Tubes

Abstract

A thin-walled microplate suitable for use in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique comprising a plurality of thin-walled tubes or wells arranged in a fixed array, each well having an upper portion with an open top and a lower, frustoconical portion having a substantially flat bottom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thin-walled microplate for use in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique comprising a plurality of wells arranged in an access array, each well having an upper portion with an open top and a lower, frustoconical portion having a substantially flat bottom. 
     
     
         2 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat bottom of each of the wells in the array has a surface that extends in substantially the same horizontal plane such that an inner bottom surface of each well is substantially equidistant from the top of a microplate in order that items, such as cells, retained along said inner bottom surface of said plurality of wells in the array are in a focal plane that is substantially the same when viewed from above through the open top of the respective wells. 
     
     
         3 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 2 , wherein a distance from the open top to the inner bottom surface of each well is the same to within +/−0.1 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 2 , wherein a distance from the open top to the inner bottom surface of each well is the same to within +/−0.05 mm or better. 
     
     
         5 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein the flat bottom surface of each well has an external diameter in the range 2.0 mm to 4.5 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 5 , wherein the external diameter is in the range 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat bottom surface of one or more wells in the array incorporates a machine-readable code. 
     
     
         8 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 7 , wherein the machine-readable code is readable using an optical vision system. 
     
     
         9 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 7 , wherein the machine-readable code is on the external surface of the substantially flat bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein an external surface of the substantially flat bottom on each well incorporates a protection ring or bead. 
     
     
         11 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 10 , wherein the protection ring or bead is located substantially on an outer circumference of the substantially flat bottom. 
     
     
         12 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat bottom of each well is formed from substantially clear material, such that each well has a flat, optically-clear window. 
     
     
         13 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of wells are held in a substantially rigid frame. 
     
     
         14 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 13 , wherein the substantially rigid frame is formed from a first plastics material and the tubes or wells are formed from a second plastics material that is suitable for PCR use. 
     
     
         15 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 13 , wherein the wells are not integrally fixed in the rigid frame but can be individually removed from the frame and are therefore randomly accessible. 
     
     
         16 . The thin-walled microplate according to  claim 13 , wherein the wells are substantially permanently fixed in the rigid frame and are therefore not randomly accessible.