Thin film heater and analytical instrument

An analytical instrument to be mounted in use to an analytical apparatus, the analytical instrument comprising at least one reaction vessel for causing reaction between a sample and a reagent, and a thin film heater that when engergized, provides heat to an inside of said at least one reaction vessel;

• wherein the thin film heater includes a thin film heat-producing resistor, and a first and a second thin film electrodes electrically connected to the thin film heat-producing resistor to apply voltage to the thin film heat-producing resistor;
• wherein the first thin film electrode, the thin film heat-producing resistor and the second thin film electrode are laminated in a film thickness direction in the mentioned order to form a heating laminate in which the first thin film electrode is formed on a first surface of the thin film heat-producing resistor while the second thin film electrode is formed on a second surface of the thin film heat-producing resistor opposite to the first surface of the thin film heat-producing resistor;
• wherein the thin film heat-producing resistor is generally annular and includes an inner circumferential edge and an outer circumferential edge, the thin film heat-producing resistor also including a radially extending cutout that extends from the inner circumferential edge to the outer circumferential edge, one of the first and second thin film electrodes including a first projection located at the radially extending cutout of the thin film heat-producing resistor closer to the inner circumferential edge, the other of the first and second thin film electrodes including a second projection located at the radially extending cutout of the thin film heat-producing resistor closer to the outer circumferential edge, the first and second projections being radially separated from each other at the radially extending cutout of the thin film heat-producing resistor.