Patent ID: 8685717

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an assembly comprising a sample block configured to receive a microtiter tray comprising a plurality of vials, each vial comprising a cap having a surface and a perimeter; and a cover for applying a predetermined temperature to upper portions of a plurality of vials received in the sample block, the cover comprising a platen, vertically and horizontally displaceable in relationship to the sample block, the platen having a plurality of recesses, each recess corresponding to a respective vial, wherein each recess is shaped and arranged to clear the surface of its respective cap when the cover is displaced onto the sample block, a skirt in contact with and surrounding a perimeter of the platen, the skirt being configured for mating with a perimeter of a microtiter tray to contact a microtiter tray when a microtiter tray is received in the sample block, the skirt being configured such that the cover contacts a microtiter tray when a microtiter tray is received in the sample block, and a heater capable of maintaining the platen at the predetermined temperature.