Summary
UCLA researchers have developed a highly sensitive qualitative micro-scale calorimeter that can accept down to 1/1000th the reaction values of state of the art calorimeters and could be designed for both liquid and gaseous samples.
Background
Microcalorimeters are devices that measure very small quantities of heat in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, and pharmacology to measure thermodynamic properties of biological macromolecules, such as proteins. Two commonly used types of microcalorimeters are the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and the isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC). This invention enables high sensitivity qualitative calorimetric analysis for thermodynamic and kinetic determination of reaction enthalpy reaction kinetics, etc. The key feature of the device is that it operates in liquids and gaseous environments in comparison ITC and DTC. This invention requires reaction values up to x1,000 less and suited to proteomic or small molecule studies for drug discovery and biochemical analysis. The technique is compatible with high throughput, automatic sample handling systems and also compatible with biotech industrial processes. In addition, the calorimeter can also be used as a photothermal spectrometer or IR-spectrometer based on the thermal signal, generated by IR, visible, or UV absorption.
Innovation
Researchers at UCLA have developed a micro-scale calorimeter using piezoresistive and/or piezoelectric materials as a sensor element to reduce necessary sample activity by 1000-fold.
Applications
Advantages