Techne PrimeQ - Manual (Page 48)

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PrimeQ’s thermal cycler block accommodates a low-profile 96-well plate. Each block is internally
calibrated so that if the block is replaced, the temperature performance is unchanged without
having to recalibrate the instrument
The thermal block is accessed by opening the PrimeQ sample drawer. This provides the user with
access to the block so that plates can be loaded or unloaded.
2.7 Scanning module
The scanning module delivers excitation light to the sample wells and then collects the emitted
light. It also plays a role in heating the top of the sample plate and in preventing sample
evaporation. It is made up of two basic components: the heated lid and the X-Y fibre optics.
• Heated lid: This component is made up of a heated glass plate that comes into contact with
the top of the sample plate. Designed with a special optical coating, the heated glass plate
provides uniform heating at the uppermost surface of the sample plate and thereby prevents
sample loss due to evaporation and condensation. The heated lid also helps to hold the
sample plate flat, and by being located within a cover, it provides a light-tight chassis for the
X-Y fibre optics.
• X-Y fibre optics: Excitation light is carried from the optics module to the sample wells
through a flexible fibre optic bundle. The X-Y mechanism scans each well in turn to
transport the light into and out of the sample wells. The same fibre optic bundle carries the
emitted light back from the well and into the optics module for delivery to the detector.