Combination Vessel Holder for Heat Block Incubation

Abstract

A device for use with a heat source, a multi-well sample plate, and a plurality of samples includes a substantially solid block of thermally conductive material having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side; a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of a first portion of the sample plate; and a second array of apertures on the second side of the block; wherein, in a first mode, the first array of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conduct heat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the second array of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heat from the heat source to the samples. Two blocks may be combined together to accommodate a standard 96 well plate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to heat block incubation and more specifically to a combination vessel holder for heat block incubation that, in one mode, directly accommodates sample tubes of varying sizes, and in another mode, accommodates multi-well plates or strips that contain the samples.

The “96 well plate” and “8 well strip” are popular, commercially standard laboratory vessels used in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and other processes. PCR requires cycles of repeated healing and cooling, to generate multiple copies of a DNA sequence that can be used for research. PCR may utilize a block of thermally conductive material to transfer heat from an oven to the incubated material, in order to ensure that the required incubation temperatures are quickly and accurately applied to the material. A standard 96 well plate is a rectangular 8×12 array of liquid retainers arranged in perpendicular rows and columns, spaced 9 mm vertically and horizontally apart. This is similar to 12 rows of 8 well strips. Current systems have blocks for PCR plates that consist of a single, solid block, and utilize different blocks for differently sized tubes.

It would be desirable to have a combination vessel for heat block incubation that by itself accepts a variety of differently sized samples and in combination accepts a standard 96 well plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a device for use with a heat source, a multi-well sample plate, and a plurality of samples includes a substantially solid block of thermally conductive material having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side; a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of a first portion of the sample plate; and a second array of apertures on the second side of the block; wherein, in a first mode, the first array of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conduct heat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the second array of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heat from the heat source to the samples.

In another aspect of the present invention, a multi-well plate container system includes a first thermally conductive block having a array of apertures on a plate side adapted to retain a first half of a multi-well plate; and a second thermally conductive block having a array of apertures on a plate side adapted to retain a second half of the multi-well plate in conjunction with the first block; wherein either the first block, the second block, or both blocks further have a second side adapted to retain a plurality of test tubes in an alternate usage.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of incubating a material includes providing two substantially solid blocks of thermally conductive material, each block having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side, a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of half of a multi-well sample plate that contains the material, and a second array of apertures on the second side of the block that are adapted to retain the material in an alternate usage; aligning the two blocks side-by-side; placing the multi-well plate on the two blocks so that the blocks retain and engage with the wells of the plate; and heating the blocks, thereby incubating the material in the wells of the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an industry standard 96 well plate;

FIG. 2 depicts the plate side of an embodiment of a block according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the sample tube side of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 depicts a plate container system having two blocks according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 depicts the container system of FIG. 4 in use with a standard 96 well plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiment and other embodiments, which can be used in industry and include the best mode now known of carrying out the invention, are hereby described in detail with reference to the drawings. Further embodiments, features and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description, or may be learned without undue experimentation. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, except where otherwise indicated. The following description of embodiments, even if phrased in terms of “the invention” or what the embodiment “is,” is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but describes the manner and process of making and using the invention. The coverage of this patent will be described in the claims. The order in which steps are listed in the claims does not necessarily indicate that the steps must be performed in that order.

An embodiment of the present invention generally provides a heat incubation block having openings for sample tubes and sample plates on two or more sides of the block. Embodiments may be utilized for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) incubation systems. The block transfers heat from a heating instrument to the samples. The block may be aligned with a second similar block, to provide a single block that retains a commercially standard multi-well PCR plate. The block may be substantially made of aluminum or other thermally conductive material, to be light and efficiently conduct heat. Embodiments may support various sizes of multi-well sample plates, such as 8×1 (8 well strips), 8×12 (96 wells), 16×24 (384 wells), or 32×48 (1536 wells). An embodiment may include an oven with a heat chamber that is slightly larger than 2 half-sized blocks, so that (for example) two 8×6 blocks may be joined together to hold a 96 well plate.

An embodiment of the present invention may include an aluminum block for insertion into a heating chamber or other heat source with precise openings for insertion of sample tubes, sample strips, and PCR plates, resulting in temperature transfer from the heating chamber to the samples. The block conducts heat, and is an incubator for a PCR oven or chamber. The block may have six sides, with at least two sides for samples. One side may contain openings for directly accommodating sample tubes and/or sample strips, and an opposite side may contain openings that correspond to the wells of half of a PCR plate or other multi-well sample plate. In one mode of usage, two blocks may be aligned in conjunction with one another and in combination with an appropriate oven to allow for the accommodation of a single PCR plate on the second sides of the blocks. In a second mode of usage, the test tubes or other samples are directly inserted into the apertures on the first side of a block.

An embodiment of a block may be drilled out on both sides so that the user may use either side for different purposes, as needed. The first side (the “sample tube side”) may have a plurality of drilled holes of different sizes for specific test tube sizes, to be used for heating inside these instruments. The second side (the “96-well plate side”) may have appropriate apertures so that that two devices may be used in conjunction with one another to accommodate a “96 well microplate”, which is a popular laboratory vessel used for test tubes.

The 96-well plate side of an embodiment may have a matrix of apertures. A rectangular matrix of 8 by 12 apertures may have walls to support the test tube, and the walls may be spaced 9 mm vertically and horizontally. The wells of the PCR plate or strips fit into the apertures of the block, so that when samples are placed in the apertures, the block retains and efficiently conducts heat to the samples.

