Method and apparatus to enable real time non-contact in vitro temperature measurement for nanoparticle calorimetry in time varying magnetic field

摘要

An apparatus for maintaining organic cells in vitro whilst simultaneously applying a time-varying radio frequency magnetic field and taking non-contact, real-time temperature or calorimetry measurements. The organic cells are cultured with magnetically susceptible particles or nanoparticles so that hyperthermia takes place within the magnetic field. The apparatus comprises: an incubation chamber; a magnetic field source, e.g. a coil or gapped core, connected to an alternating magnetic field generator; a cell culture vessel preferably with a biocompatible base of thickness 50µm or less; temperature sensors, preferably either a fibre optic or an infrared sensor, whose tips are attached/focussed to the underside of the cell culture vessel respectively. The magnetic field source may be cooled e.g. using liquid nitrogen or water. The magnetically susceptible particles may comprise gold. The temperature sensor may be of single channel or multichannel, may contain a computer interface and software to measure and record the real-time temperature change.