Development and Assessment of a Miniaturized Thermocouple for Precise Temperature Measurement in Biological Tissues and Cells

Abstract

This study presents a novel thermocouple instrument designed for precise temperature monitoring within biological tissues and cells, addressing a significant gap in biological research. Constructed on a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) substrate, the instrument employs doped silicon and chromium/gold junctions, achieving a Seebeck coefficient of up to 447 uV/K, rapid response times, high temperature accuracy, and the necessary durability for tissue measurements. The cleanroom fabrication process yields a device featuring a triangular sensing tip. Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with COMSOL Multiphysics, the research delves into the device's thermal time constant within tissue environments. The device's efficacy in biological settings was validated by measuring temperatures inside ex-vivo tissue samples. Our findings, bolstered by FEA COMSOL simulations, confirm the device's robustness and applicability in biological studies. This advancement in thermocouple microneedle technology provides biologists with an instrument for accurately tracking temperature fluctuations in tissues.