TEMPERATURE-REGULATING DEVICE FOR LABORATORY VESSELS

Abstract

A temperature-control device for receiving of laboratory vessels has a hollow housing with a temperature-control medium. The temperature-control device is thermally conditioned before use, and during use, the conditioned thermal energy is, in a finite time period, either absorbed from the laboratory vessels or transferred to same. The lower part of the housing has a base and the upper part of the housing has, opposite to said base, a receiving region which, in an upward direction, delimits the hollow internal region of the housing. In the receiving region, depressions directed inward serve as receivers for the laboratory vessels to be temperature-controlled. The hollow housing has an air space separated from the internal region. In the internal region, the temperature-control medium flows at least partially around and/or through a horizontally extending absorber element, and said absorber element is connected to the receiving region in thermally conductive manner.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A temperature-control device for laboratory vessels which is configured to be thermally conditioned in the absence of laboratory vessels before use and, during use, in a finite time period, to absorb the conditioned thermal energy from the laboratory vessels and/or to transfer said thermal energy to the laboratory vessels, comprising: a hollow housing which has an internal region at least substantially filled with a temperature-control medium, wherein the housing has a base on an underside and a receiving region situated opposite to the base on an upper side, the receiving region delimiting the internal region of the housing in an upward direction and wherein the housing has inwardly directed depressions on said upper side for receiving of laboratory vessels to be temperature-controlled, wherein the housing has an air space, wherein a horizontally extending absorber element is arranged in the internal region of the housing in a manner enabling the temperature-control medium to at least partially flow around and/or through the absorber element, and wherein the absorber element and the receiving region are connected in a thermally conductive manner

15. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the internal region of the housing is partitioned at least substantially parallel to the base and/or the air space is arranged on a side of the internal region that is opposite to the receiving region, and the temperature-control medium is located in a part of the internal region that is adjacent to the receiving region.

16. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein, at least one of: the internal region of the housing is filled with the temperature-control medium as far as the absorber element and a remaining part of the internal region comprises the air space, or the internal region of the housing is partitioned such that the temperature-control medium is present in a first internal region and the air space is present in a second internal region, a partition sealing the first and second internal regions from one another, the partition being flexible and made of an elastic material.

17. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the temperature-control medium has properties that enable a change of physical state at least to some extent from a solid phase to a liquid phase during absorption of thermal energy from the laboratory vessels and/or to change its physical state from a liquid phase to a solid phase during transfer of thermal energy to the laboratory vessels, and wherein the solid phase of the temperature-control medium has a different density than the liquid phase of the temperature-control medium, so that the solid phase floats or sinks in the liquid phase of the temperature-control medium and moves forcibly toward the absorber element.

18. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the temperature-control device is configured to increase the thermal energy of the receiving region with the inserted laboratory vessels via contact of the solid phase of the temperature-control medium with the absorber element and transfer of heat from the absorber element to the receiving region for the heating of the laboratory vessels or to reduce the thermal energy of the receiving region with the inserted laboratory vessels via contact of the solid phase of the temperature-control medium with the absorber element and transfer of heat from the receiving region to the absorber element for the cooling of the laboratory vessels.

19. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the absorber element is arranged spatially separated from the receiving region, wherein the absorber element comprises a plate and/or is connected to the receiving region by one or more thermally conductive spacer elements.

20. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the receiving region of the housing is a separate part and is formed of a material with a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/(m.Math.K), and wherein other parts of the housing are formed of a material with a thermal conductivity of at most 1 W/(m.Math.K).

21. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least at an underside of the absorber that faces toward the base, the absorber element is elastically deformable in a direction toward the receiving region and/or at least one spacer element holds the absorber element in a resilient manner on the receiving region.

22. The temperature-control device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the absorber element is a structured elastic molding, an underside of which faces toward the base, the molding being elastically deformable in a direction toward the receiving region, and wherein the underside of the absorber has a spring rate below 1 N/mm per mm.sup.2 of the absorber underside.

23. The temperature-control device of claim 14, wherein the temperature-control medium is water or an aqueous solution.

24. A temperature-control process for laboratory vessels, comprising the following steps: providing a temperature-control device with an internal region at least partially filled with a temperature-control medium and with a housing with a receiving region which upwardly delimits a hollow internal region of the housing in an upward direction, and with depressions directed inward on an upper side of the receiving region, thermal conditioning the temperature-control device before use in the absence of laboratory vessels, insertion of the laboratory vessels, absorption or transfer of conditioned thermal energy from the laboratory vessels or to the laboratory vessels in a finite time period, wherein the temperature-control medium at least partially flows around and/or through an absorber element which extends horizontally within the internal region of the housing, and which is connected to the receiving region in a thermally conductive manner.

