Measuring the mechanical efficiency of a working cardiac muscle sample at body temperature using a flow-through calorimeter

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2015 Aug:2015:7966-9. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2015.7320240.

Abstract

We have developed a new `work-loop calorimeter' that is capable of measuring, simultaneously, the work-done and heat production of isolated cardiac muscle samples at body temperature. Through the innovative use of thermoelectric modules as temperature sensors, the development of a low-noise fluid-flow system, and implementation of precise temperature control, the heat resolution of this device is 10 nW, an improvement by a factor of ten over previous designs. These advances have allowed us to conduct the first flow-through measurements of work output and heat dissipation from cardiac tissue at body temperature. The mechanical efficiency is found to vary with peak stress, and reaches a peak value of approximately 15 %, a figure similar to that observed in cardiac muscle at lower temperatures.

MeSH terms

  • Body Temperature
  • Body Temperature Regulation
  • Calorimetry
  • Hot Temperature
  • Myocardium*
  • Temperature