Sensing apparatus

• US 20060197021A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/343
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation

Abstract

A sensing apparatus is provided which comprises a chip (20) in which a transmission line (2) for propagating an electromagnetic wave is formed on a substrate (1), an electromagnetic wave generator (7) for generating an electromagnetic wave (10), a coupling means (9), and a detector (5) for detecting a propagation state of an electromagnetic wave at an arbitrary location on the transmission line, of the electromagnetic wave propagating through the transmission line (2). An interaction between an object (4) disposed in the vicinity of the transmission line (2) and the electromagnetic wave is detected by the detector (5) to sense a spatial interaction state of the object (4) with the electromagnetic wave.

Claims

1. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a transmission line for propagating an electromagnetic wave therethrough; and

a detection means for detecting propagation state of the electromagnetic wave at an arbitrary location on the transmission line,

wherein an interaction between an object disposed in the vicinity of the transmission line and the electromagnetic wave is detected.

2. The sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic wave generating means.

3. The sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission line and the electromagnetic wave generating means are disposed on a same substrate.

4. The sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic wave generating means is of a current-injection type.

5. The sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means comprises a thin-line-shaped probe.

6. The sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means comprises a probe with a tip of a diameter which is not more than 1/10 of a wavelength of a propagating electromagnetic wave.

7. The sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects the propagation state on the transmission line at a plurality of locations.

8. The sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the detection means detects the propagation state of the electromagnetic wave at the plurality of locations by changing a relative positional relationship between the detection means and the transmission line by scanning.

9. The sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the detection means that detects the propagation state of the electromagnetic wave at the plurality of locations comprises an electrooptic crystal.

10. The sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line is provided with a resonance structure for confining a propagating electromagnetic wave.

11. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave has a frequency within the range of 30 GHz to 30 THz.

12. A sensing apparatus comprising:

a transmission line for propagating an electromagnetic wave therethrough;

a detection means for detecting propagation state of the electromagnetic wave through the transmission line; and

a flow path disposed in the vicinity of the transmission line, for allowing an object to move therein,

wherein an interaction between the object and the electromagnetic wave is detected.

13. The sensing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detection means is provided at a plurality of locations.

14. The sensing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic wave has a frequency within the range of 30 GHz to 30 THz.