Patent ID: 8337753

Claim:
An incubator for receiving at least one reaction receptacle and maintaining the contents of the reaction receptacle in a temperature controlled environment, said incubator comprising: a housing defining an incubation chamber therein; a heat source in thermal communication with said incubation chamber; a receptacle carrier carousel rotatably disposed within said housing and comprising a plurality of receptacle holding stations arranged circumferentially thereabout, each receptacle holding station being configured to carry a reaction receptacle therein and to permit the reaction receptacle carried thereby to more horizontally within said receptacle holding station with respect to said receptacle carrier carousel; and a receptacle mixing mechanism positioned adjacent to said receptacle carrier carousel, wherein said receptacle carrier carrousel is configured to sequentially place a reaction receptacle carried in each receptacle holding station in an operative position with respect to said receptacle mixing mechanism by rotation of said receptacle carrier carousel, and wherein said receptacle mixing mechanism is constructed and arranged to engage a reaction receptacle placed in an operative position with respect to said receptacle mixing mechanism by said receptacle carrier carousel and to agitate the engaged reaction receptacle by moving the reaction receptacle with respect to the receptacle carrier carousel and within the receptacle holding station in a generally horizontal, reciprocating path.