Patent ID: 7157801

Claim:
An instrument for monitoring processes which are accompanied by changes in heat content or enthalpy, the instrument comprising: a support; a membrane having a first surface and a second surface, the membrane being mechanically supported by the support on at least one point on one of the first or the second surfaces; at least one device comprising a thermopile with a cold junction located in a first region of the first surface of the membrane and a hot junction located in a second region of the first surface of the membrane, wherein the membrane thermally and electrically isolates the first region and the second region, and wherein the at least one device generates an electrical output signal in response to a thermal input; a first channel for bringing a first substance in thermal contact with the first region; and a second channel for bringing a second substance in thermal contact with the second region, wherein the first and the second channels are in close proximity to the first and second regions, respectively, and wherein the sides of the adjacent channels form a wall.