Comparative Run Time Evaluations of PCR Thermal Cyclers

Besides control accuracy and temperature homogeneity, the customary technical details of a thermal cycler also include the ramp rate of the thermoblock. The ramp rate, in particular, is not subject to a uniform standard; instead, manufacturers state a variety of parameters. To this end, this article investigates whether the details pertaining to the ramp rates stated are suitable. Comparative studies showed that isolated considerations had limited meaningfulness.