Channel Device and tube connection and their fabrication procedures

• US 5,165,292 A
• Filed: 07/02/1991
• Issued: 11/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OttoSensors Corp
• Original Assignee: OttoSensors Corp
• Inventors: Prohaska, Otto J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Tom
• Application Number:
  US07/726,648
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 73/866, 73/864.83, 73/864.84, 73/54, 73/55, 73/56, 73/53, 73/23.2, 73/31.05, 73/31.06, 73/54.01, 73/54.04, 73/54.11, 73/53.01 , 73/61.52, 73/61.58, 210/198.2, 210/798.3, 55/386, 374/44, 29/595, 29/621.1, 437/901, 437/8, 437/921
• US Class Current: 73/866
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6847 where sensing or heating elements are not disturbing the fluid flow, e.g. elements mounted outside the flow duct
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/02 by measuring flow of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/17 Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/41 Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length G01N21/21 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0622 Use of a compensation LED
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/18 by investigating thermal conductivity by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/221 by investigating the dielectric properties using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6052 body
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49812 Temporary protective coating, impregnation, or cast layer

Abstract

A device for measuring at least one characteristic of a fluid is provided. The device comprises a measuring channel which is designed for conducting fluid flow therethrough and which is defined by a wall and a substrate. An inlet orifice and an outlet orifice are provided for conducting fluid into and out of the measuring channel and at least one sensor is located adjacent the measuring channel for measuring the characteristic of the fluid. The wall has outer portions, which are sealing adhered to the substrate, and upwardly bent portions, which partially define the measuring channel. The outer portions and the upwardly bent portions are of substantially the same thickness. The wall is preferably made of a synthetic resin, glass, ceramic, silicon nitride, silicon monoxide, silicon dioxide, or combination of these materials.

Claims

1. A device for measuring at least one characteristic of a fluid, said device comprising:

means defining a measuring channel of predetermined shape for conducting fluid flow therethrough;

an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for conducting the fluid into and out of said measuring channel;

at least one sensor located adjacent said measuring channel for measuring the one characteristic of the fluid;

said means defining said measuring channel including a substrate and a wall having opposite end portions sealingly adhered to said substrate, said wall including upwardly bent portions extending away from said substrate to define said measuring channel of a predetermined shape;

said device further comprising one tube attached to said substrate and defining said inlet orifice, and a second tube attached to said substrate defining the outlet orifice;

said wall tightly adhering to at least part of both of said tubes defining said inlet and outlet orifices upon being attached to said substrate.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a synthetic resin, glass, ceramic, silicon nitride, silicon monoxide, silicon dioxide, or combination of these materials.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an actuator for acting on the fluid during measuring the characteristic thereof.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said actuator includes at least one heating element for heating the fluid and said one sensor is a temperature sensor.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said temperature sensor is located between said one heating element and said outlet orifice.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said temperature sensor is located between said heating element and said inlet orifice.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one tube defining said inlet orifice forms a nozzle.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an additional layer at least partially covering said wall.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein said substrate has an indentation for receiving at least one of said tubes therein.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9 wherein the cross-section of said indentation corresponds substantially to the cross-section of said one tube.

11. A device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising more than two tubes communicating with said measuring channel, said measuring channel having a plurality of channel portions associated with respective tubes and having different cross-sections.

12. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the height of said measuring channel is from 0.01 um to 50 um and the width of said measuring channel is equal to or greater than its height.

13. A device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cover layer for protecting said one sensor.

14. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one sensor is positioned on the outside of said wall and is protected with a cover layer.

15. A device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a reference channel for comparison measurement of a reference sample.

16. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thickness of said wall is equal to the height of said measuring channel.

17. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cross-section of said measuring channel of a shape selected from a group consisting of a rectangle and a trapezoid.

18. A device for measuring at least one characteristic of a fluid, said device comprising:

means defining a measuring channel of predetermined shape for conducting fluid flow therethrough;

an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for conducting the fluid into and out of said measuring channel;

at least one sensor located adjacent said measuring channel for measuring the one characteristic of the fluid;

said means defining said measuring channel including a substrate and a wall having opposite end portions sealingly adhered to said substrate, said wall also including upwardly bent portion extending away from said substrate to define said measuring channel of a predetermined shape;

wherein said inlet and outlet orifices are formed by holes extending through said substrate.

19. A device as set forth in claim 18 wherein said wall is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a synthetic resin, glass, ceramic, silicon nitride, silicon monoxide, silicon dioxide, or combination of these materials.

20. A device as set forth in claim 18 further comprising an actuator for acting on the fluid during measuring the characteristic thereof.

21. A device as set forth in claim 18 wherein said actuator includes at least one heating element for heating the fluid and said one sensor is a temperature sensor.

22. A device as set forth in claim 21 wherein said temperature sensor is located between said one heating element and said outlet orifice.

23. A device as set forth in claim 18 wherein the height of the measuring channel is from 0.01 μ

m to 50 μ

m and the width of said measuring channel is equal to or greater than its height.

24. A device for measuring at least one characteristic of a fluid, said device comprising:

means defining a measuring channel of a predetermined shape for conducting fluid flow therethrough;

an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for conducting fluid into and out of said measuring channel;

at least one sensor located adjacent said measuring channel for measuring the one characteristic of the fluid;

said means defining said measuring channel including a substrate and a wall having opposite end portions sealingly adhered to said substrate, said wall also including upwardly bent portions extending away form said substrate to define said measuring channel of a predetermined shape, said measuring channel being formed by depositing said wall by one of evaporation, spin on, drop on, sputtering, reaction deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto a portion of said substrate and onto at least a portion of a dissolvable body of material previously deposited on said substrate and having the predetermined shape of said measuring channel, the dissolvable body of material being subsequently dissolved and removed to form said measuring channel between said wall and said substrate, said wall remaining adhered to said substrate during and after dissolving of the dissolvable body of material.