LOCALIZED TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SPATIAL ARRAYS OF REACTION MEDIA

• US 20100099581A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Chu, Daniel Y., Ceremony, Jeff, Arciniegas, German, Ragsdale, Charles W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,945,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/28
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• 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 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1838 using fluid heat transfer medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1883 using thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0475 specific mechanical means and fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders

Abstract

Individual temperature control in multiple reactions performed simultaneously in a spatial array such as a multi-well plate is achieved by thermoelectric modules with individual control, with each module supplying heat to or drawing heat from a single region within the array, the region containing either a single reaction vessel or a group of reaction vessels.

Claims

1. Apparatus for performing polymerase chain reactions in a plurality of samples, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of sample blocks for polymerase chain reactions, arranged in a fixed horizontal array and separated from each other by air gaps,

a plurality of thermoelectric modules, one thermoelectric module positioned underneath each said sample block, adjacent thermoelectric modules separated from each other by air gaps, and

a layer of thermally conductive grease between each sample block and each thermoelectric module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising heat sink means thermally coupled to said plurality of thermoelectric modules to dissipate heat generated by said thermoelectric modules.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said heat sink means is a single heat sink common to all thermoelectric modules.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said heat sink means comprises an individual heat sink for each thermoelectric module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fixed horizontal array is a two-dimensional array.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said sample block comprises a plurality of sample wells.

7. A method for independently controlling temperatures of polymerase chain reactions in a plurality of samples retained in a plurality of sample blocks, said method comprising:

placing said sample blocks in contact with a plurality of thermoelectric modules through a layer of thermally conductive grease between each sample block and thermoelectric module, while maintaining an air gap between each adjacent pair of sample blocks and between each adjacent pair of thermoelectric modules, with a separate thermoelectric module for each sample block, and

supplying electric power to said thermoelectric modules while controlling the magnitude of power supplied to each of said thermoelectric modules independently, thereby maintaining the temperature of each sample block independently of other sample blocks.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising drawing heat from said thermoelectric modules by heat sink means.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said heat sink means is a single heat sink common to all thermoelectric modules.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said heat sink means comprises an individual heat sink for each thermoelectric module.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said sample blocks are arranged in a fixed horizontal two-dimensional array.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein each said sample block comprises a plurality of sample wells.