Patent ID: 8691561

Claim:
A thermal treatment apparatus comprising: a fluidic device having at least one channel; a first temperature-changing unit configured to change a temperature of a fluid in at least a first part of the at least one channel; a second temperature-changing unit configured to change a temperature of the fluid in at least a second part of the at least one channel; and a microprocessor configured to instruct the first and second temperature-changing units, wherein the microprocessor includes a mode of instructing the first and second temperature-changing units to change their respective temperatures opposite to each other while the fluid remains in a reaction field in the at least one channel, wherein the temperature changes by the first and second temperature-changing units cause at least any one of an expansion and contraction of the fluid in parts of the channel that are affected by the temperatures changes, and wherein the at least any one of the expansion and contraction of the fluid due to the temperature change caused by the first temperature-changing unit is offset by the at least any one of the expansion and contraction of the fluid due to the temperature change caused by the second temperature-changing unit.