Temperature control devices and methods

1. A temperature control method comprising:

providing an object of interest at a first temperature, the object of interest coupled to a first non-fluidic thermal path;

providing a thermal mass at a second temperature, the thermal mass coupled to a second non-fluidic thermal path;

using a thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the thermal mass at the second temperature;

providing a thermal contact having a first position and a second position, the first position selected to accommodate a thermal transfer between the object of interest and the thermal mass through the first and second non-fluidic thermal paths;

setting the thermal contact to the first position;

establishing a desired temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature; and

setting the thermal contact to the second position when the object of interest reaches the desired temperature;

wherein the thermal contact comprises a liquid metal filled syringe, wherein the setting the thermal contact to the first position is set by pushing a syringe plunger, and the setting the thermal contact to the second position is set by pulling the syringe plunger.

2. The temperature control method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the position of the thermal contact by a feedback control system, the feedback control system comprising electronic circuits and a temperature sensor estimating a temperature of the object of interest.

3. The temperature control method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the rate of the thermal transfer by coating contact areas.

4. The temperature control method of claim 3 , wherein coating contact areas comprises using at least one of a carbon nano-tube, flexible graphite, mercury, metal foil, or gallium.

5. The temperature control method of claim 1 , wherein the separation distance is a variable separation distance that provides for a plurality of thermal transfer rates based on a corresponding plurality of separation distances.

6. The temperature control method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the thermal mass at the second temperature does not undergo temperature cycling.

7. A temperature cycling method comprising:

providing an object of interest;

providing a hot thermal mass at a first temperature T 1 ;

using a thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the hot thermal mass at the first temperature T 1 ;

providing a cold thermal mass at a second temperature T 2 ;

using a thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the cold thermal mass at the second temperature T 2 ;

providing a thermal contact having a first position and a second position;

during a cycle, establishing a non-fluidic thermal connection between the object of interest and the first thermal mass by positioning the thermal contact into the first position;

maintaining the thermal contact in the first position until the object of interest reaches a first desired temperature T hot that is located between the first temperature T 1 and the second temperature T 2 ; and

maintaining the thermal contact in the second position until the object of interest reaches a second desired temperature T cold that is located between the first temperature T 1 and the second temperature T 2 ;

wherein the thermal contact comprises a liquid metal filled syringe, wherein the setting the thermal contact to the first position is set by pushing a syringe plunger, and the setting the thermal contact to the second position is set by pulling the syringe plunger.

8. The temperature cycling method of claim 7 , further comprising controlling the position of the thermal contact by a feedback control system, the feedback control system comprising electronic circuits and a temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the object of interest.

9. The temperature cycling method of claim 7 , wherein the thermal contact is along a non-fluidic thermal path separate from the object of interest, the first thermal mass, and the second thermal mass.

10. The temperature control method of claim 9 , wherein a distance of the non-fluidic thermal path is independent of the first position and the second position of the thermal contact.

11. The temperature cycling method of claim 7 , further comprising controlling a heat transfer rate by coating contact areas.

12. The temperature cycling method of claim 11 , wherein the coating is at least one of: carbon nano-tube, flexible graphite, mercury, metal foil, or gallium.

13. The temperature cycling method of claim 7 , wherein the first thermal mass is a container of liquid having a temperature greater than a temperature of the object of interest, and the second thermal mass is a container of liquid having a temperature less than the temperature of the object of interest.

14. The temperature cycling method of claim 7 , wherein the cold thermal mass at a second temperature T 2 comprises a first container containing ice.

15. The temperature cycling method of claim 14 , wherein the hot thermal mass at a second temperature T 1 comprises a second container containing water.

16. The temperature cycling method claim 7 , wherein the thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the hot thermal mass at the first temperature T 1 and the thermoelectric heater/cooler for setting the cold thermal mass at the second temperature T 2 do not undergo temperature cycling.