US 12,036,560 B2
Thermal cycler and real-time PCR device including same
Hayato Shimizu, Tokyo (JP); Toshiki Yamagata, Tokyo (JP); Yoko Makino, Tokyo (JP); and Nobutaka Kumazaki, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/269,677
Filed by HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 28, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/036250
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/065917, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0237089 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 7/52 (2013.01) [B01L 2300/1822 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal cycler comprising:
a reaction vessel containing a volume of a sample solution;
a support block supporting the reaction vessel;
a Peltier element having a rectangular planar surface thermally connected to the support block and configured to adjust a temperature of the sample solution contained in the reaction vessel by heating/cooling the support block;
a temperature sensor connected to the support block and configured to measure a temperature of the support block; and
a temperature adjusting unit connected to the temperature sensor comprising:
a driver power supply connected to the Peltier element and
a cycle controller connected to the driver power supply and for executing a program stored on a recording medium that controls a current and a voltage supplied to the Peltier element by the power driver supply based on the temperature of the support block measured by the temperature sensor,
wherein the reaction vessel has a conical portion which opens at a first end of the reaction vessel and tapers toward a second end of the reaction vessel, the planar surface of the Peltier element is parallel to a generatrix of the conical portion of the reaction vessel, and
wherein the support block supports the reaction vessel such that a center of gravity of the volume of the sample solution stored in the reaction vessel is arranged on a line passing through a center of and orthogonal to the rectangular planar surface of the Peltier element, and the reaction vessel is positioned such that a center line of the conical portion is vertical with respect to a surface of the sample solution contained in the reaction vessel.