A versatile temperature-controlled reaction cuvet.

A thermostatted reaction cuvet, operating under computerized or manual temperature control in the ultraviolet or visible region, is described and evaluated. The cell was designed for use with the automated chemistry system described earlier [Clin. Chem. 19, 1114 (1973)], but can readily be adapted for other applications. The entire 3-ml cuvet assembly warms from ambient temperature to 37 degrees C in less than 10 min, with plus or minus 0.15 degrees C stability; the long-term stability is plus or minus 0.05 degrees C; temperature recovery time after washing or reagent addition is less than 3 min. The optical pathlength is 10.00 mm and the carryover volume is 18 mu-l.