I'm looking on a similar problem.
look at the spec of the flow cell first:
http://cu.imt.net/~mitbst/Flow_Cells.html
we talk about a slide and a cover slip, set in to a polycarbonate plate (that separates them to create a cell). on top of it lays a thin rubber gasket (on both sides) on top of witch an aluminum plate is screwed. so under the microscope you have a glass sandwich, that contains one ml of water, tightly sealed. (exact dimensions of the flow channel:4.75 cmX1.27 cmX 0.16 cm.
I need to heat the liquid that flows in to the cell to 37 C so a certain chemical reaction will take place and effect the bacteria that grow within the cell.to do that i intend to heat the incoming tube that feeds the cell. the tube is made out of tygon, which to our purpose has the thermodynamic properties of plasticized PVC, with a heat transfer coefficient of 0.19. the pipe internal diameter is 0.64 mm and it's outer diameter is 0.91 mm. it is quite flexible. in order to keep the system clean and sterile, the pipe should be changed every experiment.the flow trough the pipe is 100 micro liters per minute
so, I need a system that can heat the incoming liquid trough the pipe, to 37 C, and if possible the cell itself (trough the aluminum exterior). the length of the pipe will be set to fit the system. and the system should accommodate pipe replacement.
I would appreciate a good solution to the problem. bear in mind that my budget for this solution is low, I need only one system, and I work in Israel, so costume made extravaganzas are out of my range.
thank you very much
Nimrod.