Patent ID: 6191398
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: B01L

Abstract:
A dry bath comprising:a heat conductive block having a plurality of bores adapted to receive tubes containing samples of material;a heater mounted in heat transfer relation to the heat conductive block and operative when energized to add heat to the heat conductive block;a temperature sensor mounted in heat transfer relation to the heat conductive block for sensing the temperature of the heat conductive block; anda heat controller connected to the heater and the temperature sensor and executing a control cycle ofautomatically detecting a decrease in the temperature of the block in response to the tubes containing samples being placed in the block, wherein the samples in the tubes have a temperature less than the desired temperature;thereafter automatically heating the heat conductive block to a temperature greater than a desired temperature, thereby transferring more heat to the samples in the tubes than if the block were heated to only the desired temperature, andthereafter automatically reducing the heat being applied to the block while heat continues to transfer from the block to the samples such that the block and samples simultaneously reach, and are maintained at, the desired temperature, the samples being heated to the desired temperature more quickly than if the block was maintained at the desired temperature.