JP2000102376A - Temperature control equipment for incubator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control the temperature of reaction blocks holding reaction tubes in various ways. SOLUTION: This temperature controller 20 for an incubator has reaction blocks 21 holding plural reaction tubes 25, thermally conductive plates 22 each mounted by the reaction block, and heating and cooling elements 23 for heating or cooling the plates through the reaction blocks. When reacting reaction solution stored in the reaction tube by heating or cooling the reaction solution with the element through the reaction block, the temperature controller for an incubator is assembled in such a way that it has plural thermally conductive plates, has heating and cooling elements in number corresponding to that of the thermally conductive plates, and the elements can be individually controlled by the controller 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a temperature control device for an incubator, and more particularly to a temperature control device for heating or cooling a reaction solution in a reaction tube via a reaction block without passing gas in the incubator. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when an enzymatic reaction such as DNA cutting or incorporation is carried out, it is necessary to sequentially carry out the reaction at a plurality of temperatures in the process.

Conventionally, a block incubator that heats or cools a reaction solution in a reaction tube through a reaction block without using gas in an incubator is used for the above-mentioned enzyme reaction.

[0004] In this block incubator, as shown in FIG.
Is installed, a reaction block 13 holding a plurality of reaction tubes 12 is placed on the heat conduction plate 11, and the heating / cooling element 10 is heated or cooled to heat or react the reaction block 13 via the heat conduction plate 11. After cooling, the reaction solution in the reaction tube 12 (a mixture of the specimen and the enzyme) is subjected to an enzyme reaction. Note that reference numeral 14 in FIG.
Is a heat sink, and reference numeral 15 is a temperature sensor.

[0005]

However, in the above-described block incubator, only one arbitrary temperature can be set by one unit. For this reason, in the above-mentioned block incubator, the reaction block 13 is sequentially set to a required temperature by using the program operation function. In this case, until the completion of one program, the next reaction solution is Cannot be processed.

Therefore, a plurality of block incubators are prepared, the reaction blocks 13 in each block incubator are set to different temperatures frequently used, and the reaction solution is subjected to an enzyme reaction at one temperature in one block incubator. After that, the operator transfers the reaction tube 12 from this one block incubator to another block incubator to carry out the enzyme reaction at different temperatures.

In the evaluation of temperature dependence for evaluating how the enzyme reaction changes with temperature, it is necessary to sequentially change the temperature set value of the reaction block in the block incubator and repeat the enzyme reaction. No.

[0008] These disadvantages depend on the fact that one block incubator can set only one arbitrary temperature.

An object of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature control device of an incubator capable of variously controlling the temperature of a reaction block holding a reaction tube.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reaction block for holding a plurality of reaction tubes, a heat conductive portion on which the reaction block can be placed, and the reaction block via the heat conductive portion. A heating / cooling unit for heating or cooling the block, and a temperature control device of an incubator for heating or cooling the reaction solution stored in the reaction tube through the reaction block by the action of the heating / cooling unit to cause a reaction. In the above, a plurality of the heat conduction unit is provided, a plurality of the heating and cooling means are provided corresponding to the heat conduction unit,
It is characterized in that these heating and cooling means are individually controllable by a control device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a plurality of the reaction blocks are provided, and each of the reaction blocks is mounted on a different heat conducting portion. Things.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the reaction block is a single reaction block, and the reaction block is placed over a plurality of heat conducting portions. It is a feature.

The invention described in claim 4 is the first to third aspects of the present invention.
In the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, a temperature sensor is provided in each of the plurality of heat conducting units, and the control device is configured to individually control the plurality of heating and cooling units based on a detection result from each of the temperature sensors. It is characterized by having been done.

The first to third aspects of the present invention have the following effects.

Since a plurality of heating / cooling means provided corresponding to the plurality of heat conducting sections are individually controllable by the control device, different reaction blocks are mounted for each heat conducting section. These reaction blocks may be set at different temperatures by each heating and cooling means, or a single reaction block may be placed over a plurality of heat conducting parts and placed, and a single heating block may be provided by a plurality of heating and cooling means. The reaction block is set at the same temperature, or a single reaction block is placed over a plurality of heat conducting parts and placed thereon, and each heating / cooling unit is controlled at a different temperature to form a single reaction block. A temperature gradient can be generated. In this way, the temperature of the reaction block holding the reaction tube can be variously controlled.

The invention described in claim 4 has the following operation.

The control device individually controls the heating and cooling means corresponding to each of the heat conducting sections based on the detection results of the temperature sensors installed in each of the heat conducting sections. Can be set accurately.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a block incubator temperature control apparatus to which an embodiment of an incubator temperature control apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

In order to carry out an enzymatic reaction of a mixed solution of an enzyme and a sample (hereinafter referred to as "reaction solution"), a block incubator for heating or cooling the reaction solution through a reaction block without passing through gas in the incubator is provided. Used.

FIG. 1 shows a temperature control device 20 of the block incubator. The temperature control device 20 includes a reaction block 21 and a plurality (for example, two) as heat conducting portions.
, A heating / cooling element 23 as heating / cooling means, and a controller 24.

The reaction block 21 is made of a heat conductive material, and has a large number of mounting holes 26 formed on the surface thereof so that the reaction tube 25 can be mounted. The reaction tube 25
The reaction solution can be stored therein, in which the reaction solution undergoes, for example, an enzymatic reaction. The reaction block 21 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, there is a case where there are a plurality (for example, two) corresponding to each heat conduction plate 22, and a case where there is one as shown in FIG.

The heating / cooling element 23 is a heat source for heating or cooling the reaction block 21, and is preferably a Peltier element, for example. The heating / cooling element 23 heats or cools the reaction block 21 at about 0 to 100 ° C. When only the reaction block 21 is heated, the reaction block 21 may be a heater such as an electric heater, a hot water heater, or a steam heater. A plurality (for example, two) of the heating / cooling elements 23 are provided corresponding to the heat conduction plate 22.

