Patent ID: 7470057

Claim:
A differential scanning calorimeter sensor, comprising: a base having a relatively thick lower portion and a sample thin wall part and a reference thin wall part that are each attached to the relatively thick lower portion; a sample platform joined to the base on a top portion of the sample thin wall part, the sample platform configured to support a sample container on a first side of the sample platform; a reference platform joined to the base on a top portion of the reference thin wall part, the reference platform configured to support a reference container on a first side of the reference platform; a sample thermocouple wire attached to the sample platform on a second side of the sample platform opposite the first side of the sample platform, the sample thermocouple configured to measure the temperature of a sample; a reference thermocouple wire attached to the reference platform on a second side of the reference platform opposite the first side of the reference platform, the reference thermocouple configured to measure the temperature of a reference; a first base thermocouple wire attached to the base; and a second base thermocouple wire attached to the base, wherein the relatively thick lower portion of the base, the sample thin wall part, the reference thin wall part, and the first base thermocouple wire are made from a first alloy of a thermocouple pair having a first alloy and a second alloy, and wherein the reference platform, the sample platform, the sample thermocouple wire, the reference thermocouple wire, and the second base thermocouple wire are made from a second alloy of the thermocouple pair, wherein a sample thermocouple junction is formed between the sample platform and the sample thin wall part, wherein a reference thermocouple junction is formed between the reference platform and the reference thin wall part, wherein all heat that flows between the sample container and base flows across the sample thermocouple junction, and wherein all heat that flows between the reference container and base flows across the reference thermocouple junction.