Methods and apparatus for direct heating of biological material
First Claim
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1. A method of cycling biological material through a sequence of temperatures for effecting a bio-chemical reaction, including at least an initial reaction temperature and an elevated reaction temperature above the initial reaction temperature, comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing biological material in a vessel;
(b) selecting a thermochromic material which has a phase change at the elevated reaction temperature;
(c) placing the selected thermochromic material in the vessel;
(d) irradiating the contents of the vessel with an amount of electromagnetic radiation sufficient to raise the biological material in the vessel to the elevated reaction temperature; and
(e) controlling the temperature of the vessel at the elevated reaction temperature for a reaction time by means of the phase change in the thermochromic material.
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Abstract
Biological material is cycled through a sequence of temperatures by containing the material in a vessel positioned in a chamber maintained at a temperature which is no higher than the lowest temperature in a predetermined temperature sequence. The vessel is then irradiated with varying levels of electromagnetic radiation to heat the material and cycle it through a sequence of predetermined temperatures.
108 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of cycling biological material through a sequence of temperatures for effecting a bio-chemical reaction, including at least an initial reaction temperature and an elevated reaction temperature above the initial reaction temperature, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing biological material in a vessel; (b) selecting a thermochromic material which has a phase change at the elevated reaction temperature; (c) placing the selected thermochromic material in the vessel; (d) irradiating the contents of the vessel with an amount of electromagnetic radiation sufficient to raise the biological material in the vessel to the elevated reaction temperature; and (e) controlling the temperature of the vessel at the elevated reaction temperature for a reaction time by means of the phase change in the thermochromic material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)
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10. A method of cycling biological material through a sequence of temperatures for effecting a bio-chemical reaction, including at least an initial reaction temperature and an elevated reaction temperature above the initial reaction temperature, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing biological material in a vessel transparent to electromagnetic radiation; (b) selecting a thermochromic material which has a state between the initial reaction temperature and the elevated reaction temperature which absorbs electromagnetic radiation and different state at or just above the elevated reaction temperature which does not absorb said electromagnetic radiation; (c) placing the selected thermochromic material in the vessel; (d) irradiating the contents of the vessel with an amount of said electromagnetic radiation more than sufficient to raise the contents in the vessel to the elevated reaction temperature; and (e) clamping the temperature of the contents of the vessel for a reaction time during continued electromagnetic radiation by means of changes of state of the thermochromic material for a reaction time to keep the temperature of the vessel contents close to the elevated reaction temperature. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification