Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for use in the measurement of the heat generated in a chemical or biochemical reaction, by detecting and measuring a change in the conformation of a polymer transducer responsive to a heat change, the transducer being bound to the surface of the waveguides of an interferometer. The conformational change is detected by optical means and is compared with a control. The polymer transducer may be selected from an organic polymer or a biological macromolecule.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, a measuring cell and a system for measuring very small heat changes in a sample. The system comprises a measuring cell 16 for containing the sample during the measurement process, at least one electromagnetic radiation unit 14 for radiating one or several samples with modulated monochromatic or polychromatic radiation 46 inside said measuring cell 16. Said measuring cell 16 comprises at least one acoustic transducer 22 for generating a first output signal V(t) and at least one heat measuring device 24 for generating a second output signal T(t). Both signals are connectable to a combining unit 18 that generates an information signal by means of a reference signal f(t). Said information signal is connectable to a signal processing unit 20 for determining at least one relevant reaction parameter as a function of the measured heat change.