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INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY

A unique micromechanocalorimeter for simultaneous measurement of heat rate and force production of cardiac trabeculae carneae

¹Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Departments of ²Engineering Science and ⁴Physiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; and ³Department of Computational Physiology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Submitted 21 May 2009 ; accepted in final form 8 July 2009

To study cardiac muscle energetics quantitatively, it is of paramount importance to measure, simultaneously, mechanical and thermal performance. Ideally, this should be achieved under conditions that minimize the risk of tissue anoxia, especially under high rates of energy expenditure. In vitro, this consideration necessitates the use of preparations of small radial dimensions. To that end, we have constructed a unique micromechanocalorimeter, consisting of an open-ended flow-through microcalorimeter, a force transducer, and a pair of muscle-length actuators. The device enables the metabolic and mechanical performance of cardiac trabeculae carneae to be investigated for prolonged periods in a continuously replenished oxygen- and nutrient-rich environment.

muscle energetics; microcalorimetry; heat-stress relation; activation heat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Goo, P. Joshi, G. Sands, D. Gerneke, A. Taberner, Q. Dollie, I. LeGrice, and D. Loiselle Trabeculae carneae as models of the ventricular walls: implications for the delivery of oxygen J. Gen. Physiol., September 28, 2009; 134(4): 339 - 350. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]