AUTOMATABLE TEMPERATURE-CONTROL APPARATUS

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for controlling the temperature of a sample carrier (2), and to an automatable laboratory workplace comprising an apparatus (1) according to the invention. The apparatus comprises a heating device (2) having a heater (3) and a movable heating cover (6), which is arranged over the receiving region of the heater (3) and is designed to press the sample carrier (4) in a heating position (H) into the receiving region (3a) of the heater (3) with a predefinable contact pressure, and a transport device (8), which is designed to introduce the sample carrier (3) into the apparatus (1) from an insertion position (E) outside the apparatus (1). According to the invention, the transport device (8) comprises a loading unit (9), which comprises a receiving unit (10) for receiving the sample carrier (4) and is movable between an insertion position (E) and an intermediate position (Z), in which the sample carrier (4) is situated inside the apparatus (1) and above the receiving region (3a) of the heater (3). The transport device (8) is arranged and/or designed in such a way that at least the sample carrier (4) is movable from the intermediate position (Z) into the heating position (H) by means of a movement of the heating cover (6). In addition, the transport device (8) comprises at least one return element (11), which is designed to move at least the sample carrier (4) from the heating position (H) back into the intermediate position (Z).

Claims

1. Apparatus (1) for controlling the temperature of a sample carrier (4), comprising: a heating device (2) having a heating element (3) which has a receiving region (3a) for receiving the sample carrier (4), and a movable heating cover (6) which is arranged above the receiving region of the heating element (3) and is designed to press the sample carrier (4) in a heating position (H) with a predefinable contact pressure into the receiving region (3a) of the heating element (3), and a transport device (8), which is designed to introduce the sample carrier (4) into the apparatus (1) from an insertion position (E) outside of the device (1), characterized in that the transport device (8) comprises a loading unit (9), which loading unit (9) has a receiving unit (10) for receiving the sample carrier (3) and is movable between the insertion position (E) and an intermediate position (Z) in which the sample carrier (4) is located inside the apparatus (1) and above the receiving region (3a) of the heating element (3), wherein the transport device (8) is arranged and/or designed in such a way that at least the sample carrier (4) can be moved from the intermediate position (Z) into the heating position (H) by means of a movement of the heating cover (6), and wherein the transport device (8) has at least one return element (11), which is designed to move at least the sample carrier (4) back from the heating position (H) to the intermediate position (Z).

2. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, wherein the heating cover (6) is movable back and forth between a rest position (R) and the heating position (H), especially along a vertical axis.

3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the loading unit (9) is designed to carry out a movement along a horizontal axis between the insertion position (E) and the intermediate position (Z).

4. Apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one movement device (7) for moving the heating cover (3).

5. Apparatus (1) according to claim 4, wherein the movement device (7) comprises a motor, especially an electric motor, for example a servo motor or stepper motor.

6. Apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the return element (11) comprises at least one magnet.

7. Apparatus (1) according to at least one of claims 1-5, wherein the return element (11) comprises at least one resilient element (11a-11d, especially at least one mechanical spring.

8. Apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one resilient element (11a-11d) is deflected from the intermediate position (Z) into the heating position (H) by vertical movement of at least the sample carrier (4) in such a way that a predefinable restoring force is exerted by the resilient element (11a-11d) at least on the sample carrier (4).

9. Apparatus (1) according to claim 8, wherein at least the sample carrier (4) can be moved from the heating position (H) into the intermediate position (Z) by means of the restoring force exerted by the resilient element (11a-11d).

10. Apparatus (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the resilient element (11a-11d) is designed in such a way that the restoring force is at least twice as great as an adhesive force which acts between the heating element (3) and the sample carrier (4) after the temperature control of the sample carrier (4).

11. Apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, comprising a detection unit (12) for detecting the presence of a sample carrier (3) in the apparatus (1), especially in the loading unit (8).

12. Apparatus (1) according to claim 11, wherein the detection unit (12) comprises a position switch (13), especially a position limit switch.

13. Apparatus (1) according to claim 12, wherein the position switch (13) is designed and arranged in such a way that a change in the vertical position of at least the sample carrier (4) can be detected.

14. Apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus (1) is a thermocycler, a real-time thermocycler, a thermoshaker, a microtiter plate reader, or an incubator.

15. Automated laboratory workplace comprising an apparatus (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims.

Description

[0032] The invention and its advantageous embodiments are explained in further detail with reference to the following figures. Shown are:

[0033] FIG. 1: a schematic drawing of a temperature control apparatus in the form of a thermocycler,

[0034] FIG. 2: two perspective views of a transport device according to the invention, wherein the loading unit is (a) in the insertion position and (b) in the intermediate position, and

[0035] FIG. 3: three sectional views of an apparatus according to the invention comprising a detection unit for detecting the presence of a sample carrier, wherein a sample carrier is present in each case in FIGS. 3a and 3b, while in FIG. 3c the sample carrier is missing.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a temperature control apparatus 1 in the form of a thermocycler. The apparatus comprises a heating device 2 in the form of a so-called lid heater comprising a heating element 3 and a movable heating cover 6. The heating element 3 has a receiving region 3a for receiving a sample carrier 4. The sample carrier 4 is designed here in the form of a microtiter plate with a plurality of cavities 5 for receiving a plurality of samples. The apparatus 1 furthermore has a movement device 7 which is designed to move the heating cover 6 back and forth between a rest position R and a heating position H. For the embodiment shown here, the apparatus 1 moves the heating cover 6 along a vertical axis relative to a longitudinal axis.

