Patent ID: 7947223

Claim:
A biosensor apparatus comprising: a housing ( 5 , 6 ); a pair of heat sinks ( 11 , 12 ) and a pair of heat reflectors ( 13 , 14 ) thermally floating relative to the heat sinks, said pairs of heat sinks being arranged in said housing ( 5 , 6 ) and thermally floating relative to the environment inside the housing ( 5 , 6 ); wherein a space separates each of the pair of heat sinks ( 11 , 12 ) from each corresponding heat reflector ( 13 , 14 ); and a pair of Peltier elements ( 16 ) attached to and in thermal contact with said heat sinks ( 11 , 12 ), one element ( 16 ) on each heat sink ( 11 , 12 ), there being a gap between them for the accommodation of a generally flat biosensor unit ( 17 ) in which reactions can be made to take place, said reactions generating a flow of heat in said heat sinks; wherein the housing is made of an insulating and heat radiation resistant material; the heat sinks ( 11 , 12 ) are made of a material with thermal properties selected such that their envelope surfaces have a high heat emissivity, and such that absorption of a heat flow from a reaction in said biosensor can take place within a time of 5-30 seconds, and thereafter the absorbed heat can be released within a time less than 2 min; and wherein the heat reflectors ( 13 , 14 ) have a surface of very low emissivity and a high heat reflectivity, and have a generally flat and thin disc shaped structure.