Resistive thermal sensing

A calorimeter comprising:

• a resistive thermometer element that includes vanadium oxide;
• circuitry through which electrical resistance of the thermometer element can be detected;
• and
• a structure with a reaction region in which reactions that produce thermal change occur, the structure conducting temperature from reactions in the reaction region to the thermometer element;
• the reaction region and the thermometer element being spaced apart;
• the structure further including a component with high thermal conductivity that is in thermal contact with the reaction region and with the thermometer element.

A calorimeter comprising:

• a thermal sensor that includes a thermistor, the thermistor including vanadium oxide;
• the thermal sensor having noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) not greater than approximately 100 μK over a bandwidth range of approximately 3 Hz or more under the calorimeter's operating conditions;
• a structure with a thermal conducting path that provides a thermal input signal to the thermistor;
• the thermistor being on the structure;
• the structure including;
• a polymer layer;
• and
• a barrier layer between the thermistor and the polymer layer;
• and
• detecting circuitry connected to the thermal sensor, the detecting circuitry allowing electrical detection of information about the thermal input signal provided by the thermal conducting path.

A calorimeter comprising:

• a set of one or more low noise thermistors;
• each low noise thermistor having noise equivalent temperature difference not greater than approximately 50 μK over a thermal sensing bandwidth range of approximately 3 Hz or more under the calorimeter's operating conditions;
• a structure with one or more thermal conducting paths, each thermal conducting path providing a respective thermal input signal to a respective subset of the set of thermistors;
• at least one thermistor in the subset including vanadium oxide;
• each thermistor in the subset being on the structure;
• the structure including;
• a polymer layer:
• and
• a barrier layer between the thermistors in the subset and the polymer layer;
• and
• low noise detection circuitry connected to the set of thermistors, the detection circuitry allowing electrical detection of information about the thermal input signals provided by the thermal conducting paths.

An array comprising:

• not less than one calorimeter;
• each calorimeter comprising:
• a set of resistive thermometer elements, each including vanadium oxide;
• circuitry through which electrical resistance of the thermometer elements can be detected;
• and
• a structure with a reaction region in which reactions that produce thermal change occur, the structure conducting temperature from reactions in the reaction region to at least one of the thermometer elements;
• the reaction region and the at least one thermometer element being spaced apart;
• the structure further including a component with high thermal conductivity that is in thermal contact with the reaction region and with the at least one thermometer element.exceeding the maximum noise amplitude.

A calorimeter comprising:

• a support structure that includes a polymer layer and a barrier layer;
• a thermal sensor that includes one or more thermistors that are on the support structure with the barrier layer between the polymer layer and the thermistors, each of the thermistors including vanadium oxide;
• and
• detecting circuitry electrically connected to the thermal sensor;
• the support structure including at least one thermal conducting path that provides thermal input signals to at least one of the thermistors that are on the support structure, the detecting circuitry allowing electrical detection of information about the thermal input signals provided by the thermal conducting path.

A method of producing a calorimeter, comprising:

• producing a resistive thermometer element, circuitry through which electrical resistance of the thermometer element can be detected, and a structure with a reaction region in which reactions that produce thermal change occur;
• the structure conducting temperature from reactions in the reaction region to the thermometer element;
• the reaction region and the thermometer element being spaced apart;
• the structure further including a component with high thermal conductivity that is in thermal contact with the reaction region and with the thermometer element;
• the act of producing the resistive thermometer element, the circuitry, and the structure comprising:
• producing the resistive thermometer element to include vanadium oxide.

A calorimeter comprising:

• a set of one or more low noise thermistors;
• each low noise thermistor having noise equivalent temperature difference not greater than approximately 50 μK over a thermal sensing bandwidth range of approximately 3 Hz or more under the calorimeter's operating conditions;
• a structure with one or more thermal conducting paths, each thermal conducting path providing a respective thermal input signal to a respective subset of the set of thermistors;
• at least one thermistor in the subset including vanadium oxide:
• each thermistor in the subset being on the structure:
• the structure including:
• a polymer layer:
• and
• a barrier layer between the thermistors in the subset and the polymer layer:
• and
• low noise output circuitry connected to the set of thermistors, the output circuitry electrically detecting information about the thermal input signals and, in response, providing an electrical output signal that includes detected information about the thermal input signals provided by the thermal conducting paths.
• in which at least one of:
• the thermal input signal of one of the thermal conductive paths has peaks with amplitude less than approximately 350 μK;
• and
• the structure includes two or more of the thermal conductive paths and at least two of the respective thermal input signals have a difference between them, the electrical output signal including detected information about the difference.