[Areas of application of isothermal microcalorimetry in urology: an overview].

Isothermal microcalorimetry (IMC) is a nonspecific analytical tool for measurement of heat. With sensitivity in the order of 0.2 μW, IMC can detect very small amounts of heat produced by only a small number of microorganisms or eukaryotic cells. This report is intended to introduce IMC to the urological audience and to give an overview about the past, present and future of this cutting edge technology in the urological context.