Liquid handling

A method of operating an analysis system that has

• a first region in which sample materials are adapted to be stored.
• a second region in which an analysis cuvette is adapted to be disposed,
• transfer mechanism including a liquid handling probe, a probe transport carriage on which said liquid handling probe is mounted,
• a drive for moving said transport carriage between said first and second regions, said transport carriage including a solid body of thermally conductive material, sample material storage chamber structure embedded in said body and connected to said liquid handling probe, thermal energy supply means in heat exchange relation with said body, and thermal sensor means carried by said transport carriage, and
• liquid metering means connected to said storage chamber, said method comprising the steps of
• maintaining said first region at an appropriate storage temperature,
• disposing sample materials in said first region, disposing an analysis cuvette in said second region, maintaining said second region at an appropriate analysis temperature at least about 10.degree. C. higher than said storage temperature such that said analysis cuvette is equilibrated to said analysis temperature,
• supplying thermal energy to said thermal energy supply means in response to said thermal sensor means to maintain said transport carriage body at said analysis temperature, and
• operating said drive and metering means to draw a predetermined quantity fo sample material for analysis from said first region through said probe into said storage chamber and to deliver said predetermined quantity of sample material to said analysis cuvette in said second region equilibrated in temperature to said analysis temperature in a time interval of about one second.