Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026

An Improved Method for Collection of Cerebrospinal Fluid from Anesthetized Mice
Published on: March 19, 2018
A low-cost picowatt calorimeter using a flexible printed circuit board
Hanliang Zhu1, Yue Zhang1, Lan Wang1
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Systems for Aerospace, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China.
Abstract:
Calorimetry is crucial in biology, chemistry, physics, and pharmaceutical research, enabling the detection of heat changes at nanowatt and picowatt levels. However, traditional calorimetry systems are often limited by high costs and complex fabrication processes. Here, we reduce the cost and fabrication complexity of microcalorimeters by utilizing widely available flexible printed circuit manufacturing processes. This device achieves temperature and power resolutions of ≈ 6 μK and ≈ 654 pW in vacuum. Its feasibility is validated across a wide range of measurements, including salt crystallization, protein crystallization, and cellular metabolism. Our concept enhances the accessibility of microcalorimeters for high-resolution thermal analysis, which is challenging for conventional calorimeters.
Related Concept Videos
06:40An Improved Method for Collection of Cerebrospinal Fluid from Anesthetized Mice
08:40Absolute Quantification of Aβ1-42 in CSF Using a Mass Spectrometric Reference Measurement Procedure
11:47Treating SCA1 Mice with Water-Soluble Compounds to Non-Specifically Boost Mitochondrial Function
05:51Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain
11:56A Rapid and Specific Microplate Assay for the Determination of Intra- and Extracellular Ascorbate in Cultured Cells
14:55Direct Intraventricular Delivery of Drugs to the Rodent Central Nervous System

