Device For The Carrying Out of Chemical or Biological Reactions

• US 20100120100A1
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Thomas, Schurf, Markus, Wagner, Tilmann, Heimberg, Wolfgang, Knulle, Matthias
• Application Number:
  US12/689,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20100120100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/91.200
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• 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

An interactive radio network enables users to interact with the content of a radio broadcast, including commercials or messages, and to selectively save, store, review, fast forward, rewind, pause, forward, and respond to the radio programs and/or the commercials. The interactive radio network provides a widespread, international, and economical access to the radio stations, and reduces the need for advertisement billboards. It provides the users with an opportunity to selectively inquire about the products or services being advertised. Furthermore, the interactive radio network allows the users as well as various sectors of the advertisement industry to interact with the content of the radio broadcast. The advertisements are no longer limited to audio messages, but can further include elaborate video, text, and data information. The interactive radio network enables the users to communicate and interact with each others, based on the broadcast content. It also provides a widely accessible and affordable avenue for mass marketing and broadcasting of commercials to mobile users.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing at least one parameter for polymerase chain reaction, comprising:

dividing a same reaction mixture into each of a plurality of reaction vessels of a standard microtiter plate;

inserting the standard microtiter plate into a polymerase chain reaction device comprising;

a reaction vessel receiving element physically divided into two or more segments that are thermally insulated from one another, wherein the standard microtiter plate spans an entirety of the reaction vessel receiving element upon insertion into the reaction vessel receiving element,

two or more physically distinct devices for heating and cooling the reaction vessel receiving element, wherein each device for heating and cooling is aligned with and dedicated to heat and cool only one respective segment such that each segment is aligned with a device for heating and cooling; and

a control unit for actuating the polymerase chain reaction device, wherein the devices for heating and cooling are actuated independently of one another to set and maintain different temperatures in two adjacent segments; and

heating and cooling the segments to different temperatures during a temperature cycle to optimize the at least one parameter for polymerase chain reaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment of the reaction vessel receiving element comprises a base plate with one or more tubular, thin-walled reaction vessel holders, which form one piece together with the base plate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are insulated from each other with an air gap formed between adjacent segments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are insulated from each other with a thermal insulator inserted in a gap between adjacent segments.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices for heating and cooling comprise Peltier elements, and wherein the Peltier elements are thermally coupled to each segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction vessel receiving element is divided into at least four segments.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual segments each have a same number of reaction vessels.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment is assigned a temperature sensor operatively connected to the control unit, with which the temperature of the segment concerned is sensed, with the temperature of each segment being controlled on the basis of the temperature sensed by the respective sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment is assigned one or more temperature equalization elements.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are actuated such that the temperature difference between adjacent segments is less than a predetermined temperature difference (AT).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter optimized includes at least one of denaturing temperature, annealing temperature, and elongation temperature.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter optimized comprises at least one of residence time at a temperature for at least one of denaturing temperature, annealing temperature, and elongation temperature.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter optimized comprises rate of temperature change.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymerase chain reaction device further comprises an additional control unit for actuating the two or more devices for heating and cooling, wherein each of the two or more devices for heating and cooling is individually actuated.