Patent ID: 9588069
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: B01L,G01N

Claim:
1. A method for performing a thermal melt analysis on the contents of a receptacle contained within a thermal melt analysis module, the method comprising the steps of: (a) bringing a receptacle into thermal contact with a thermal block contained within the thermal melt analysis module, wherein the contents of the receptacle are at an initial temperature that is lower than the temperature of the thermal block when the receptacle is brought into thermal contact with the thermal block; (b) allowing the receptacle to dwell in thermal contact with the thermal block for a predetermined dwell period so that the temperature of the contents of the receptacle increases from the initial temperature to a temperature that is higher than the initial temperature; (c) during step (b), periodically measuring an optical signal emitted from the contents of the receptacle as the temperature of the contents of the receptacle increases; (d) detecting a change, if any, in the measured optical signal during step (c); and (e) removing the receptacle from the thermal melt analysis module, wherein the thermal block is maintained at a steady-state temperature during steps (a)-(d).