Systems and methods to mitigate heat leak back in a thermoelectric refrigeration system

A thermoelectric refrigeration system, comprising:

• a cooling chamber;
• a heat exchanger within a wall of the cooling chamber comprising:
• a cold side heat sink;
• a hot side heat sink;
• and
• a cartridge comprising:
• an interconnect board with a plurality of conductive traces, including a first conductive trace and one or more additional conductive traces where the first conductive trace and the one or more additional conductive traces are such that current through the first conductive trace and the one or more additional conductive traces can be separately controlled;
• a plurality of openings from a first surface of the interconnect board to a second surface of the interconnect board, including at least one opening from the first surface of the interconnect board to the second surface of the interconnect board through each of the plurality of conductive traces;
• and
• a plurality of thermoelectric coolers disposed between the cold side heat sink and the hot side heat sink being mounted on the interconnect board over a corresponding one of the plurality of openings through the plurality of conductive traces;
• a heat accept loop that operates to provide one-way transport of heat from the cooling chamber to the cold side heat sink according to thermosyphon principles;
• a heat reject loop that operates to provide one-way transport of heat from the hot side heat sink to an environment that is external to the thermoelectric system according to thermosyphon principles;
• and
• thermal insulation that thermally insulates the heat exchanger from at least one of the group consisting of the cooling chamber of the thermoelectric refrigeration system and the environment that is external to the thermoelectric refrigeration system.