DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETER UPGRADE

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 Acert拥有一台Perkin-Elmer DSC-4型热量计，我们偶尔会使用该量热计对中心用户提供的样品进行热量测量。该仪器已有近30年的历史，虽然量热计部分运行良好，但控制界面、专用操作计算机和数据存储介质仅具有历史价值。因此，我们不再能够使用原始计算平台存储数据或执行分析。为了重振这个原本可以发挥作用的仪器，我们调查了商业售后计算机/控制系统升级的可用性(仪器专家公司)但发现现有的带有数据分析软件的计算机硬件包比我们的要求更全面，也更昂贵。相反，我们注意到我们的需要是基本的，即只收集热流与温度的数据，我们对P-E DSC-4仪器进行了检查，并确定提取适当的信号并提供一种将其转换为数据以供分析和存储的方法将是一项相当简单的任务。随后，我们将计算机更新为当代的IBM兼容设备，并增加了一个外部的USB接口通用数据采集设备(National Instruments，Inc.)。由于我们无法访问描述Perkin-Elmer专有控制信号的信息，因此目前通过手动操作DSC-4控制和采样盒来启动数据收集，此时计算机开始收集数据。按当前配置转换的数据包括DSC-4热流率和温度模拟信号，以及每10℃出现一次的与温度标记对应的数字信号。我们计划在夏季结束前开发一套基本的量热分析软件例程，用于半自动分析DSC-4数据。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. ACERT possesses a Perkin-Elmer model DSC-4 calorimeter which we occasionally want to employ for calorimetric measurements on samples provided by center users. This instrument is almost 30 years old and, although the calorimeter section functions well, the control interface, dedicated operating computer and data storage media are only of historical interest. Consequently, we were no longer able to store data or perform analysis with the original computing platform. To revitalize this otherwise functional instrument, we investigated the availability of a commercial aftermarket computer/control system upgrade (Instrument Specialists, Inc.) but found the available package of computer hardware with data analysis software to be both more comprehensive and more expensive than our requirements justified. Noting instead that our need was elementary, i.e., only the collection of heat flow vs. temperature data, we undertook an examination of the P-E DSC-4 apparatus and determined that extraction of appropriate signals and providing a means for their conversion to data for analysis and storage would be a reasonably straightforward task. Subsequently, we have updated the computer to a contemporary IBM-compatible unit and added an external, USB-interfaced universal data acquisition device (National Instruments, Inc.). Because we did not have access to information describing the Perkin-Elmer proprietary control signals, data collection is for now initiated by manual operation of the DSC-4 control and sample chasses at which time the computer begins collecting data. The data that is converted with the current arrangement comprises the DSC-4 heat flow rate and temperature analog signals, and a digital signal corresponding to temperature marker occurring every 10 ¿ C. We plan to develop by the end of the summer a suite of basic calorimetry analysis software routines for semiautomated analysis of the DSC-4 data.