US Patent 8633015 Flow-based thermocycling system with thermoelectric cooler

Thermocycling system, including methods and apparatus, for performing a flow-based reaction on a sample in fluid. The system may include a plurality of segments defining at least two temperature regions, and also may include a plurality of heating elements configured to maintain each temperature region at a different desired temperature. At least one of the heating elements may be a thermoelectric cooler operatively disposed to transfer heat to and/or from a temperature region The system further may include a fluid channel extending along a helical path that passes through the temperature regions multiple times such that fluid flowing in the channel is heated and cooled cyclically.