JP2010203823A - Temperature control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature control device for uniformly bringing a temperature conditioning element into close contact with the flat surface of a microchip even when the microchip is deformed by heating. <P>SOLUTION: The temperature control device includes the temperature conditioning element. The temperature conditioning element includes a heat conductive temperature control unit having a heat transfer surface and a Peltier element coming into contact with the flat surface on the side opposite to the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit to heat or cool the temperature control unit. The heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit is covered with a heat conductive elastomer following the surface shape of the part to be controlled in temperature of the microchip by the elasticity of the heat conductive elastomer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of a microchip for performing various reactions in the fields of biology and chemistry.

  For devices that perform nucleic acid amplification reactions such as PCR, LAMP, and SMAP using a microchip that has a reaction well inside, the reaction is carried out by pressing a temperature-regulating element such as a Peltier element against the surface of the microchip. A temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of the well to a temperature suitable for the reaction is provided. In this temperature control device, the Peltier element is brought into contact with the plane of the microchip via a heat conductive member such as an aluminum plate.

JP 2006-224060 A

  The microchip is thin and may bend if it is continuously heated by a Peltier element. When the microchip is curved, the temperature adjustment surface of the microchip is warped, so that the temperature control element is not evenly adhered, and accurate temperature control of the microchip cannot be performed. However, if the temperature control element is excessively pressed against the warped microchip, the temperature control element may be damaged, such as a crack in the Peltier element. .

  There has already been proposed an attempt to improve the contact state between the temperature control element and the temperature controlled part by using an elastomer (elastic body) as a part of the temperature control device (see Patent Document 1). In order to perform local temperature control at a plurality of locations on a microchip, a temperature control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of temperature control elements (in this document) that individually contact a plurality of locations on a microchip plane. Equivalent to a temperature control device). Each temperature control element includes a Peltier element and a temperature control unit made of a heat conductor such as copper or aluminum. The temperature controller directly contacts the microchip and transfers heat from the Peltier element to the microchip. Each Peltier element is attached to a common radiating fin (heat sink). Since the elastomer is sandwiched between the Peltier element and the temperature control unit, or between the temperature control unit and the heat radiating fin, even if the microchip is bent, the elastomer is elastically deformed. It is said that each temperature control unit can be closely attached to the microchip.

  However, deformation of the microchip, such as the curvature of the microchip, also deforms the shape of the portion of the microchip that contacts the temperature control element. Therefore, the portion of the temperature control element that directly contacts the microchip is thermally conductive such as copper or aluminum. If it is composed of a body, it cannot follow the deformation, and uniform adhesion cannot be maintained. When the shape of the contact portion of the microchip that contacts the temperature control element is deformed, the elastomer sandwiched between the Peltier element and the temperature control unit or between the temperature control unit and the heat radiation fin can absorb the deformation. Can not. Therefore, the temperature control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot be expected to maintain the uniform adhesion between the temperature control element and the microchip even if the microchip is deformed.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature control device that can uniformly attach a temperature control element to a plane of a microchip even when the microchip is deformed by heating.

  A temperature control device according to the present invention includes a heat conductive temperature control unit having a heat transfer surface, and a Peltier element that heats or cools the temperature control unit in contact with a plane opposite to the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit. The temperature control element provided, a heat conductive elastomer that is provided on the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit and elastically follows the surface shape of the temperature control unit of the microchip, and the temperature control unit and elastomer of the microchip And a biasing mechanism that biases the temperature control element toward the microchip so as to maintain close contact with the microchip.

  In the case where the microchip has a temperature controlled part on both the front side and the back side, the temperature control device includes two sets of a temperature control element, an elastomer, and an urging mechanism, and the elastomer is applied from both sides of the microchip. This can be dealt with by closely contacting the temperature control element.

  In the present invention, the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit that is brought into contact with the temperature control unit of the microchip is covered with a heat conductive elastomer that elastically follows the surface shape of the temperature control unit of the microchip. Since the temperature control element is urged toward the microchip so as to maintain the adhesion between the temperature controlled part and the elastomer by the biasing mechanism, even if the surface shape of the temperature controlled part changes due to the curvature of the microchip, etc. Adhesion between the temperature control element and the temperature control unit can be maintained.

