Perkinelmer Health Sciences, Inc.

Applied Biosystems, LLC

Applera Corporation

Perkinelmer Health Systems, Inc.

Keith Ferrara

John Girdner Atwood

Adrian Fawcett

Charles M Wittmer

Richard W Noreiks

Paul M Hetherington

Douglas E Olsen

John R Widomski

Rosario Mannino

Urs Steiner

Anthony Chiappetta

Adam J Patkin

David Barkus

Frank DeLorenzo

Barton Rasmussen

Daniel Pentek

Timothy P Neal

Gregory A Hanlon

Mario Carozza

Frank Delorenzo

Gregory Hanlon

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to methods of using couplers to provide a seal between a source assembly and a vacuum chamber. In certain examples, the source assembly can be inserted into a vacuum chamber. In some examples, the source assembly can be sealed to the vacuum chamber by rotation of a moveable component in a first direction to provide an axial force to seal the source assembly to the vacuum chamber. Rotation of the moveable component in a second direction can release the provided axial force to permit removal of the source assembly from the vacuum chamber.

Coupling devices and source assemblies including them

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to inserts and ion sources. In some examples, an insert can comprise a positioning guide configured to provide for visual positioning of a chromatography column under the positioning guide. In other examples, an ion source configured with an aperture to couple to a carrier tube to render the ion source non-removable from an instrument housing when the carrier tube is coupled to the ion source is described.

Positioning guides and ion sources

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to time of flight tubes comprising a cylindrical tube comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the cylindrical tube comprising an effective thickness and sized and arranged to couple to and support a reflectron assembly inside the cylindrical tube. In some configurations, the cylindrical tube further comprises a conductive material disposed on the inner surface of the cylindrical tube, the conductive material present in an effective amount to provide a field free region for ions when the conductive material is charged.

Time of flight tubes and methods of using them

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to reflectron assemblies and methods of producing them. In some configurations, a reflectron comprising a plurality of lenses each comprising a planar body and comprising a plurality of separate and individual conductors spanning a central aperture from a first side to a second side of a first surface of the planar body is described. In some instances, the plurality of conductors are each substantially parallel to each other and are positioned in the same plane.

Reflectrons and methods of producing and using them

An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover, and an internal computer, is provided. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices, and a heat sink, clamped together. A control algorithm manipulates the current supplied to thermoelectric coolers such that the dynamic thermal performance of a block can be controlled so that pre-defined thermal profiles of sample temperature can be executed. The sample temperature is calculated instead of measured using a design specific model and equations. The control software includes calibration diagnostics which permit variation in the performance of thermoelectric coolers from instrument to instrument to be compensated for such that all instruments perform identically. The block/heat sink assembly can be changed to another of the same or different design. The assembly carries the necessary information required to characterize its own performance in an on-board memory device, allowing the assembly to be interchangeable among instruments while retaining its precision operating characteristics.

Thermal cycler for PCR

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to devices that can be used to align the components of a source assembly in a source housing. In some examples, a terminal lens configured to couple to the housing through respective alignment features can be used to retain the source components in a source housing to provide a source assembly.

Assemblies for ion and electron sources and methods of use

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to couplers that can be used to provide a seal between a source assembly and a vacuum chamber. In certain examples, the seal can be provided upon movement of a moveable component of the coupler. In some examples, rotation of the moveable component is operative to provide an axial force to a stationary component coupled to the moveable component such that the stationary component is biased to provide a suitable seal to the vacuum chamber.

An instrument for performing highly accurate PCR employing an assembly, a heated cover and an internal computer. The assembly is made up of a sample block, a number of Peltier thermal electric devices and heat sink, clamped together. The sample block temperature is changed exclusively by the thermoelectric devices controlled by the computer. The sample block is of low thermal mass and is constructed of silver. The Peltier devices are designed to provide fast temperature excursions over a wide range. The heat sink has a perimeter trench to minimize edge losses and is adjacent to a continuously variable fan. A perimeter heater is used to improve the thermal uniformity across the sample block to approximately &#xb1;0.2&#xb0; C. A heated platen pushes down onto the tube caps to apply a minimum acceptable force for seating the tubes into the block, ensuring good thermal contact with the block. The force is applied about the periphery of the tube caps to prevent distortion of the caps during thermal cycling. The platen is heated to provided thermal isolation from ambient conditions and to prevent evaporation from the surface of the sample into the upper portion of the sample tube. A control algorithm manipulates the current supplied to the thermoelectric coolers such that the dynamic thermal performance of the block can be controlled so that pre-defined thermal profiles for the sample temperature can be executed. The sample temperature is calculated instead of measured using a design specific model and equations. The control software includes calibration diagnostics which permit variation in the performance of thermoelectric coolers from instrument to instrument to be compensated for such that all instruments perform identically. The block/heat sink assembly can be changed to another of the same or different design. The assembly carries the necessary information required to characterize its own performance in an on-board memory device, allowing the assembly to be interchangeable among instruments while retaining its precision operating characteristics. The instrument has a graphical user interface. The instrument monitors the thermoelectric devices and warns of changes in resistance that may result in failure.

An apparatus comprising an assembly and a cover. The assembly comprises a sample block configured to receive a microtiter tray having a plurality of vials, each vial comprising a cap having a surface and a perimeter. The cover comprises a platen, vertically and horizontally displaceable in relationship to the sample block, the platen having a plurality of recesses. Each recess corresponds to a respective vial and is shaped and arranged to clear the surface of its respective cap when the cover is displaced onto the sample block. The cover includes a skirt in contact with and surrounding a perimeter of the platen. The skirt is configured for mating with a perimeter of a microtiter tray when a microtiter tray is received in the sample block, and also configured such that the cover contacts a microtiter tray when a microtiter tray is received in the sample block.

A method and system of aligning a probe to wells includes holding the probe at one potential and holding the wells at a different potential, moving the probe to an estimated center position above a selected well, lowering the probe into the selected target well, moving the probe in positive and negative directions along first and second axial dimensions until changes in potential are detected at the probe to indicate electrical contact between the probe and the selected well, and calculating a center location of the selected well along the first and second axial dimensions as mid-points between the points of contact for the respective axial dimensions. The method and system further include lowering the probe into contact with a floor of the selected well and calculating a center location along a third axial dimension as a predetermined distance above the position of the probe. The method and system determine center locations for other wells based on known spacing between wells and the calculated center locations of one or more selected wells.

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Stratford, CT, United States of America

Keith Ferrara