Sensor arrangement

• US 20050022581A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection - Pasadena Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sunshine, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/31.50
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0255 (Bio)chemical reactions, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2481 Wireless probes, e.g. with transponders or radio links
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/493 urine
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A chemical sensing system has: an interrogation unit operable to wirelessly transmit an interrogation signal and wirelessly receive a response; an environmentally sealed container for holding a chemical analyte; a sensor array unit in fluid communication with the analyte disposed within the container, where the sensor array unit is operable to generate a response in the presence of a chemical stimulus; and a passive responder unit connected with the sensor array unit, the responder unit being powered from the interrogation signal, where the responder unit is operable to wirelessly receive the interrogation signal and wirelessly transmit the response to the interrogation signal to the interrogation unit.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement, comprising:

an interrogation unit operable to wirelessly transmit an interrogation signal and to wirelessly receive a response;

a container configured to be environmentally sealed and for holding a chemical analyte;

a sensor array unit in fluid communication with the analyte disposed within the container, the sensor array unit being configured to respond to the analyte; and

a responder unit connected with the sensor array unit, the responder unit being configured to be powered by the interrogation signal, the responder unit being operable to wirelessly transmit to the interrogation unit a signal indicative of the sensor array unit'"'"'s response to the analyte.

2. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, wherein the responder unit comprises an antenna configured to respond to the interrogation signal to produce an electrical signal that activates the responder unit and the sensor array unit.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein the responder unit is a passive responder unit and comprises an integrated circuit.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the response generated by the sensor array unit is a measurable electrical property.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array unit and the responder unit are combined in a single integrated circuit.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit further comprises a transceiver.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit is a handheld device.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each sensor in the sensor array is a member selected from the group consisting of a bulk conducting polymer film, a semiconducting polymer sensor, a surface acoustic wave device, a fiber optic micromirror, a quartz crystal microbalance, a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor, a dye impregnated polymeric coatings on optical fiber and combinations thereof.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the responder unit further comprises one of a transmitter and a transceiver.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit further comprises processing circuitry which processes the response received by the interrogation unit to identify the analyte.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit further comprises a device for receiving an input from an operator, and a device for providing an output to an operator.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit and the sensor array unit are inductively coupled.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the interrogation unit and the sensor array unit are capacitively coupled.

14. A sensing method, comprising:

placing a sample in a container;

closing the container and enclosing a sensor array therein such that the sensor array is exposed to the sample;

using an interrogation unit to wirelessly transmit an interrogation signal to a responder unit operatively connected with the sensor array, wherein the interrogation signal powers the responder unit;

generating a response indicative of the sample as sensed by the sensor array; and

wirelessly transmitting the response to the interrogation unit using the responder unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sample is obtained from a medical or veterinary bodily fluid, a food product, a municipal water stream, a fluid from a mechanical device, or an industrial process stream.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises urine.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises engine or transmission oil.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising processing the wirelessly transmitted response from the responder unit, to identify the analyte.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the response comprises generating a measurable electrical property.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein wirelessly transmitting the interrogation signal comprises transmitting an electromagnetic signal.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless transmission of the interrogation signal to the responder unit comprises inductively coupling the responder unit and the interrogation unit.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless transmission of the interrogation signal to the responder unit comprises capacitively coupling the responder unit and the interrogation unit.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating a response using the sensor array unit is carried out using the interrogation signal.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting the response to the interrogation unit using the passive responder unit is carried out using power generated using the interrogation signal.

25. A sensor arrangement, comprising:

a container for holding a chemical analyte;

a sensor array unit disposed within the container and in fluid communication with the analyte, the sensor array unit being configured to respond to the analyte; and

a responder unit connected with the sensor unit, the responder unit being configured to be powered by a wireless interrogation signal from an interrogation unit, the responder unit being operable to wirelessly transmit to the interrogation unit a signal indicative of the sensor unit'"'"'s response to the analyte.

26. A sensor arrangement comprising:

a sensor array unit configured to be exposed to an analyte in a gaseous medium; and

an antenna and a transmitter arrangement operatively connected with the sensor array, wherein the antenna is configured to be responsive to a wirelessly transmitted interrogation signal to produce sufficient electrical energy (a) to activate the sensor device and the transmitter coupled to the sensor device and (b) to induce the emission of a signal indicative of an analyte as sensed by the sensor device.