The present invention relates to devices and systems for providing active thermal control of sample-containing assay trays and, more specifically, to devices and systems that provide improved, uniform heat transfer from a sample-containing assay tray using thermo-electric devices, heat spreader plates, and liquid heat exchangers.
Protocols for amplification of RNA or DNA, for example, during polymerase chain reaction (PCR), bDNA, and similar testing, require rapid and uniform heating and cooling of a plurality of sample-containing vessels. Because such testing typically is performed in batches, the rapid and uniform heating and cooling are applied to the plurality of sample-containing vessels simultaneously.
Conventionally, heat transfer for thermo-electric devices and/or heating elements is accomplished by conduction, while cooling of thermal system components is done by convection, or, more conventionally, by air convection. However, thermal performance of such systems is limited by the space needs of relatively large thermal components.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a liquid heat-transferring concept that transfers heat by liquid convection rather than by air convection to improve heat transfer and to provide a more compact thermal component size. Thermal control of sensitive reagents used in these protocols is also highly desirable.