Patent ID: 8381641

Claim:
A thermal insert for use with a temperature-controlled tray, the thermal insert being configured to provide temperature control to a vessel placed inside the thermal insert and having a height greater than the depth of the temperature-controlled tray, the thermal insert comprising: a thermally-conductive tube having an interior volume for receiving the vessel, the tube having an interior cross sectional shape that conforms to and which is larger than the exterior shape of the vessel, the tube capable of being oriented upright in a temperature-controlled tray comprising four solid, substantially planar, substantially rectangular-shaped thermally-conductive side walls extending upwardly from a solid, substantially planar, substantially rectangular-shaped and substantially horizontal thermally-conductive bottom, the side walls and bottom defining a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped volume having an open top, the tray side walls having a height, the tray having a depth defined by the side wall height, such that when said thermally-conductive tube is upright, the thermally conductive tube extends above the open top but has a height less than the height of the vessel the temperature of which is to be controlled, the thermally-conductive tube being sized, shaped and arranged in the tray to transfer thermal energy between, the vessel and the temperature-controlled tray.