Thermal cycler for PCR including temperature control bladder
Methods and devices for performing chemical reactions under controlled temperature are described. In one embodiment, the devices provided by the invention comprise a housing dimensioned to hold a reaction chamber disposed within an interior volume of the housing. The reaction chamber has thermally conductive interior and exterior surfaces defining an internal volume therein at a first temperature. The device also includes at least one temperature-control substance at a second temperature received into said bladder and expels said temperature-control substance, the bladder expands to about substantially at least a portion of said exterior surfaces of said reaction chamber to enable thermal exchange between said temperature-control substance and the said internal volume of reaction chamber.
1. A method for performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), comprising:
providing a reaction chamber having thermally conductive interior and exterior surfaces defining an internal volume within said reaction chamber, said interior volume being at a first temperature;
providing a pair of thermally conductive temperature-control bladders, said pair of bladders being positioned in a substantially opposing arrangement with respect to each other and being configured to receive a temperature-control substance at a second temperature into said pair of bladders and expel said temperature-control substance from said pair of bladders; and wherein said pair of bladders being further configured such that upon receiving said temperature-control substance said pair of bladders expand to abut substantially at least a portion of said exterior surfaces of said reaction chamber to enable thermal exchange between said temperature-control substance and said internal volume of reaction chamber;
introducing said temperature-control substance under conditions effective to cause an expansion of said pair of bladders to bring said pair of bladders into substantially abutting said at least a portion of said exterior surfaces of said reaction chamber to enable thermal exchange between said temperature-control substance and said internal volume of reaction chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining said expansion of said bladder to maintain said thermal exchange for a period sufficient to change the temperature of said internal volume of said reaction chamber from said first temperature to at least a third temperature intermediate said first temperature and said second temperature.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said third temperature is substantially equal to said second temperature.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing a substance into said internal volume of said reaction chamber.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising maintaining said expansion of said bladder for a period sufficient to change the temperature of said substance to a third temperature intermediate said first temperature and said second temperature.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said third temperature is substantially equal to said second temperature.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said substance comprises a mixture of PCR reactants, and said third temperature is effective to induce a PCR reaction.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising withdrawing said temperature-control substance from said pair of bladders to cause thereby said bladder to contract from said exterior wall of said reaction chamber.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising allowing said interior volume of said reaction chamber to return to a fourth temperature substantially equal to said first temperature.
10. A method for performing PCR, comprising:
providing a reaction chamber having thermally conductive interior and exterior surfaces defining an internal volume within said reaction chamber, said interior volume being at a first temperature; and at least one thermally conductive temperature-control bladder proximal to said reaction chamber, said bladder being configured to receive a temperature-control substance at a second temperature into said bladder and expel said temperature-control substance from said bladder; and said bladder being further configured such that upon receiving said temperature-control substance said bladder expands to abut substantially at least a portion of said exterior surfaces of said reaction chamber to enable thermal exchange between said temperature-control substance and said internal volume of reaction chamber;
introducing said temperature-control substance under conditions effective to cause an expansion of said bladder to bring said bladder into substantially abutting said at least a portion of said exterior surfaces of said reaction chamber to enable thermal exchange between said temperature-control substance and said internal volume of reaction chamber.
11. The method of claim 10 , father comprising maintaining said expansion of said bladder to maintain said thermal exchange for a period sufficient to change the temperature of said internal volume of said reaction chamber from said first temperature to at least a third temperature intermediate said first temperature and said second temperature.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said third temperature is substantially equal to said second temperature.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising introducing a substance into said internal volume of said reaction chamber.
14. The method of claim 13 , father comprising maintaining said expansion of said bladder for a period sufficient to change the temperature of said substance to a third temperature intermediate said first temperature and said second temperature.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said third temperature is substantially equal to said second temperature.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said substance comprises a mixture of PCR reactants, and said third temperature is effective to induce a PCR reaction.
17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising withdrawing said temperature-control substance from said bladder to cause thereby said bladder to contract from said exterior wall of said reaction chamber.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said contraction is effect to reduce said thermal exchange between said temperature control fluid and said exterior wall of said reaction chamber.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising allowing said interior volume of said reaction chamber to return to a fourth temperature substantially equal to said first temperature.