25. The temperature-control process as claimed in claim 24, wherein the housing with the temperature-control medium is heated or cooled to produce a change in physical state of the temperature-control medium which is water or an aqueous solution.

26. The temperature-control process as claimed in claim 24, wherein the temperature-control medium is selected in a manner such that a solid phase of the temperature-control medium has a different density than a liquid phase of the temperature-control medium, so that the solid phase floats or sinks in the liquid phase of the temperature-control medium and moves forcibly toward the absorber element due to the different densities of the phases.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a temperature-control device of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a preferred form of design of the temperature-control device of FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a view of detail of an alternative preferred form of design of the temperature-control device of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a view of detail of an alternative preferred form of design of the temperature-control device of FIG. 1; and

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a diagram relating to temperature profiles of the temperature-control device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a temperature-control device 1 of the invention for receiving of laboratory vessels 2. Before use, i.e., in the absence of the laboratory vessels 2, the temperature-control device 1 is thermally conditioned, and for this purpose its temperature is controlled in a refrigerator or heating cabinet. During use, in a finite time period, the temperature-control device 1 either absorbs the conditioned thermal energy from the laboratory vessels 2 and the environment or dissipates said energy.

[0032] The temperature-control device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a hollow housing 3 at least partially filled with a temperature-control medium 4 in the internal region of the housing 3. The housing 3 is used as autonomous device in the laboratory, and to this end has, in use, in its lower part or on an underside, a base 3.2, and has, in its upper part or on an upper side, opposite to the base, a receiving region 3.1 which delimits the hollow internal region of the housing 3 in an upward direction.

[0033] Configured on the receiving region 3.1 are depressions 5 which are directed from above in the direction of the base 3.2 and inward, and which serve as receivers for the laboratory vessels 2 that are to be temperature-controlled. The base 3.2 can be dimensioned in SBS (Society of Biomolecular Screening) format, and the number of depressions 5 can be arranged in the SBS standard array: 12×8, 24×16, etc.

[0034] The temperature-control device 1 can, while standing on the base 3.2 or lying on the depressions 5, in each case before use of said device with laboratory vessels 2, be thermally conditioned, i.e., heated or cooled, in order to assume a certain temperature differing from the usage environment.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a temperature-control device 1 representing a design example. However, it is possible that, unlike in the depictions, the arrangement of the receiving region 3.1 on the housing 3 is releasable, in particular from above. The housing 3 can, as depicted, cover intervening spaces around the depressions 5. It is possible that, unlike in the depictions, this part is designed to be separate from the housing 3. It is likewise possible that, unlike in the depictions, the arrangement of the receiving region 3.1 of the housing 3 is releasable from above.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the temperature-control device 1 of the invention with the hollow housing 3 which has an air space 6 separated from the internal region that accepts or comprises the temperature-control medium 4. The partitioning of the internal region runs at least substantially parallel to the base 3.2, on which in particular the device can rest. Unlike in the design in FIG. 1, the air space 6 is arranged opposite to the receiving region 3.1, and is a part of the internal region. The remaining part of the internal region, adjacent to the receiving region 3.1, accepts the temperature-control medium 4. Heat transfer therefore also takes place directly between temperature-control medium 4 and the receiving region 3.1.

[0037] In an advantageous design, arranged between the hollow internal regions or the base 3.2 and the housing 3 is a partition 3.3 which seals the two internal regions from one another and is flexible. The partition 3.3 can also be arranged within other parts of the housing 3. The design in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the base 3.2 comprises one part of the hollow internal region, is an advantageous design in this respect.

[0038] In the design in FIG. 2, the base 3.2 has a hole 3.4 through which air passes into and/or out of the air space 6. Alternatively, the air space 6 is a leak-proof enclosure, and pressure change therein can be utilized to move the temperature-control medium 4 forcibly toward the receiving region 3.1.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the temperature-control medium 4 substantially completely filling that internal region of the housing 3 that is adjacent to the receiving region 3.1; although this is desirable in practice it is however mostly not completely possible. When temperature-control medium 4 is charged to the internal region, which is then closed by the partition 3.3, there can still be air concomitantly included. The internal region is therefore filled completely with temperature-control medium 4 or filled partially with temperature-control medium 4 and with air. The closer and more direct the contact between the temperature-control medium 4 and the receiving region 3.1, the better the thermal connection achieved by same. Heat transfer can therefore be increased by reducing the separation of the temperature-control media 4 from the receiving region 3.1 and by reducing the number of intermediate elements transferring the heat. The ideal situation here is direct contact between temperature-control medium 4 and receiving region 3.1. Preference is therefore given to filling of the greatest possible part of the internal region adjacent to the receiving region 3.1 with temperature-control medium 4. The predominant part of the internal region that adjoins the receiving region 3.1 is therefore preferably filled with temperature-control medium 4. In particular, the volume of the temperature-control medium in that part of the internal region that adjoins the receiving region 3.1 is greater than the volume of the air present there.