The sample tube side of an embodiment may have sample containers of various sizes. The containers may be adapted to accept sample tubes (aka test tubes). Typical test tube sizes may include

Examples of micro test tubes may include 1.5 ml (generally 10.5×41 mm, tapered at bottom 20 mm), 2.0 ml (like 1.5 ml but tapered only at bottom 3 mm), and 0.5 ml (generally 7.5×32 mm, tapered bottom 14 mm), or 0.2 ml (generally 6 mm). Different brands may vary as much a 1 mm in diameter or 3 mm in length. The sample tubes may contain DNA, RNA, protein, or other materials for incubation.

FIG. 1 depicts an industry standard 96 well plate 10. It contains 96 sample retainers 12, which are adapted to hold DNA samples to be incubated, such as liquid DNA samples for PCR. An 8×1 well strip (not shown) would be similar to a single column of the 8×12 well plate.

As depicted in FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present invention may include a block 20 with a first, plate side 22 and a second, sample tube side 24 generally opposite the plate side 22. The plate side 22 may include an 8×6 array of plate apertures 26, which would correspond to half of a commercially standard (8×12) 96 well PCR plate. This side may have a first registration/handling element 28, which can be used with an appropriate tool to handle and align the block 20 for use. The apertures may be shaped to snugly fit the liquid containers of the PCR plate. When in use, the PCR plate contains the actual DNA material for incubation, and the block effectively conducts heat to the PCR plate.

As depicted in FIG. 3, the sample tube side 24 of a block 20 may include an array of sample apertures 30 that are adapted to directly contain test tubes, sample tubes, or sample strips. This side may have a second registration/handling element 32. The apertures 30 may provide a generally conical or cylindrical shaped structure that engages with the sides of a sample tube, such as a micro test tube, to provide efficient heat transfer between the block and the test tube.

As depicted in FIG. 4, a plate container system 40 may include two blocks 20, placed side-by-side to a system, so that they could accommodate a standard 96 well plate. The blocks 20 may simply be placed side by side, and the plate will fit over the combined structure, or there may be additional structures (not shown) to retain the plates together and form a system that holds a 96 well plate.

As depicted in FIG. 5, a plate container system 40 may include two blocks 20 that accommodate a standard 96 well plate 10. The sample retainers 12 of the plate 10 slide into the plate apertures 26 and make contact with the blocks 20 so that heat can be transferred to samples in the sample retainers 12. The first registration/handling element 28 on each block 20 may extend past the plate 10 to facilitate handling and positioning of the plate container system 40 with the plate 10 in place. In use, the heating chamber may be slightly larger than the blocks so that, when the blocks are inserted into the chamber, the blocks are effectively connected together by the heating chamber.

Claims

1. A device for use with a heat source, a multi-well sample plate, and a plurality of samples, the device comprising:

a substantially solid block of thermally conductive material having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side;

a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of a first portion of the sample plate; and

a second array of apertures on the second side of the block;

wherein, in a first mode, the first array of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conduct heat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the second array of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heat from the heat source to the samples.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material includes aluminum.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sample plate has a rectangular array of perpendicular wells for samples and the first array of apertures in the block is a rectangular array of apertures that align with a first half of the wells in the sample plate.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a second block having a second rectangular array of apertures that align with a second half of the wells in the sample plate, thereby providing a multi-well plate container system.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sample plate has an 8×12 array of perpendicular wells for samples and the first array of apertures in the block is an 8×6 array of apertures that align with a first half of the wells in the sample plate.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a second block having a second 8×6 array of apertures that align with a second half of the wells in the sample plate, thereby providing an 8×12 well plate container system.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the samples are test tubes and the apertures on the second side of the block are adapted to retain and engage with the test tubes.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the samples include liquid DNA material and the block conducts heat from the heat source to the material.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the apertures on the second side of the block have at least two different diameters so that multiple sizes of samples may be utilized.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a handling element on the first side of the block that, when the sample plate is in place, is accessible by a user to help handle the device.

11. A combination vessel holder, comprising:

a first thermally conductive block having an array of apertures on a plate side adapted to retain a first half of a multi-well plate; and

a second thermally conductive block having an array of apertures on a plate side adapted to retain a second half of the multi-well plate in conjunction with the first block;

wherein either the first block, the second block, or both blocks further have a second side, generally opposite the plate side, adapted to retain a plurality of test tubes in an alternate usage.

12. The combination vessel holder of claim 11, wherein the sample plate has an 8×12 rectangular array of perpendicular wells, and the arrays of apertures on the blocks are configured into 8×6 arrays that align with wells in the sample plate.

13. A method of incubating a material, comprising:

providing two substantially solid blocks of thermally conductive material, each block having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side, a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of half of a multi-well sample plate that contains the material, and a second array of apertures on the second side of the block that are adapted to retain the material in an alternate usage;

aligning the two blocks side-by-side;

placing the multi-well plate on the two blocks so that the blocks retain and engage with the wells of the plate; and

heating the blocks, thereby incubating the material in the wells of the plate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sample plate has an 8×12 rectangular array of perpendicular wells, and the first arrays of apertures on the blocks are configured into 8×6 arrays that each align with a half of the wells in the sample plate.