The heat conducting plate 22 is made of a material having high heat conductivity, and conducts heat (including cold heat) generated by the heating / cooling element 23 to the reaction block 21. The reaction block 21 is detachably mounted on the upper surface of the heat conduction plate 22 without using a tool or the like. Thereby, the reaction block 21 having the shape of the reaction tube 25 is formed.
Can be converted easily.

Each of the heat conducting plates 22 is provided with a temperature sensor 27 for detecting the temperature of the heat conducting plate 22. The temperatures detected by these temperature sensors 27 are transmitted to the control device 24. The control device 24 controls the reaction block 2 based on the temperature detected by each temperature sensor 27.
Each heating / cooling element 23 is individually controlled so that 1 becomes a desired temperature.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, when a plurality of reaction blocks 21 are installed in the reaction block 21 corresponding to the plurality of heat conducting plates 22, the control device 24 The plurality of heating / cooling elements 23 are individually controlled so as to have different temperatures. Thereby, in one block incubator, the reaction solution in the reaction tube 25 can be subjected to an enzyme reaction at different temperatures.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 24 controls the reaction block 21 when one reaction block 21 is mounted over a plurality of heat conducting plates 22. The plurality of heating / cooling elements 23 are controlled so that the temperature at each position becomes uniform. Thus, in one block incubator, the reaction solutions in many reaction tubes 25 can be enzymatically reacted at the same temperature.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 24 controls a plurality of heating / cooling units when one reaction block 21 is mounted over a plurality of heat conducting plates 22. The element 23 is set to a different temperature, and each position of the reaction block 21 is controlled so as to generate a temperature gradient in a different temperature range of the heating / cooling element 23. This allows
By mounting the reaction tube 25 storing the reaction solution on the reaction block 21 along the temperature gradient,
Reaction block 1 in a conventional block incubator
The temperature dependence of the enzyme reaction, which had been performed by performing the enzyme reaction a plurality of times while gradually changing the temperature of FIG. 3 (FIG. 3), can be performed at a time.

Reference numeral 28 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is fixed to the side of the heating / cooling element 23 opposite to the side on which the heat conducting plate 22 is installed, and radiates excess heat of the heating / cooling element 23. It is a heat sink.

Therefore, according to the temperature control device 20 of the block incubator in the above embodiment, the following effects and advantages can be obtained.

Since a plurality of heating / cooling elements 23 provided corresponding to the plurality of heat conduction plates 22 are individually controllable by the control device 24, different reaction blocks 21 are provided on the heat conduction plate 22. These reaction blocks 21 are set at different temperatures by the heating / cooling element 23, or a single reaction block 21 is placed over a plurality of heat conducting plates 22 and mounted, so that a plurality of The single reaction block 21 is set to the same temperature by the heating / cooling element 23, and furthermore, the single reaction block 21 is placed over a plurality of heat conducting plates 22 and placed thereon, so that each heating / cooling element 23 is different. The temperature can be controlled to generate a temperature gradient in the single reaction block 21. Thus, the reaction block 21 holding the reaction tube 25
Can be variously temperature controlled.

The control device 24 controls each heat conduction plate 22
Based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 27 installed in the
Since each of the control units 3 is individually controlled, the reaction block 21 can be accurately set to a desired temperature.

Although the present invention has been described based on one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the number of the heat conducting plates 22 and the number of the heating / cooling elements 23 are both two has been described, but the number may be three or more. With the three or more heat conducting plates 22 and the heating / cooling elements 23,
As compared with the case where the number of the heat conduction plates 22 and the number of the heating / cooling elements 23 are two, the temperature gradient in a wide range can be accurately generated in the single reaction block 21.

In the present embodiment, the case of an enzymatic reaction has been described, but the present invention can be applied to a case of a chemical reaction or other physicochemical reaction.

[0036]

As described above, according to the temperature control apparatus for an incubator according to the present invention, a plurality of heat conducting portions are provided, and a plurality of heating / cooling elements are provided for the heat conducting portion. Since the means are individually controllable by the control device, different reaction blocks can be set to different temperatures, a single reaction block can be set to a uniform temperature, or a single reaction block can be set to a temperature gradient. The temperature of the reaction block holding the reaction tube can be controlled in various ways, for example, by generating a gas.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a temperature control device of a block incubator to which an embodiment of an incubator temperature control device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a case where the temperature control device of FIG. 1 has a single reaction block.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional temperature control device of a block incubator.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 20 temperature control device (temperature control device of block incubator) 21 reaction block 22 heat conduction plate (heat conduction part) 23 heating / cooling element (heating / cooling means) 24 control device 25 reaction tube 27 temperature sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A reaction block for holding a plurality of reaction tubes, a heat conducting section on which the reaction block can be placed, and a heating / cooling means for heating or cooling the reaction block via the heat conducting section. A temperature control device of an incubator that heats or cools the reaction solution stored in the reaction tube through the reaction block by the action of the heating and cooling means to cause a reaction; A temperature control device for an incubator, wherein a plurality of cooling means are provided corresponding to the heat conducting portions, and these heating and cooling means are individually controllable by a control device. 2. The incubator temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the reaction blocks are provided, and each of the reaction blocks is mounted on a different heat conducting part. 3. The temperature control device for an incubator according to claim 1, wherein the reaction block is a single reaction block, and the reaction block is placed over a plurality of heat conducting portions. 4. A temperature sensor is provided in each of the plurality of heat conducting units, and the control device is configured to individually control the plurality of heating / cooling units based on a detection result from each of the temperature sensors. The temperature control device for an incubator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: