Low-Mass Thermal Cycling Block
An apparatus and method for rapid thermal cycling including a thermal block manufactured by metal-injection molding (MIM). The thermal cycling of a biological product can be more rapidly achieved by including a MIM thermal block with a thermoelectric module thermally coupled to the thermal block, a heat sink thermally coupled to the thermoelectric module, and a resistive heater thermally coupled to the thermal block.
1 . An apparatus for thermally cycling biological samples, the apparatus comprising:
a thermal block for receiving the biological samples;
a thermoelectric module thermally coupled to the thermal block; and
a heat sink, wherein said heat sink is thermally coupled to the thermoelectric module,
wherein the thermal block is produced by MIM.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal block comprises several block segments.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal block comprises at least one of copper, silver, aluminum, and gold.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal block is adapted to provide substantial temperature uniformity throughout an array of biological samples contained in an array of sample wells.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a resistive heater, wherein the thermal block provides substantial temperature uniformity by distributing heat provided by the resistive heater.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the thermal block provides substantial temperature uniformity by distributing heat provided by the thermoelectric module.
7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the thermal block provides substantial temperature uniformity by removing heat pumped out by the thermoelectric module.
8 . A method for thermally cycling biological sample, the method comprising:
providing a thermal block, wherein the thermal block is produced by MIM process;
heating the thermal block; and
cooling the thermal block;
wherein the heating and cooling provide substantial temperature uniformity throughout a plurality of biological samples contained in a plurality of sample wells.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein heating comprises providing heat from a resistive heater.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein cooling comprises pumping heat out with the thermoelectric module.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein heating further comprises providing heat from a thermoelectric module.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein cooling comprises spinning the block to provide convective dissipation of heat to the environment.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein cooling comprises providing forced gas and contacting the forced gas with the thermal block.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising cooling the forced gas below ambient temperature.
15 . An apparatus for thermally cycling biological samples, the apparatus comprising:
means for receiving the biological samples;
means for heating the biological samples; and
means for cooling the biological samples,
wherein the heating and cooling provide substantial temperature uniformity throughout a plurality of biological samples contained in a plurality of sample wells,
wherein means for receiving the biological samples is produced by MIM.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for receiving the biological samples is a thermal block produced by MIM that cannot be produced by machining the thermal block from a solid piece of metal.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal block has a thickness, wherein the thickness cannot be uniformly machined such that every one of the plurality of sample wells is surrounded by portions of the thermal block having similar thickness.
18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the MIM provides rounded surfaces for contacting the sample wells and rounded exterior surfaces with a flat bottom.
19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the MIM provides more than one exterior surface for rigidity and removes interior material other than rounded surfaces for contacting the sample wells.
20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the MIM provides portions of the means for receiving the biological samples.