FIELD-PORTABLE IMPEDANCE READER AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20120004851A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Ashe, Jeffrey Michael, Morris, William Guy, Surman, Cheryl Margaret
• Granted Patent: US 8,936,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor

Abstract

A field-portable impedance reader is provided. The impedance reader comprises a reader antenna, an impedance compensator, a calibrator, and a synchronous sampler. The impedance reader further comprises a digital processor that receives and processes signals from the synchronous sampler. Further, a wireless system comprising the impedance reader of the invention is provided.

Claims

1. A field-portable impedance reader, comprising:

a reader antenna;

an impedance compensator;

a calibrator;

a synchronous sampler; and

a digital processor that receives and processes signals from the synchronous sampler.

2. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the synchronous sampler comprises a master oscillator, or a coherent clock generator, or both.

3. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 2, wherein the synchronous sampler comprises a digital direct synthesizer in communication with the master oscillator and the coherent clock generator.

4. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 3, wherein the digital direct synthesizer is in communication with the reader antenna.

5. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the digital processor comprises one or more analog to digital converters.

6. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 5, wherein the digital processor comprises a reference analog to digital converter, and a sample analog to digital converter.

7. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the impedance reader monitors in real-time.

8. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the impedance reader is inductively coupled to a resonant sensor.

9. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 8, wherein the impedance reader reads real and imaginary impedance spectra of a sensor.

10. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 8, wherein the impedance reader reads real and imaginary impedance spectra of a sensor and simultaneously calculates at least two parameters of the sensor impedance response.

11. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 8, wherein the impedance reader reads real and imaginary impedance spectra of a sensor and simultaneously calculates Fp, Fz, F₁, F₂, Zp, Z₁, and Z₂ from a single sensor.

12. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein a surface of the impedance reader comprises an adaptor to receive a resonant sensor.

13. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 12, wherein the resonant sensor is a passive RFID sensor.

14. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the digital processor is in operative association with a memory, a controller, a radio transceiver, or combinations thereof.

15. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, further comprising a temperature compensator.

16. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensator is integral with the impedance compensator.

17. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 1, further comprising a glob top.

18. A wireless system, comprising the impedance reader of claim 1.

19. The wireless system of claim 18, further comprising, a portable digital device comprising, a portable computer processor, a handheld digital assistant, a cellular phone or a combination thereof.

20. The wireless system of claim 18, wherein the portable digital device is capable of near-field communications.

21. A field-portable impedance reader, comprising:

a first layer comprising a reader antenna;

a second layer comprising radio frequency electronics and intermediate frequency electronics; and

a third layer comprising a digital direct synthesizer, a reference analog to digital converter, a sample analog to digital converter, and a digital signal processor;

wherein the layers are disposed in a housing.

22. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 21, further comprising a USB interface.

23. The field-portable impedance reader of claim 21, wherein the housing has dimensions in a range from about 2×

2×

1 cm³ to about 15×

15×

5 cm³.

24. A method for quantitating one or more of chemical, biological, or physical parameters in an environment, the method comprising:

measuring a frequency-dependent impedance response of an LCR sensor across a resonance frequency, using a field-portable impedance reader;

simultaneously calculating at least two univariate responses from the LCR sensor;

analyzing using a multivariate analysis of the at least two univariate responses from the LCR sensor; and

correlating results of the multivariate analysis to stored calibration values to provide quantitative values of the measured sensor responses to the parameter levels.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein simultaneously calculating the at least two univariate responses from the LCR sensor further comprises wirelessly transmitting the impedance response to a central computing center.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein analyzing, or correlating, or both are performed in the central computing center.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein at least two responses from a first sensor and at least one response from a second sensor are transmitted to a central computing center, wherein the first and second sensors are disposed in close proximity to each other.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the quantitated values from the central computing center to the field-portable impedance reader.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing steady state or dynamic responses.