Micromechanical potentiometric sensors
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting and measuring physical and chemical parameters in a sample of monitored media, comprising:
- a transducer base;
at least one cantilevered spring element secured to said base, said spring element comprising;
at least one surface having a coated region;
at least one chemical attached on said coated region, wherein said at least one chemical accumulates a first surface charge in response to said parameters in said sample, said sample placed on or in close proximity to said coated region; and
a second surface on said spring element having a surface charge different than said first surface charge; and
a means for measuring a deflection of said spring element due to mechanical stresses established by said surface charge on said surface of said spring element.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microcantilever potentiometric sensor utilized for detecting and measuring physical and chemical parameters in a sample of media is described. The microcantilevered spring element includes at least one chemical coating on a coated region, that accumulates a surface charge in response to hydrogen ions, redox potential, or ion concentrations in a sample of the media being monitored. The accumulation of surface charge on one surface of the microcantilever, with a differing surface charge on an opposing surface, creates a mechanical stress and a deflection of the spring element. One of a multitude of deflection detection methods may include the use of a laser light source focused on the microcantilever, with a photo-sensitive detector receiving reflected laser impulses. The microcantilevered spring element is approximately 1 to 100 μm long, approximately 1 to 50 μm wide, and approximately 0.3 to 3.0 μm thick. An accuracy of detection of deflections of the cantilever is provided in the range of 0.01 nanometers of deflection. The microcantilever apparatus and a method of detection of parameters require only microliters of a sample to be placed on, or near the spring element surface. The method is extremely sensitive to the detection of the parameters to be measured.
209 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for detecting and measuring physical and chemical parameters in a sample of monitored media, comprising:
-
a transducer base; at least one cantilevered spring element secured to said base, said spring element comprising; at least one surface having a coated region; at least one chemical attached on said coated region, wherein said at least one chemical accumulates a first surface charge in response to said parameters in said sample, said sample placed on or in close proximity to said coated region; and a second surface on said spring element having a surface charge different than said first surface charge; and a means for measuring a deflection of said spring element due to mechanical stresses established by said surface charge on said surface of said spring element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for detecting and measuring chemical and physical parameters in a sample of monitored media, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a transducer base comprising; at least one cantilevered spring element attached to said base; and at least one surface having a coated region on said spring element; providing at least one material, said material accumulates a surface charge by ionizing in response to said parameters in said sample placeable on or in close proximity to said coated region; coating said at least one material on said coated region; exposing said at least one material to said sample, said sample placed on or in close proximity to said coated region; providing a means for detecting a deflection of said cantilevered spring element due to mechanical stresses established by said surface charge on said at least one material on said surface of said spring element; and detecting said deflection of said spring element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. An apparatus for detecting and measuring physical and chemical parameters in a sample of monitored media, comprising:
-
a transducer base; a plurality of cantilevered spring elements attached to said base, each of said spring elements comprising; a surface having at least one coated region; at least one material on said at least one coated region, said material accumulates a first surface charge in response to said parameter in said sample placed on or in close proximity to said coated region; and a second surface on said spring element having a surface charge different than said first surface charge; and a plurality of means for detecting deflections of each of said spring elements due to mechanical stresses established by different surface charges on said spring element surfaces, each means for detecting deflections associated with a respective one of said spring elements. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification