Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Roche Diagnostic Systems, Inc.

Rolf Moser

Thomas Caratsch

Guido Bonacina

Lukas Birrer

An apparatus for automatic performance of temperature cycles in a number of test tubes in which each test tube is closed by a closure and contains a predetermined volume of a liquid reaction mixture. The apparatus includes a holder, a computer-controlled automatic control system, and a device for cyclic alteration of the holder temperature. The holder has an arrangement of chambers for holding test tubes with each chamber being adapted to receive one test tube. The holder is constructed of a material of high thermal conductivity, and has an upper surface, a bottom surface and a cylindrical outer wall. Each chamber has an opening located in the upper surface of the holder. The device for cyclic alteration of the temperature of the holder is actuated by the automatic control system. By reducing the dimensions of the device and the power required to operate it, numerous advantages are realized. Such advantages are achieved through the arcuate arrangement of chambers in the holder, and the test tube closure which is piercable by a pipetting needle.

Thermal cycler

An analyzer has a horizontally disposed baseplate on which primary containers and secondary containers are disposed; a pipetting needle of an electrically conductive material connected to a metering device by a tubing, for transferring a predetermined volume of liquid each time from a primary container to a secondary container; a transport device for the controlled transport of the pipetting needle in three directions at right angles to one another, two of the transport directions extending horizontally and the third transport direction extending vertically; an electrically conductive reference body rigidly connected to baseplate and which in each of the horizontal transport directions has two outer surfaces disposed perpendicularly to the transport direction; and a control device for controlling the metering device and the transport is device. For fine adjustment of the pipetting needle transport device, there is provided a circuit for measuring the electrical capacitance between the pipetting needle and the reference body, and a device for determining the coordinates of a reference position of the pipetting needle in at least one of the horizontal transport directions. The device is adapted to move the transport device of the pipetting needle so that the pipetting needle is moved in opposite directions in each case to a position near each of the two outer surfaces of the reference body. The pipetting needle is moved in each case towards a surface of the reference body until the value of electrical capacitance between the pipetting needle and the reference body, as measured by the circuit, reaches a predetermined value corresponding to a specific distance between the pipetting needle and the surface of the reference body.

Apparatus for capacitatively determining the position of a pipetting

An analyzer has a horizontally disposed baseplate on which primary containers and secondary containers are disposed, a pipetting needle, a transport device, and a control device. The pipetting needle is formed of an electrically conductive material and is connected to a metering device by a tubing, and is for transferring a predetermined volume of liquid each time from a primary container to a secondary container. The transport device is for the controlled transport of the pipetting needle in three directions at right angles to one another, two of the transport directions extending horizontally and the third transport direction extending vertically. The control device is for controlling the metering device and the transport device. For the purpose of testing the linearity of the pipetting needle the analyzer includes a device for guiding the tip of the pipetting needle around the periphery of the top edge of a reference body (the tip of the pipetting needle is guided at a specific distance from the top edge of the reference body, which distance is a measure of the acceptable curvature of the pipetting needle), and an electrical circuit for detecting electrical contact between the tip of the pipetting needle and the reference body.

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Vitznau, Switzerland

Rolf Moser