TEMPERATURE INDEPENDENT PRESSURE SENSOR AND ASSOCIATED METHODS THEREOF

• US 20110320142A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Morris, William Guy, Surman, Cheryl Margaret
• Application Number:
  US12/824,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0072 using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0098 using semiconductor body comprising at least one PN junction as detecting element

Abstract

A temperature independent pressure sensor for selectively determining pressure is provided. The sensor comprises a resonance sensor circuit, a pressure sensitive component disposed on the sensor circuit, and an electromagnetic field modulator. A temperature independent pressure sensor system comprises a resonance sensor circuit, a pressure sensitive component disposed on the sensor circuit, an electromagnetic field modulator, and a processor that generates a multivariate analysis of sensor response pattern that is based on a change in an environmental pressure of the sensor system. A method of detecting a pressure response pattern in a temperature independent manner is also provided.

Claims

1. A resonance circuit-based temperature independent pressure sensor, comprising:

a resonance sensor circuit;

a pressure sensitive component disposed on the resonance sensor circuit; and

an electromagnetic field modulator operatively coupled to the pressure sensitive component to at least partially modulate an electromagnetic field generated by the sensor circuit.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the resonance sensor circuit is an inductor-capacitor-resistor circuit.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the resonance sensor circuit comprises a radio frequency identification circuit.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency identification circuit comprises a radio frequency identification tag.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic field modulator is configured to absorb electromagnetic field.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic field modulator is configured to reflect electromagnetic field.

7. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer disposed on the electromagnetic field modulator.

8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the protective layer comprises flexible dielectric materials comprising polymers or silicones.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive component comprises a flexible membrane, a diaphragm, a mechanical spring, or a combination thereof.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a structure of the pressure sensitive component is selected from a spherical shape, a dome shape, a cubical shape, a flat sheet, or a combination thereof.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a material of the pressure sensitive component is selected from a metal, a polymer, a foam, a dielectric material, or a combination thereof.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive component is impregnated with an electrically conductive material.

13. The sensor of claim 12, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises carbon black particles, metal nanoparticles, metal microparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets, or combinations thereof.

14. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic field modulator comprises an electrically conductive film.

15. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic field modulator comprises one or more layers.

16. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic field modulator comprises a stack of layers, wherein two or more of the layers comprise different materials.

17. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is capable of operating within an electromagnetic spectrum having a frequency in a range from about 100 kHz to 20 GHz.

18. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is incorporated into a bioprocess component.

19. A resonance circuit-based temperature independent pressure sensor system, comprising:

a resonant sensor circuit;

a pressure sensitive component disposed on the resonance sensor circuit; and

an electromagnetic field modulator operatively coupled to the pressure sensitive component to at least partially modulate an electromagnetic field generated by the sensor circuit to produce a sensor response pattern; and

a processor that generates a multivariate analysis of the sensor response pattern that is based, at least in part, on the sensor response pattern.

20. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the resonant sensor circuit comprises a radio frequency identification circuit.

21. The sensor system of claim 19, wherein the processor receives the sensor response pattern wirelessly.

22. A method of measuring temperature independent pressure change of a sample, comprising:

collecting impedance data using a sensor comprising a resonance sensor circuit, a pressure sensitive component and an electromagnetic field modulator;

applying a multivariate analysis to a plurality of resonance parameters, at least two of which are based on the collected impedance data; and

quantifying any change in pressure that is independent of any change in temperature based at least in part on the multivariate analysis.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the multivariate analysis comprises identifying one or more sensor response patterns.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the resonance parameters is measured and at least one of the resonance parameters is calculated.