Device for incubating a sample

Abstract

The field of the invention relates to a device for incubating a sample. The present disclosure provides an incubator for shaking and/or heating at least one sample. The device comprises at least one inductor placed below an induction heating plate. A heat conducting plate is mounted onto the induction heating plate. The device further comprises a moving arrangement for placing the sample onto the heat conducting plate.

Claims

1. A device for incubating at least one sample, comprising at least one lower part with an inductor placed spatially separated below an upper part with an induction heating plate with a heat conducting plate mounted thereon for placing the at least one sample onto the heat conducting plate, wherein the lower part and the upper part are separated by an air gap with a plurality of arms flexibly connected to the lower part and the upper part, wherein the plurality of arms can be actuated for shaking of the at least one sample together with the induction heating plate and the heat conducting plate.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the induction heating plate comprises a ferromagnetic material.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the induction heating plate comprises steel.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heat conducting plate comprises aluminum.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor switched parallel to the inductor.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor driver connected to the circuit comprising the inductor and the capacitor.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a microcontroller connected to the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

8. A method for incubating at least one sample comprising generating an alternating current in a lower part of a the device of claim 1 comprising the inductor and thereby producing heat in the spatially separated upper part of the device comprising the induction heating plate, conducting the heat to at least one sample through the heat conducting plate mounted onto the induction heating plate, and moving at least the at least one sample by actuating the flexibly to the lower part connected upper part.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the generating of an alternating current in the inductor comprises driving the circuit comprising the inductor and the capacitor to oscillate resonantly.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the generating of the alternating current comprises generating a square wave signal by a microcontroller and transforming the square wave signal for driving the circuit comprising the inductor and the capacitor.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising at least one of heating or shaking of the at least one sample.

12. An analyser system for analysing a sample comprising: an incubator comprising at least one lower part with an inductor placed spatially separated below an upper part with an induction heating plate with a heat conducting plate mounted thereon for placing the at least one sample onto the heat conducting plate, an induction heating plate having a heat conducting plate mounted thereon; and a moving arrangement for placing the sample onto the conducting plate, wherein the lower part and the upper part are separated by a gap and flexibly connected with each other by a plurality of arms, wherein the plurality of arms can be actuated for shaking of the at least one sample placed onto the heat conducting plate together with the induction heating plate and heat conduction plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an incubator according to the disclosure.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an incubator according to the disclosure with arms suitable for moving the upper part of the incubator.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an aspect of the disclosure with a sample carrier placed onto the heat conducting plate.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an incubator having a cover according to the disclosure.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an incubator having a cover according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The invention will now be described on the basis of the drawings. It will be understood that the embodiments and aspects of the invention described herein are only examples and do not limit the protective scope of the claims in any way. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. It will be understood that features of one aspect or embodiment of the invention can be combined with a feature of a different aspect or aspects and/or embodiments of the invention.

(7) While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

(8) The various embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure are used, for example, in analyser systems and other laboratory instruments in the fields of clinical diagnostics, forensic science and life sciences.

(9) The present disclosure relates to a device and a method using induction heating in automated analyser systems, e.g. for diagnostic purposes. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an incubator using induction heating for the heating of at least one sample.

(10) The incubation of the at least one sample is accelerated by the induction heating. In particular, if the incubation of the at least one sample takes place at a predetermined optimal temperature, the incubation of the at least one sample is accelerated.

(11) The present disclosure allows for a separation of energy supply and heat production. More particularly, the present disclosure allows for a separation of an energy supply and an induction heating object producing the heat and conducting the heat to the at least one sample.

(12) In the present disclosure an energy supply feeds an alternating current to an inductor producing an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field spreads through space and produces heat in an induction heating plate conducting the heat through a heat conducting plate to the at least one sample.

(13) The separation of the energy supply and the inductor from the induction heating plate carrying the at least one sample allows for a shaking of the at least one sample together with the induction heating plate and heat conducting plate without having to take care for an energy supply through, for example, a cable.

(14) The energy supply for heat production and the place of heat production are spatially separated from each other. Thereby, no flexible energy supply connection to the place where heat is produced is required for permitting the shaking of the at least one sample.

(15) FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an inner part 11 of an incubator 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) according to the disclosure. The incubator 10 comprises an induction heating plate 20 and a heat conducting plate 30. At least one sample is placed onto the heat conducting plate 20 during incubation of the at least one sample.

(16) The induction heating plate 20 comprises a ferromagnetic material. In one aspect of the disclosure the induction heating plate 20 comprises steel.

(17) The incubator 10 further comprises an inductor 40, placed below the induction heating plate 20. The inductor is connected to an energy supply feeding an alternating current to the inductor 40. The alternating current flowing through the inductor 40 generates an electromagnetic field that spreads through space. The electromagnetic field produces heat in the induction heating plate 20.

(18) The heat produced in the induction heating plate 20 is conducted via the heat conduction plate 30 to the at least one sample.

(19) The inductor 40 is placed in a lower part 61 separated from an upper part 62 comprising the induction heating plate 20, the heat conduction plate 30 and the at least one sample by an air gap 50. The air gap 50 leaves room for the upper part 62 to be moved for shaking the at least one sample.

(20) The at least one sample can be shaken. This provides mixing of the at least one sample and thus accelerates incubation of the at least one sample.

(21) FIG. 2 shows an aspect of the disclosure with a plurality of arms 80 flexibly connected to the lower part 61 and the upper part 62. The plurality of arms 80 may be actuated such that the upper part 62 carrying the at least one sample 10 moves relative to the lower part 62.

(22) Because the energy for producing the heat in the induction heating plate 20 is transported by the electromagnetic field, no energy supply, for example through a cable, to the upper part 62 is necessary. As a result no care needs to be taken that an energy supply for heat production does not suffer from the moving of the upper part 62.

(23) In an aspect of the disclosure a sample carrier called hedgehog 70 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is placed onto the heat conducting plate 30. The hedgehog is a rack for placing deep-well at least one microplate therein. The at least one sample is placed into the at least one microplate.

(24) In a further aspect of the disclosure the incubator 10 comprises a cover 90 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). It is conceivable that the cover 90 is heated. Heating of the cover 90 prevents water of condensing on the cover. Furthermore the air surrounding the at least one sample warms up when the cover 90 is closed resulting in a faster heating of the at least one sample and less loss of energy

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(25) 10 Pump 11 Inner part 20 Heating plate 30 Heat conducting plate 40 Inductor 50 Air gap 61 Lower part 62 Upper part 70 Sample carrier hedgehog 80 Arms 90 Cover