Patent ID: 8596340

Claim:
A heat sink for heating a liquid sample, said heat sink comprising: (a) a heater block made of metal; (b) a basin in said heater block for receiving said sample and allowing heat to be transmitted from said heater block to said sample, said basin having an opening at an upper surface of said heater block through which said sample may be introduced; (c) a drain at the lower end of said basin, said drain being of reduced diameter relative to said basin, said basin being shaped to direct flow of said sample from said basin into and downward through said drain; (d) a passageway extending through said heater block from said drain to an exterior surface of said heater block, said passageway providing a conduit through said heater block for said sample flowing from said drain; (e) a cavity in said heater block adapted to receive a heating element, (f) a cavity in said heater block adapted to receive a sensor for measuring the temperature of said sample in said basin; and (g) a cavity in said heater block adapted to receive a sensor for measuring the temperature of said heater block.