Patent ID: 7585663

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a fluid processing device including at least one fluid processing pathway that comprises including at least a first fluid retainment region, a second fluid retainment region, and a fluid communication between the first fluid retainment region and the second fluid retainment region; providing one or more thermal devices, each thermal device including a first block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, a second block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and a heat-pump device disposed adjacent the first block and the second block; transferring thermal energy from at least one of the first block and the second block to the other of the first block and the second block using the heat-pump device; holding the fluid processing device in a heat-transfer position wherein the first fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the first block and the second fluid retainment region is in thermal contact with the second block; providing a second thermal device including a third block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, a fourth block having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/cm·K, and a second heat-pump device disposed between the third block and the fourth block; transferring thermal energy from at least one of the third block and the fourth block to the other of the third block and the fourth block; and positioning the second thermal device wherein the third block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the first fluid retainment region and the fourth block is in the heat-transfer position with respect to the second fluid retainment region.