Incubator for micro titer plates

• US 5,681,492 A
• Filed: 02/16/1996
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helix Diagnostics, Inc. (Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Peter Van Praet
• Inventors: Van Praet, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pelham, F.
• Application Number:
  US08/602,288
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 219/388, 219/400, 219/401, 219/385, 219/386, 237/3, 237/14, 435/809, 34/219, 34/221
• US Class Current: 219/400
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/02 Water baths; Sand baths; Air baths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/809 Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers

Abstract

An incubator is provided wherein the individual wells of a Micro Titer Plate are heated by means of a continuous temperature regulated flow of warm air (typically 37° C.) blowing through a series of holes from a plate underneath onto the bottom of the wells. A typical Micro Titer Plate can have 96 wells and is used, for example, in medical laboratories. The volume of a well is typically 0.35 milliliter. Both the end temperature and the way the end temperature is reached is the same for all individual wells and is not dependent on either the location of the well on the Micro Titer Plate or its surrounding by other wells.

Claims

1. An incubator for holding at least one micro titer plate (MTP) having a plurality of wells comprising

a positioning device on which at least one MTP is placed,

a perforated plate spaced beneath said MTP at a predetermined distance,

an inlet in said incubator for receiving warm air in a chamber located in said incubator below said perforated plate,

at least one element to provide homogeneous mixing of said warm air,

a temperature sensor, and

a perforated cover plate facilitating access to at least a portion of said plurality of said wells during the period of incubation, wherein the perforations of said perforated plate spaced beneath said MTP are constructed and arranged to provide uniform heating of said wells of said MTP.

2. An incubator according to claim 1 wherein the perforated plate is metal.

3. An incubator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the perforations correspond substantially with the locations of the individual wells of the MTP and are arranged in such a manner that the temperature distribution across the plate is uniform.

4. An incubator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a feedback mechanism controls the temperature of the circulating air.

5. An incubator according to claim 3 wherein a feedback mechanism controls the temperature of the circulating air.

6. An incubator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the distance between the perforated plate and the MTP is from 1 to 15 millimeters.

7. An incubator according to claim 3 wherein the distance between the perforated plate and the MTP is from 1 to 15 millimeters.

8. An incubator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a ventilator and a heating element are mounted in a warm air supply channel.

9. An incubator according to claim 3 wherein a ventilator and a heating element are mounted in a warm air supply channel.

10. An incubator according to claim 1 wherein the homogeneous mixing of warm air is realized by means of two mixing chambers, said mixing chambers being separated by a plate with slightly smaller dimensions allowing the air from the lower mixing chamber to flow to the upper mixing chamber.