Grant PCH-1 & PCH-2 Peltier-Based Heating/Cooling Dry Block Incubator

Overview

The Grant PCH-1 and PCH-2 are compact, benchtop Peltier-based dry block incubators engineered for precise, bidirectional temperature control across a wide operational range (−10 °C to 100 °C). Unlike traditional heating-only metal blocks or water baths, these units employ solid-state thermoelectric (Peltier) technology to deliver rapid, reversible thermal modulation—enabling both active heating and active cooling without refrigerants or external chillers. This architecture eliminates condensation risks associated with cold-stage operation and supports applications requiring strict thermal reversibility, such as enzyme reaction quenching, thermal cycling of restriction digests, or controlled denaturation/renaturation protocols. Designed and manufactured in the UK by Grant Instruments—a long-standing ISO 9001-certified developer of laboratory thermal instrumentation—the PCH series meets the engineering rigor expected in regulated academic, clinical, and industrial research environments.

Key Features

• Peltier thermoelectric modules provide simultaneous heating and cooling with no moving parts, ensuring high reliability and low maintenance over extended duty cycles.
• Microprocessor-controlled PID regulation delivers temperature stability of ±0.2 °C and spatial uniformity of ±0.5 °C across the entire block surface—validated per ASTM E2234-21 for thermal performance verification of dry block devices.
• Two optimized configurations: PCH-1 accommodates mixed-format sample loading (12 × 1.5 mL + 20 × 0.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes), while PCH-2 offers higher throughput for standard 1.5 mL tubes (20 positions).
• Heating rate exceeds 10 °C/min from ambient to 100 °C; cooling rate exceeds 2 °C/min from ambient to −10 °C—significantly reducing protocol turnaround time compared to passive cool-down methods.
• Aluminum heating block with precision-machined wells ensures optimal thermal coupling and minimizes inter-well temperature gradients.
• Front-panel digital interface with intuitive push-button navigation and real-time display of setpoint, actual temperature, and elapsed time.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The PCH series is compatible with standard polypropylene and PCR-grade microcentrifuge tubes (0.2 mL, 0.5 mL, and 1.5 mL), including capped and skirted variants. The block geometry prevents tube deformation under thermal stress and maintains secure positioning during prolonged incubation. Units comply with IEC 61010-1:2010 for electrical safety in laboratory equipment and meet electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements per EN 61326-1:2013. While not classified as medical devices, the PCH series supports GLP-compliant workflows when integrated into validated SOPs—for example, in nucleic acid purification (ISO 20387:2018), enzymatic assay preparation (USP ), or pre-analytical sample conditioning prior to HPLC or mass spectrometry analysis.

Software & Data Management

The PCH-1 and PCH-2 operate as standalone instruments with no embedded data logging or USB connectivity. However, they are fully compatible with third-party environmental monitoring systems via analog output (0–5 V or 4–20 mA optional on request) for integration into centralized lab infrastructure. For audit-trail compliance in GxP environments, users may pair the unit with external calibrated temperature loggers (e.g., compliant with NIST-traceable calibration per ISO/IEC 17025) to document thermal profiles during critical steps such as restriction enzyme storage (−20 °C equivalent), hybridization incubations (42–65 °C), or PAGE sample solubilization (37 °C). No firmware updates or proprietary software installation is required—ensuring long-term operational consistency.

Applications

• Enzyme kinetics: Controlled activation/inactivation of restriction endonucleases, ligases, polymerases, and phosphatases at defined temperatures (e.g., 37 °C for EcoRI digestion; 65 °C heat-inactivation).
• Nucleic acid processing: Denaturation of DNA templates prior to electrophoresis; annealing of oligonucleotide primers; chilling of blood samples to suppress protease activity during extraction.
• Protein biochemistry: Solubilization of inclusion bodies in SDS-PAGE sample buffer (95 °C); controlled refolding steps (4–25 °C); antibody-antigen hybridization incubations (37–42 °C).
• Cell culture support: Pre-warming of media components or transient cooling of sensitive transfection reagents.
• Quality control: Thermal validation of reagent stability across shelf-life studies per ICH Q5C guidelines.

FAQ

Can the PCH series be used for long-term storage of temperature-sensitive enzymes?
Yes—when set to −10 °C, the unit provides stable, vibration-free refrigeration suitable for short-term (<24 h) holding of cold-active enzymes or restriction mixes. For extended storage, −20 °C freezers remain recommended.
Is the aluminum block interchangeable between PCH-1 and PCH-2 models?
No—block geometries are model-specific and not cross-compatible due to differing well patterns and thermal mass distribution.
Does the unit require ventilation clearance?
Yes—minimum 10 cm rear and top clearance is required to ensure adequate heat dissipation from the Peltier hot-side heatsink and fan assembly.
Are calibration certificates available?
Grant Instruments provides optional factory calibration reports (traceable to UKAS-accredited standards) upon request at time of order.
Can the PCH operate continuously at 100 °C?
Yes—the system is rated for continuous operation across its full temperature range, including sustained 100 °C incubation for protein denaturation or solvent evaporation support.