Heat exchange – Movable heating or cooling surface – Rotary drum
Patent
1991-05-17
1993-07-06
Chambers, A. Michael
Heat exchange
Movable heating or cooling surface
Rotary drum
165 2, 165 61, 435290, G05D 2500
Patent
active
052245365
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a thermostatting device for adjusting the temperature of at least one sample to any value within a predetermined temperature range, comprising an elongated main body of good heat-conducting properties which has its first end thermally connected to a first thermostat means that can be set to a first temperature, and has its second end thermally connected to a second thermostat means that can be set to a second temperature, and which is sized in such a way that a temperature gradient develops along the main body, between these two ends, and comprising further a heat-conductive sample holder body that can be brought into contact with the main body, for thermal coupling, at any point between its thermostatted ends.
A thermostatting device of the type described above has been known from DE-OS 2 063 607.
It is a requirement in many chemical and biochemical processes to bring solutions to different temperatures in the course of one and the same experiment. The required temperatures may be in the range of below 0.degree. Centigrade and up to more than 100.degree. Centigrade, and the specific temperatures used in any experiment differ largely within that range. Enzymatic reactions, for example, require temperatures of between 30.degree. Centigrade and 70.degree. Centigrade, depending on the particular enzyme. For heat denaturation of nucleic acids, temperatures of up to 120.degree. Centigrade are used, depending on their chain length and sequence. For stopping reactions, temperatures of around 0.degree. Centigrade are required. The temperatures used for storing samples are considerably below 0.degree. Centigrade. In addition, most of the experiments require quick changes of the solution temperature. Similar requirements have to be met in other fields of science and technology.
There have been known in laboratory practice thermostats and metal-block thermostats that can be adjusted to different temperatures. In the case of liquid thermostats, the reaction vessels are thermostatted by circulating liquid around them. Metal-block thermostats are provided with bores for the reaction vessels, the latter being thermostatted by their contact with the walls of such bores. Heat transmission can be improved by filling the bores with water or oil. The temperature of metal-block thermostats can be adjusted, for example, with the aid of heating cartridges, which are controlled against a constantly operating water or convection cooling system. Further, Peltier elements can be used for heating and cooling metal-block thermostats. Any change in temperature of the samples is effected in the case of the two before-described types of thermostats by heating up or cooling down the whole thermostat.
It is an advantage of the before-described thermostats that a single thermostat is required only for the different temperatures. However, due to the considerable heat storage capacity and thermal inertia of these thermostats, the process of changing the temperature is too slow and too time-consuming for many types of reactions.
Another possibility of adjusting the temperature of samples to different values consists in providing a separate liquid-bath thermostat for each temperature. For a desired temperature of 0.degree., this may be an ice bath, for example. One then introduces the reaction vessels into the thermostat which is set to the particular desired temperature, which in most cases is effected manually. However, there are also known set-ups where the samples are manipulated with the aid of a robot arm.
It is an advantage of this approach that shorter temperature-changing times can be achieved than in the case of the before-mentioned types of thermostats, the time constant for temperature changes being determined, in the case of well agitated liquid-bath thermostats, by the heat transmission between the liquid and the sample, rather than by the temperature response time of the respective thermostat. However, this solution is expensive and space-consuming given the fact that a separate thermostat is requ
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Bauer Gunter
Eigen Manfred
Otten Hajo
Chambers A. Michael
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.v.
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