Specific heat capacity of freshly excised prostate specimens

Physiol Meas. 2011 Nov;32(11):N55-64. doi: 10.1088/0967-3334/32/11/N02. Epub 2011 Oct 26.

Abstract

The specific heat capacity of tissue is a critical parameter for thermal therapies that act over a long period of time. It is also critical for thermoacoustic signal generation. We present ex vivo measurements of specific heat capacity performed by a dual-pin probe with tight temperature control of the specimen. One 30 mm × 1.28 mm probe heats steadily for 30 s, while another measurement probe measures temperatures 6 mm away from the center of the heater probe. Specific heat values ranging from 2.9 to 4 J cm(-3) °C(-1) were measured on 20 lobes from ten fresh prostate specimens with varying degrees of cancerous involvement as confirmed by histology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Equipment Design
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Biological*
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / methods*
  • Prostate / pathology*
  • Prostate / physiology*
  • Prostate / surgery
  • Prostatectomy
  • Temperature
  • Thermometers*