Texas Instruments Corporation

Analogic Corporation

Sensata Technologies, Inc.

Keith Crowe

Dale R Sogge

Andrew Alvino

Michelle Pisuk

Yoshihiko Mikawa

Brian Leary

Masashi Matsutomo

John M Cavacas

Savithri Subramanyam

Sameer Masurkar

A sample processing apparatus includes a sample carrier receiving region configured to receive a sample carrier carrying at least one sample, at least one sample processing station that processes the at least one sample, and a thermal control system that controls thermocycling of the sample during processing of the sample by the at least one sample processing station, wherein the thermal control system includes a heating and/or cooling substrate with a thermocycling region, at least one guard heat region, and at least one thermal break between the thermocycling region and the at least one guard heat region.

Thermocooler with thermal breaks that thermally isolate a thermocycling region from at least one guard heat region

A motor protector () is shown having an elongated generally cup-shaped metallic housing () formed by a top wall () and a side wall () extending down from the perimeter of the top walls, the free end of which is welded to a header (). The side and top wall have a rounded junction () and a calibration rill () is formed in the top wall from one end of the housing and through the rounded junction. An elongated thermostatic disc () is mounted in the housing and has a movable electrical contact () mounted at one end to be movable into and out of engagement with a stationary electrical contact () that is in turn mounted on a heater (). A ceramic insulator plate () is interposed between the heater and the header.

Thermally responsive electrical switch

A magnetic position sensor has a stator () formed of magnetic material and a pair of magnets () rotatably mounted about the stator and movable between opposite angular extremities and spaced from the stator by a primary cylindrical air gap (). A secondary air gap () is formed in a stationary member at a location at which the magnetic field varies with the angular position of the magnets. A first Hall Effect sensor () is disposed in the secondary air gap to measure the magnetic field there-across as an indication of the angular position of the magnets. A second reference sensor () is provided to detect the magnetic decay of the magnets. The second sensor can be a Hall Effect sensor disposed at a location at which the magnetic field is relatively constant, independent of the angular position of the magnets. The reference sensor output can be used as a diagnostic indicator or as a correction for the first sensor output.

Magnetic position sensor apparatus and method

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Littleton, MA, United States of America

Keith Crowe