Patent ID: 7238321

Claim:
A thermal cycler for amplifying a nucleic acid comprising: a housing comprising a chamber; a port in said housing for receiving at least one polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sample holder in said chamber; a heating assembly for heating a sample comprising a nucleic acid contained in said sample holder, wherein said heating assembly is in thermal communication with said PCR sample holder when said sample holder is present in said chamber; a cooling assembly for cooling said sample, wherein said cooling assembly is in thermal communication with said PCR sample holder when said PCR sample holder is present in said chamber; and a controller programmed to control said heating and said cooling assemblies to cycle said sample holder and said sample through a predetermined temperature cycle corresponding to the denaturation, annealing and elongation steps of a polymerase chain reaction within a time range of 30-60 seconds; wherein said PCR sample holder has a thermal mass which provides for completing said cycle of said polymerase chain reaction within said time range.