[0040] The temperature-control device 1 in FIG. 2 has, in the hollow housing 3, an absorber element 7 which is designed as plate and which extends horizontally in the housing 3. The arrangement of the absorber element 7 here in relation to the receiving region 3.1 and housing 3 with spatial separation, and the quantity of the temperature-control medium 4, are selected in a manner such that the temperature-control medium 4 at least partially flows around the absorber element 7, i.e. that the absorber element 7 has contact with the temperature-controlled temperature-control medium 4 and/or is immersed therein.

[0041] The absorber element 7 can have one or more apertures 7.1 which permit through-flow of air bubbles and, with appropriate size of the aperture 7.1 and appropriate viscosity of the temperature-control medium 4, at least partial flow of the temperature-control medium 4 through the absorber element 7.

[0042] The absorber element 7 is connected to the receiving region 3.1 in a manner that provides good thermal conductivity for the transfer of thermal energy, and thus transfers the temperature of the temperature-control medium 4 to the laboratory vessels 2.

[0043] The temperature-control device 1 of the invention is exposed, before use thereof, to the desired temperature for a sufficient time. The housing with the temperature-control medium 4 of the temperature-control device 1 is heated or cooled, in accordance with the temperature range required by the substances in the laboratory vessels 2.

[0044] The temperature-control medium 4 used in the housing 3 changes its physical state during heating or cooling. During cooling, the temperature-control medium 4 freezes, and during heating it melts. The energy of the phase change (by way of example, in the case of water: 333.4 kJ/kg at 0° C.) is effectively utilized here.

[0045] Low-cost temperature-control medium 4 preferably used for the cooling of the laboratory vessels 2 is water, an aqueous solution, a glycol/water mixture and/or a gel material, in particular an aqueous carboxymethylcellulose gel. Alternatively, before the heating of laboratory vessels 2 or for keeping these at a temperature above ambient temperature, a mixture of cyclodextrin and 4-methylpyridine is used as temperature-control medium 4. It is also possible to use a polymer solution made of a plurality of soluble substances with different phase temperatures and with a concentration-dependent miscibility gap, for example, a phenol/water mixture.

[0046] The temperature-control device 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is alternatively used for the heating of laboratory vessels 2 between 30° C. and 45° C. To this end, the abovementioned mixture of cyclodextrin and 4-methylpyridine is charged to the housing 3. The temperature-control device 1 is conditioned at about 50° C. or above. The size of the absorber element 7 here in the internal region of the housing 3 is greater than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or 2.

[0047] The temperature-control device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is particularly designed for temperature-control medium 4, which has a lower density in its solid phase than in its liquid phase. When this type of temperature-control medium 4, on melting, has already to some extent resumed its liquid state, but to some extent remains in the solid state, the solid state floats and moves forcibly toward the absorber element 7.

[0048] In the design in FIG. 2, the still-solid temperature-control medium 4 also moves forcibly toward the receiving region 3.1. The contact of the solid temperature-control medium 4 with the absorber element 7 and optionally also with the receiving region 3.1 causes areal melting of the temperature-control medium 4. The absorber element 7, the temperature of which has thus been changed, conducts the heat from the receiving region 3.1 with the inserted laboratory vessels 2 to the temperature-control medium 4, and increases the thermal energy thereof, or vice versa. In particular, here, the frozen state of the temperature-control medium 4 in the volume enclosed by the housing 3 and by the receiving region 3.1 is fully utilized. The laboratory vessels 2 can be cooled or heated over a long period.

[0049] The effectiveness of the design of the invention in FIG. 1 or 2 in comparison with a design without an absorber element 7 is shown by FIG. 5, with the respective profile for a water-cooled housing 3 of both designs, measured in their respective depressions 5. The temperature profile “A” corresponds to the design without absorber element, and “B” corresponds to the design of the invention in FIG. 1 or 2. The temperature is kept below the limit of 7° C. for twice as long in the case of “B” as in “A”. Other temperature-control media 4 provide a different temperature limit and temperature profile corresponding to their intrinsic physical nature.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the temperature-control device 1 of the invention with the housing 3 which has an air space 6 separated from the internal region. The internal region is partitioned at least substantially parallel to the base 3.2.

[0051] Improvements provided by the design in FIG. 2 are not related solely to construction. Surprisingly, advantages are also seen in effectiveness and in the resultant temperature profile “B”. The flexible partition 3.3 permits the spatial separation of temperature-control medium 4 and air space 6 and the compensation of changes in the volume of the temperature-control medium 4 in the direction of the air space 6 or in the opposite direction.

