Patent ID: 9604219
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B01L

Claim:
1. A thermal cycler designed to subject a plurality of samples to a temperature cycling regime, said cycler comprising: a sample holder having a first upper surface and a second lower heat transfer surface defined by a flange protruding outwardly from the sample holder, the flange having at least one cavity formed in an upper surface thereof, said first upper surface exhibiting a planar sample-receiving surface comprising a plurality of sample recesses arrayed in a grid and formed in the sample-receiving surface so as to extend below the sample receiving surface, with the sample receiving surface and the sample holder being continuous between the plurality of sample recesses, the grid of sample recesses having a pitch of 9 mm, 4.5 mm or 2.25 mm for holding a plurality of samples, the number of sample recesses in a first dimension of the sample holder being 8 for 9 mm pitch, 16 for 4.5 mm pitch and 32 for 2.25 mm pitch, and the number of sample recesses in a second dimension perpendicular to said first dimension of the sample holder corresponding to a submultiple of 12 for 9 mm pitch, 24 for 4.5 mm pitch and 48 for 2.25 mm pitch so as to define a fraction, at least one device to automatically control heating and cooling of the sample holder, said device being thermally coupled to the heat transfer surface of the sample holder, and a heat sink having an upper heat transfer surface, said heat sink heat transfer surface being thermally coupled to the device, wherein the sample holder is shaped such that the area of the heat transfer surface is larger than the area of the sample-receiving surface.