Patent ID: 8900854
Filing Date: 2014-12-02
Classification: B01L,C12Q,F28D,F28F

Abstract:
1. A liquid reflux reaction control device comprising: a plurality of liquid reservoir tanks provided with a temperature-controllable heat source for maintaining liquids of predetermined temperatures; a heat exchange vessel provided in contact with a reaction vessel so as to conduct heat to the reaction vessel, and comprising an inlet and an outlet respectively for introducing and discharging a liquid of a predetermined temperature; a tubular flow channel that connects the inlet and the outlet of the heat exchange vessel with each of the plurality of the liquid reservoir tanks; a pump configured to circulate the liquid between the heat exchange vessel and each of the plurality of the liquid reservoir tanks; wherein the reaction vessel has one or more wells configured to accommodate a sample solution and is detachably arranged on the heat exchange vessel, and the liquid of the predetermined temperature in the heat exchange vessel contacts with the bottom surface of the reaction vessel directly or through a membrane; a switching mechanism configured to switch, at a predetermined time interval, between (i) liquid of the predetermined temperature from one of the plurality of the liquid reservoir tanks, wherein the liquid in (i) is introduced into and discharged from the heat exchange vessel through one pair of inlet and the outlet and contacts with the bottom surface of the reaction vessel, and (ii) liquid of another predetermined temperature from another one of the plurality of liquid reservoir tanks, wherein the liquid in (ii) is introduced into and discharged from the heat exchange vessel through another pair of the inlet and the outlet and contacts with the bottom surface of the reaction vessel while preventing each of the liquids in (i) and (ii) from mixing together in the heat exchange vessel, wherein wherein the switching mechanism comprises: (I) a switching valve disposed at each of the inlet and the outlet, wherein the one pair of the inlet and the outlet is open, and alternately the other pair of the inlet and the outlet is closed to switch between the liquids while preventing each of the liquids from mixing together in the heat exchange vessel; (II) a slide piston valve comprising a heat exchange vessel and a piston which is inserted in the heat exchange vessel and capable of occluding an opening when the reaction vessel is displaced from the heat exchange vessel; (III) a heat exchange vessel having a cylindrical inner space, a rotary valve comprised of an oval plate defining the inner space in two parts, being inserted in the heat exchange vessel and rotatable around an axis that is generally perpendicular to the circular cross-section of the heat exchange vessel and a rod inserted in the heat exchange vessel generally perpendicularly to the circular cross-section of the heat exchange vessel and connected to the rotary valve and functioning as a rotating axis, wherein the liquids of the predetermined temperatures are introduced into and discharged from each of the divided inner spaces through the one pair of the inlet and the outlet and the other pair of the inlet and the outlet, respectively, such that the liquid which contacts with the bottom surface of the reaction vessel is replaced by the rotary valve by rotating the rotating axis; (IV) a heat exchange vessel and a membrane arranged to divide the inner space of the heat exchange vessel in two parts such that the liquid introduced into and discharged from the heat exchange vessel through the pair of the inlet and the outlet does not mix with the liquid introduced into and discharged from the heat exchange vessel through the other pair of the inlet and the outlet; or (V) a cylindrical rotor that is rotatably inserted into the heat exchange vessel, wherein said rotor comprises a plurality of grooves formed in its outer surface as flow channels for the liquid delivered from the liquid reservoir tank, and a tunnel-like flow channel connected to each of the grooves to allow fluid communication, wherein both ends of the tunnel-like flow channel serve as an inlet or an outlet of the switching mechanism, and wherein rotation of the rotor allows liquids at different temperatures to be introduced into the inlet to make contact with exterior of the reaction vessel upon passing the groove part.