It is a schematic structure sectional view showing one example of a temperature control device. It is sectional drawing which shows the mode at the time of the temperature control of the microchip by the temperature control apparatus of the Example.

An embodiment of the temperature control device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a temperature control device.
The peripheral edge of the microchip 2 is held by the holding part 4. The upper surface side temperature control element 6a that controls temperature by contacting the upper surface of the temperature controlled portion of the microchip 2 above and below the microchip 2, and the lower surface temperature control element that controls temperature by contacting the lower surface of the temperature controlled portion 6b is arranged.

  The temperature control element 6a includes a Peltier element 8a, and a temperature control unit 10a made of, for example, an aluminum plate or a copper plate is attached to the surface of the Peltier element on the microchip 2 side. The surface (heat transfer surface) on the microchip 2 side of the temperature control unit 10a is covered with an elastomer 12a.

Radiation fins 14a are attached to the surface of the Peltier element 8a opposite to the temperature controller 10a. One end of a drive shaft 16a is connected to the radiating fin 14a via an urging mechanism 15a made of an elastic body that elastically deforms in the vertical direction, such as a coil spring or a leaf spring. The other end of the drive shaft 16a is connected to the drive unit 20a. The drive unit 20a has a mechanism for moving the drive shaft 16a up and down by driving a motor.
The structure of the lower temperature control element 6b is the same as that of the upper temperature control element 6a.

  The elastomers 12a and 12b covering the surface of the temperature control units 10a and 10b on the microchip 2 side are heat conductive members having elasticity in the thickness direction. Examples thereof include silicon-based, acrylic-based, styrene-based, olefin-based, vinyl chloride-based, polyester-based, polyurethane-based, and polyamide-based elastomers. The thickness of the elastomers 12a and 12b is suitably 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm.

  The Peltier elements 8a and 8b and the drive units 20a and 20b of the temperature control elements 6a and 6b are controlled by the control unit 22. When controlling the temperature of the microchip 2, the control unit 20 lowers the upper temperature control element 6a by the drive unit 20a to bring the elastomer 12a into close contact with the upper surface of the microchip 2, and the lower temperature control element by the drive unit 20b. 6b is raised to bring the elastomer 12b into close contact with the lower surface of the microchip 2.

  Biasing mechanisms 15a and 15b made of an elastic body are interposed between the temperature control element 6a and the drive shaft 16a and between the temperature control element 6b and the drive shaft 16b, respectively. 15a and 15b urge the temperature control elements 6a and 6b to the microchip 2 side, respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, even when the microchip 2 is bent by heating, the elastomers 12 a and 12 b having elasticity in the thickness direction follow the surface shape of the microchip 2 to improve the adhesion of the microchip 2. It can be maintained in the same state as before bending.

  Connected to the control unit 22 are an operation unit 24 for an operator to input analysis conditions and the like to operate the temperature control device, and a monitor 26 for the operator to display and confirm the set conditions.

  In this embodiment, the two temperature control elements 6a and 6b are provided so as to control the temperature from the upper surface and the lower surface of the microchip 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and the temperature control element is not limited thereto. Only one of 6a and 6b may be provided.

2 Microchip 4 Holding part 6a Upper temperature adjustment element 6b Lower temperature adjustment element 8a, 8b Peltier element 10a, 10b Temperature control part 12a, 12b Elastomer 14a, 14b Radiation fin 15a, 15b Energizing mechanism 16a, 16b Drive shaft 20a, 20b Drive unit 22 Control unit 24 Operation unit 26 Monitor

Claims (2)

A temperature control element including a heat conductive temperature control unit having a heat transfer surface, and a Peltier element that is in contact with a plane opposite to the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit to heat or cool the temperature control unit; ,
A thermally conductive elastomer that is provided on the heat transfer surface of the temperature control unit and elastically follows the surface shape of the temperature control unit of the microchip; and
A temperature control device comprising: an urging mechanism that urges the temperature control element toward the microchip so as to maintain close contact between the temperature controlled portion of the microchip and the elastomer. The microchip has a temperature controlled part on both the front side and the back side,
2. The temperature control according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control device includes two sets of the temperature control element, the elastomer, and the urging mechanism, and the temperature control element is closely attached to the microchip via the elastomer from both sides of the microchip. apparatus.

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