Chemical detection using calorimetric spectroscopy
First Claim
1. A chemical detector, comprising:
- an array of sensing elements, each of said sensing elements having a measurable characteristic physical parameter and each of said sensing elements having a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of at least one chemical to be sensed;
means for exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be analyzed, said coatings adsorbing said at least one chemical to be sensed if present in said sample;
a source of a monochromatic spectrum for respectively radiating and thereby heating said array of sensing elements with different wavelengths of said monochromatic spectrum, said physical parameter of said sensing elements being changed by said adsorbing; and
,means for recording signals representative of said physical parameter of each of said sensing elements in said array responsive to said radiation of said different wavelengths, measurable changes of said characteristic physical parameter of said sensing elements due to adsorbing said chemical defining a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chemical detector comprises: an array of sensing elements, each having a characteristic physical parameter and a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of a chemical to be sensed; a chamber for exposing the coatings to an unknown sample of a chemical to be analyzed, the coatings adsorbing the chemical if present in the sample; a source of a monochromatic spectrum for radiating the array with different monochromatic wavelengths; and, a controller for recording signals representative of the physical parameter of the sensing elements responsive to the radiation. A method for sensing chemicals comprises the steps of: preferentially adsorbing a chemical to be sensed onto an array of sensing elements having a characteristic physical parameter; exposing the coatings to an unknown sample of a chemical to be analyzed, the coatings adsorbing the chemical if present in the sample; radiating the sensing elements with different monochromatic wavelengths; and, measuring changes of the physical parameter due to the adsorbing. The measurable changes of the physical parameter due to the adsorbing define a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical. The arrays can be linear or multi dimensional, for example two dimensional.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A chemical detector, comprising:
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an array of sensing elements, each of said sensing elements having a measurable characteristic physical parameter and each of said sensing elements having a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of at least one chemical to be sensed; means for exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be analyzed, said coatings adsorbing said at least one chemical to be sensed if present in said sample; a source of a monochromatic spectrum for respectively radiating and thereby heating said array of sensing elements with different wavelengths of said monochromatic spectrum, said physical parameter of said sensing elements being changed by said adsorbing; and
,means for recording signals representative of said physical parameter of each of said sensing elements in said array responsive to said radiation of said different wavelengths, measurable changes of said characteristic physical parameter of said sensing elements due to adsorbing said chemical defining a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A chemical detector, comprising:
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an array of sensing elements micro cantilever sensing elements, each of said sensing elements having a characteristic physical parameter and each of said sensing elements having a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of at least one chemical to be sensed; means for exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be analyzed, said coatings adsorbing said at least one chemical to be sensed if present in said sample; a source of a monochromatic spectrum for respectively radiating said array of sensing elements with different wavelengths of said monochromatic spectrum; and
,means for recording signals representative of said physical parameter of each of said sensing elements in said array responsive to said radiation of said different wavelengths, measurable changes of said physical parameter due to said adsorbing defining a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A chemical detector, comprising:
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an array of sensing elements, each of said sensing elements having a characteristic physical parameter and each of said sensing elements having a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of at least one chemical to be sensed; means for exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be analyzed, said coatings adsorbing said at least one chemical to be sensed if present in said sample; a source of a monochromatic spectrum for respectively radiating said array of sensing elements with different wavelengths of said monochromatic spectrum; a housing having an infrared transmissive panel, with a minimized adsorption characteristic, defining a first chamber in which said array is disposed and into which said sample can be admitted and a second chamber in which said monochromator is disposed, said monochromator being thereby isolated from said sample; and
,means for recording signals representative of said physical parameter of each of said sensing elements in said array responsive to said radiation of said different wavelengths, measurable changes of said physical parameter due to said adsorbing defining a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method for sensing chemicals, comprising the steps of:
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preferentially adsorbing at least one chemical to be sensed onto an array of sensing elements having a measurable characteristic physical parameter; measurably changing said characteristic physical parameter of said sensing elements by exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be analyzed, said coatings adsorbing said at least one chemical to be sensed if present in said sample; respectively heating said sensing elements by radiating said sensing elements with different wavelengths of a monochromatic spectrum; measuring said changing of said physical parameter of said sensing elements due to said adsorbing; and
,defining a unique photothermal signature of a detected chemical with said measurable changes of said physical parameter. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A spectrometer, comprising:
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a plurality of sensing elements in an array, each of said sensing elements having a coating exhibiting a preferential adsorption of at least one chemical to be sensed and each of said sensing elements having a measurable physical characteristic; means for exposing said coatings to an unknown sample of at least one chemical to be adsorbed by said coatings as an analyte if present in said sample, said physical parameter of said sensing elements being changed by said adsorbing; a source of a monochromatic spectrum for preferentially illuminating and heating said thermal detectors according to quantities of said adsorbed analyte; and
,means for recording signals representative of said measurable changes of said physical parameter of each of said sensing elements in said array responsive to said heating by said monochromatic illumination, said recorded signals exhibiting improved signal-to-noise ratios. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification