Patent ID: 8491185

Claim:
A method for checking a quality of a thermal coupling between a measuring cell and a thermostatted element of an analyzer, the measuring cell being exchangeably insertable into the analyzer, and being provided with at least one sensor element in a measuring channel, the method comprising: (a) establishing mechanical contact with between the measuring cell and the thermostatted element; (b) filling the measuring channel with a fluid having a known temperature dependent property, (c) equilibrating the temperature between the measuring channel and the fluid; (d) applying a rapid temperature change to the measuring channel using the thermostatted element; (e) measuring over time a signal curve of the at least one sensor element after the rapid temperature change has been applied, wherein the at least one sensor element measures the signal curve over time of the temperature dependent property of the fluid, and (f) determining the quality of the thermal coupling by analyzing the signal curve over time resulting from the measurements of step (e).