/40 of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/34 Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/185 with auxiliary non-electric power

Abstract

A device for controlling temperature in a reaction chamber is disclosed. The device comprises: a bladder assembly comprising a housing dimensioned to hold a reaction chamber disposed within an interior volume of the housing; and a first temperature-control bladder disposed within the housing, the first temperature-control bladder is configured to receive a temperature-control fluid and comprises a flexible, heat conductive surface that comes in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the reaction chamber after receiving the temperature-control fluid. Also disclosed are a bladder thermal cycler, a temperature-control bladder assembly and methods for producing a thermal cycle in a reaction chamber.

Claims

1. A device for controlling temperature in a reaction chamber, comprising:

a bladder assembly comprising;

a housing that defines an interior volume of said housing, said housing is dimensioned to hold a reaction chamber disposed within said interior volume of said housing; and

a first temperature-control bladder disposed within said housing, said first temperature-control bladder being configured to receive a temperature-control fluid and comprising a flexible, heat conductive surface that comes in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of said reaction chamber after receiving said temperature-control fluid.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said bladder assembly further comprising a second temperature-control bladder disposed within said housing, said second temperature-control bladder is configured to receive said temperature-control fluid and comprises a flexible, heat conductive surface that comes in contact with a portion of an exterior surface of said reaction chamber after receiving said temperature-control fluid.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said housing comprises an upper section that holds the first temperature-control bladder, a lower section that holds the second temperature-control bladder, and a middle section that, together with the upper and the lower section, defines an interior space with an opening, said interior space and said opening has a geometry designed to accommodate said reaction chamber.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said reaction chamber is a tubular chamber.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said reaction chamber is a slide chamber.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a fluid delivery device that fills said first temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a desired temperature.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said fluid delivery device comprises a pump and a in-line temperature control device that controls the temperature of said temperature-control fluid.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising one or more valves that control the flow of said temperature-control fluid.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein said in-line temperature control device comprises a heater.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said in-line temperature control device further comprises a cooler.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said heater comprises a heat conductive block comprising a cartridge heater and parallel serpentine channels or fins.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein said in-line temperature control device further comprises a thermocouple.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein said in-line temperature control device maintains the temperature of the temperature-control fluid by PID control.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein said in-line temperature control device maintains the temperature of the temperature-control fluid by fuzzy control.

15. The device of claim 8, further comprising a computer that controls said fluid delivery devices, said temperature-control devices, and said valves.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first fluid delivery device that fills said first temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a first temperature;

a second fluid delivery device that fills said first temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a second temperature; and

valves that control the flow of temperature-control fluids at the first temperature and the second temperature.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said first fluid delivery device comprises a first pump and a first in-line temperature control device, and wherein said second fluid delivery device comprises a second pump and a second in-line temperature control device.

18. A bladder thermal cycler comprising:

a bladder assembly configured to receive a reaction chamber, said bladder assembly comprises;

a housing defining an interior space accessible through an opening;

at least one temperature-control bladder having a thermal conductive surface, said temperature-control bladder is inflatable with a temperature-control fluid and said thermal conductive surface forms a contact with an exterior surface of a reaction chamber placed within said interior space when said temperature-control bladder is inflated;

a first temperature control device capable of bringing said temperature-control fluid to a first temperature when said temperature-control fluid passes through said first temperature control device;

a second temperature control device capable of bringing said temperature-control fluid to a second temperature when said temperature-control fluid passes through said second temperature control device;

a first fluid control device that delivers said temperature-control fluid to said bladder assembly at said first temperature;

a second fluid control device that delivers said temperature-control fluid to said bladder assembly at said second temperature; and

a system controller that controls said temperature control devices and fluid control devices.

19. The bladder thermal cycler of claim 18, wherein said first and second temperature control devices each comprises a heating block comprising one or more fluid channels and a heater.

20. The bladder thermal cycler of claim 19, wherein said fluid channels are serpentine channels.

21. A temperature-control bladder assembly, comprising:

a top bracket comprising a first temperature-control bladder;

a bottom bracket comprising a second temperature-control bladder; and

a middle bracket that, when assembled with said top bracket and bottom bracket, defines an interior space,

wherein said first and second bladders form contacts with a reaction chamber placed inside said interior space when inflated with a temperature-control fluid.

22. The temperature-control bladder assembly of claim 21, further comprising a first cushion and a second cushion, wherein said first cushion is placed between said top bracket and said middle bracket and wherein said second cushion is placed between said middle bracket and said bottom bracket.

23. A method for producing a thermal cycle in a reaction chamber, comprising:

placing said reaction chamber in the vicinity of a temperature-control bladder having a thermal conductive surface, said thermal conductive surface forms a contact with an exterior surface of said reaction chamber when said temperature-control bladder is filled with a temperature control fluid;

filling said temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a first temperature;

withholding said temperature-control fluid at the first temperature in said temperature-control bladder for a first period of time;

filling said temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a second temperature; and

withholding said temperature-control fluid at the second temperature in said temperature-control bladder for a second period of time.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

filling said temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a third temperature; and

withholding said temperature-control fluid at the third temperature in said temperature-control bladder for a third period of time.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said temperature-control fluid at the first temperature is produced at a first heat exchanger and is re-circulated back to said first heat exchanger after step (c), and wherein said temperature-control fluid at the second temperature is produced at a second heat exchanger and is re-circulated back to said second heat exchanger after step (e).

26. A method for producing a thermal cycle in a reaction chamber having thermal contact with a temperature-control bladder, comprising:

(a) filling said temperature-control bladder with a temperature-control fluid at a first temperature;

(b) filling said temperature-control bladder with said temperature-control fluid at a second temperature; and

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b).

27. A device for controlling temperature in a reaction chamber, comprising:

at least one temperature-control bladder configured to receive said reaction chamber; and

at least one fluid control device that delivers a temperature-control fluid to said temperature-control bladder at a desired temperature,

wherein said temperature-control bladder comprises a flexible, heat conductive surface that comes in contact with said reaction chamber when said temperature-control bladder is inflated with said temperature-control fluid.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein said fluid control device comprises a pump and a temperature control device that controls the temperature of said temperature-control fluid.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising one or more valves that control the flow of said temperature-control fluid.

30. The device of claim 27, comprising two temperature-control bladders, said two temperature-control bladders are capable of holding said reaction chamber between the two temperature-control bladders after being inflated with said temperature-control fluid.

31. The device of claim 27, comprising a first fluid control device that delivers said temperature-control fluid to said temperature-control bladder at a first temperature, and a second fluid control device that delivers said temperature-control fluid to said temperature-control bladder at a second temperature.