Temperature sensors for use in muscle microcalorimetry

In order to measure the heat production of small samples of heart muscle, very sensitive temperature sensors are required. In this paper, we survey a range of candidate temperature sensors for use in a microcalorimeter for studying cardiac muscle tissue. The key metrics (noise-equivalent temperature, thermal mass and noise-equivalent heat) of eight different temperature and heat sensors are compared. The sensor that would potentially allow the greatest heat resolution utilises the phenomenon of vapour pressure. An initial prototype of this thermometer has been constructed, and the design of a new sensor is outlined.