Device for heating an object by means of a water bath

• US 8,642,930 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfm Medical AG
• Original Assignee: Pfm Medical AG
• Inventors: Kraus, Steffen, Schneider, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US12/988,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20110031232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/438
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/14 Process control and prevention of errors
• 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 7/02 Water baths; Sand baths; Air baths
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/185 using electric energy supply F24H1/201 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for heating an object by means of a water bath, in particular for strips of pathological or histological sections, before a microscopic examination, comprising a housing (1) and a trough (2) inserted in the housing (1), wherein the water bath is heated by means of an electrical heater, characterized in that the electrical heater comprises at least one hotplate (4) provided on the base (3) of the trough (2).

Claims

1. A device for heating strips of pathologic and histologic sections with a water bath before microscopic examination, said device comprising:

a housing and a basin inserted in the housing, the water bath being temperature-controlled by means of electric heating,

wherein the electric heating includes at least one heating plate located proximate a bottom of the basin, and wherein a stipulated water temperature can be controlled,

wherein the basin has a support surface at least partially enclosing the basin for positioning of samples,

wherein the support surface is heated, and

wherein heating of the support surface is activatable and controllable independently of heating of a bottom area.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electric heating includes at least two or more heating plates.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the heating plates can be activated together.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating plate comprises the bottom of the basin.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating plate is connected to the bottom of the basin or to the basin from the bottom.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the heating plate is glued with an adhesive with high heat conductivity.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein side walls of the basin are provided with heating elements.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the heating elements are heating plates, heating tubes or heating cables.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the basin is made with a thickness in the range of about 1 mm in a bottom area.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is made as a monolithic block.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the housing is made from an aluminum block.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein a surface of the housing is brightly anodized.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the basin is made from aluminum.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein a surface of the basin is darkly anodized.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surface completely encloses the basin.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surface has a width in the range from 30 mm to 70 mm.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support surface is bounded by a continuous outer edge, raised relative to the support surface.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the support surface or the outer edge has a marking for the position of a discharge/drain.

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein the basin is equipped with an optical and/or electric or electronic water level display.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a front view surface with a display and operating elements.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the operating elements are integrated in the display, and wherein the display is designed as a touch panel.

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein electronics for temperature control are provided in the housing.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the temperature control is laid out, so that the water bath has reached a set operating temperature in the range from 40°

C. to 45°

C., already after about 2 to 5 minutes in which case individual adjustment and/or change of the operating temperature is possible.

24. The device according to claim 22, wherein the electronics includes an emergency off function, which deactivates heating on falling below a stipulated lower water level in the.

25. The device according to claim 1, wherein the basin is inserted into the housing and fastened there.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the basin is screwed to the housing from the bottom.

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein a bottom cover to close the housing on the bottom is provided.

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein the basin is equipped with alternately activatable illumination with underwater illumination.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the illumination includes at least one diode as an illumination device.

30. The device according to claim 28, wherein illumination includes two diodes, switchable independently from each other.

31. The device according to claim 28, wherein illumination is designed as RGB illumination with adjustable colors or adjustable wavelength.

32. The device according to claim 28, wherein illumination is performed in sides of the basin.