[0052] In the case of the particularly preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the partition 3.3 is designed from a flexible, i.e., elastic, material, for example, from silicone.

[0053] The increase in volume of the solid or frozen temperature-control medium 4 is permitted by the expansion of the pretensioned partition 3.3 into the air space 6. The solid temperature-control medium 4 here is forced toward the absorber element 7. The applied pressure increases the transfer of heat during use of the temperature-control device 1, and the temperature profile “B” is kept under the temperature limit for an even longer time. This effect lasts even longer if the partition 3.3 also has low thermal conductivity.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a plate with, as absorber element 7, a plate arranged horizontally in the hollow housing 3. In this design form, the plate is secured to the receiving region 3.1 by a plurality of spacer elements 8. The spacer elements 8 here also connect the plate 7 to the receiving region 3.1 in thermally conductive manner, their number being such that the temperature of the temperature-control medium 4 is transferred to the laboratory vessels 2.

[0055] Another decisive factor in the design of the invention in FIG. 1 or 2 is the materials used. The absorber element 7, or the plate, the spacer elements 8 and/or the receiving region 3.1 consist in particular of a material with a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/(m.Math.K).

[0056] A preferred design has the receiving region 3.1 of the housing 3 formed as a separate part. The receiving region 3.1 is not coherently connected to the housing 3, and consists of a material with a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/(m.Math.K). In particular, aluminum is used as suitable material. The other parts of the hollow housing 3 can consist of plastic or can comprise a plastic, and preferably have a thermal conductivity of at most 1 W/(m.Math.K), and thus a more thermally insulating effect.

[0057] The structure of the housing 3 here can have even more discrete elements. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 3 has a separate base 3.2, which is opposite to the receiving region 3.1, and on which the device can stand. Gaskets 3.5 seal the base 3.2 and the receiving region 3.1 with respect to the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 2, there are projecting supportive feet 3.6 arranged on the base.

[0058] In another preferred design of the temperature-control device 1, the absorber element 7 with its absorber underside directed toward the base 3.2 is configured to be flexible in the direction of the receiving region 3.1. The absorber element 7 tolerates the change in volume of the temperature-control medium 4. In preferred design, the absorber element 7 is a structured elastic molding 7′, as shown in FIG. 3. This areal molding 7′ is preferably sufficiently impressible, with a spring rate below 1 N/mm per mm.sup.2 of area of the underside of the molding 7′, to prevent deformation of the housing 3.

[0059] The molding 7′ shown in FIG. 3 is a layer of metal mesh or of metal foam. The molding 7′ is arranged on the underside of the receiving region 3.1. This type of mesh or foam serves as absorber for the absorption and simultaneous transport of the thermal energy to the receiving region 3.1. The mesh or the foam is likewise positioned to extend through the air space 6 below the receiving region 3.1 and to be at least to some extent surrounded by, and as far as possible here completely penetrated by, the temperature-control medium 4. The structure intrinsically permits the required flexibility, and the selection of the material, and also the cross-sectional density, permit adequate conduction of heat to the receiving region 3.1. In a simplified variant, the mesh or the foam can also serve merely as flexible spacer elements 8′ which relate to the plate and provide a springing effect.

[0060] In the design of a plate with spacer elements 8, the spacer elements 8 hold the plate in flexible manner, with a springing effect, in relation to the receiving region 3.1. As shown in FIG. 1, the plate is at least to some extent surrounded by temperature-control medium 4. During expansion of volume of the temperature-control medium 4 in the solid state, this moves forcibly toward the plate, and is tolerated by virtue of the flexible positioning of the plate and/or elastic change of shape thereof.

[0061] It is moreover preferable that connection of the absorber element 7 on the receiving region 3.1 is releasable or non-releasable. In FIG. 3, the absorber element 7 is connected at a plurality of points to the underside of the receiving region 3.1, e.g. ultrasound-welded thereto. In design in FIG. 1 or 2, the spacer elements 8 are molded onto the receiving region 3.1 and/or the plate to form a single unit, thus providing good conduction of heat. FIG. 4 shows a design form of a flexible spacer element 8′. This spacer element 8′ is a part of the plate.

[0062] Incisions, not shown, provide freedom to the spacer element 8′ and permit undulant bending as shown in FIG. 4. In particular, the free end of the resultant spacer element 8′ is welded onto the receiving region 3.1. It is alternatively possible that screw threads are used for releasable attachment of the spacer elements 8, i.e., that they are held by a frictional/interlocking connection, or that they are permanently fixedly connected, for example, welded, soldered, bonded by adhesive or by another form of bonding, or coherently connected in another manner.