US Patent 7799521 Thermal cycling

A device for processing a biological sample includes a processing unit having at least one opening to receive a sample vessel and a plurality of processing stations positioned along the opening. The processing stations each have a compression member adapted to compress the sample vessel within the opening and thereby move a substance within the sample vessel among the processing stations. An energy transfer element can be coupled to one or more of the processing stations for transferring thermal energy to the content at a processing station.