[0037] The apparatus 1 furthermore has a transport device 8 by means of which the sample carrier can be transferred from an insertion position E outside of the apparatus 1 into the apparatus 1.

[0038] A preferred embodiment of a transport device 8 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 2. The transport device 8 comprises a loading unit 9, which is shown in FIG. 2a in an insertion position E, in which the sample carrier is arranged outside of the apparatus 1, and in FIG. 2b in an intermediate position Z, in which the sample carrier 4 is arranged within the apparatus. The loading unit 9 comprises a receiving unit 10 for receiving the sample carrier. The movement from the insertion position E into the intermediate position Z takes place along a horizontal axis. To carry out the movement, the loading unit 9 can have a further movement device (not shown separately here).

[0039] The transport device 8 furthermore has a return element 11 which, for the present exemplary embodiment, comprises four resilient elements 11a-11d in the form of mechanical springs. In the intermediate position Z, the sample carrier is arranged between the heating cover 6 and the heating element 3 such that the sample carrier 4, the heating cover and the receiving region 3a of the heating element 3 are aligned with one another.

[0040] The movement sequences imparted by the transport device 8 are further illustrated in FIG. 3. After the transfer of the sample carrier 4 into the intermediate position Z, a movement of at least the sample carrier 4 from the intermediate position Z into the heating position H is imparted by means of a movement of the heating cover 6. In the present case, not only the sample carrier 4 is moved by the heating cover 6, but also the loading unit 9. Only one base plate 8a of the transport device 8, to which various components of the transport device 8 are fastened, remains in its original position relative to the apparatus 1.

[0041] In FIG. 3a the sample carrier 4 is located in the intermediate position Z in the receiving unit 10 of the loading unit 9. The heating cover 6 is in the rest position R.

[0042] The apparatus 1 further comprises a detection unit 12 for detecting the presence of a sample carrier 4 in the apparatus 1. The detection unit 12 has a position limit switch 13 for the example shown here. This position limit switch is designed to detect a movement of the sample carrier 4 from the intermediate position Z into the heating position H. For this purpose, a projection 14 is attached to one of the resilient elements 11a, the position of which can be detected by the position limit switch 13.

[0043] In FIG. 3b the sample carrier 4 and the heating cover 6 are in the heating position H. The transfer into the heating position H is effected by a vertical movement of the heating cover 6 imparted by the movement device 7. As already mentioned, for the exemplary embodiment shown here, the entire transport device 8 is moved by the movement of the heating cover 6. This results in a deflection A of the resilient elements 11a-11d from their rest position. The deflection A from the rest position of the springs 11a-11d in turn leads to a change in the position of the projection 14 which is detected by the position limit switch 13. In other words: If a vertical movement of the heating cover leads to a change in the position of the projection 14, a sample carrier 4 is located in the apparatus 1.

[0044] On the other hand, if there is no sample carrier 4 in the apparatus 1, a change in the position of the projection 14 does not occur at a point in time at which the heating cover 6 reaches a predefinable area around the intermediate position, as illustrated in FIG. 3c. Thus, if no change in position of the projection 14 is detected when the intermediate position Z is traversed by the heating cover, then there is no sample carrier 4 in the apparatus.

[0045] When the heating cover 6 is moved by means of the movement device 7 from the heating position H back into the rest position R, the transport device 8 is also moved back into the intermediate position Z. However, the vertical return movement of the transport device 8 into the intermediate position is brought about by the restoring force imparted by the springs 11a-11d. The transport device 8 in accordance with the present invention thus does not require any further, or separate, movement device for carrying out a vertical movement between the intermediate position Z and the heating position H.

[0046] The vertical movements of the heating cover 6, of the sample carrier, and any optical components such as are present, for example, in real-time thermocyclers, can be imparted by means of a single movement device 7 for moving the heating cover. The return movement of the sample carrier 4 or of the transport device 8 also results from the restoring force of the springs 11a-11d. The vertical movement of the transport unit 8 including the loading unit 9 can thus be accomplished solely by the integration of the return element 11.

[0047] It should be noted that, in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown here, numerous other variants which likewise fall under the present invention are conceivable for the transport device according to the invention. For example, the return element 11 may comprise at least one magnet, or more or less than four resilient elements. The detection unit 12 can also be embodied differently. It is only designed to allow conclusions to be drawn about the presence of a sample carrier 4 in the apparatus 1 on the basis of a vertical movement of the heating cover 6. In addition, the present invention is by no means limited to temperature control apparatus in the form of thermocyclers.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0048] 1 Temperature control apparatus

[0049] 2 Heating device

[0050] 3 Heating element

[0051] 3a Receiving region of the heating element

[0052] 4 Sample carrier

[0053] 5 Cavities in the sample carrier

[0054] 6 Heating cover

[0055] 7 Movement device for the heating lid

[0056] 8 Transport device

[0057] 8a Base plate

[0058] 9 Loading unit

[0059] 10 Receiving unit

[0060] 11 Return element

[0061] 11a-11d Resilient elements

[0062] 12 Detection unit

[0063] 13 Position limit switch

[0064] 14 Projection

[0065] H Heating position

[0066] Z Intermediate position

[0067] E Insertion position

[0068] A Deflection of the resilient elements