Handheld sensing apparatus
First Claim
1. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
a sensor module mounted in the housing and including at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample;
a sample chamber defined by one or both of the housing and the sensor module, the sample chamber incorporating an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the at least two sensors are located within or adjacent to the sample chamber; and
a microprocessor mounted in the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, wherein the microprocessor identifies or quantifies analytes within the test sample based on the particular response.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vapor sensing device that is sufficiently small and lightweight to be handheld, and also modular so as to allow the device to be conveniently adapted for use in sensing the presence and concentration of a wide variety of specified vapors. The device provides these benefits using a sensor module that incorporates a sample chamber and a plurality of sensors, located on a chip releasably carried within or adjacent to the sample chamber. Optionally, the sensor module can be configured to be releasably plugged into a receptacle formed in the device. Vapors are directed to pass through the sample chamber, whereupon the sensors provide a distinct combination of electrical signals in response to each. The sensors of the sensor module can take the form of chemically sensitive resistors having resistances that vary according to the identity and concentration of an adjacent vapor. These chemically sensitive resistors can each be connected in series with a reference resistor, between a reference voltage and ground, such that an analog signal is established for each chemically sensitive resistor. The resulting analog signals are supplied to an analog-to-digital converter, to produce corresponding digital signals. These digital signals are appropriately analyzed for vapor identification.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing; a sensor module mounted in the housing and including at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample; a sample chamber defined by one or both of the housing and the sensor module, the sample chamber incorporating an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the at least two sensors are located within or adjacent to the sample chamber; and a microprocessor mounted in the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, wherein the microprocessor identifies or quantifies analytes within the test sample based on the particular response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29)
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27. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:
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a housing including a receptacle; a sensor module removably mounted in the receptacle of the housing, the sensor module including at least two sensors that provides a distinct response to a particular test sample; a sample chamber defined within the sensor module, the sample chamber incorporating an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the at least two sensors is located within or adjacent to the sample chamber; and a microprocessor mounted in the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, wherein the microprocessor identifies or quantifies analytes within the test sample based on the particular response. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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30. A sensor module configured for use with a sensing apparatus disposed within a housing that defines a receptacle, the sensor module comprising:
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a casing sized and configured to be received in the receptacle of the sensing apparatus; a sample chamber; an inlet port configured to be releasably engageable with a first port connection of the sensing apparatus when the sensor module is received in the receptacle, the inlet port receiving a test sample from the sensing apparatus and directing the test sample to the sample chamber; an outlet port configured to discharge the test sample from the sample chamber; at least one sensor located within or adjacent to the sample chamber and configured to provide a distinct response when exposed to one or more analytes located within the sample chamber; and an electrical connector configured to be releasably engageable with a mating electrical connector of the sensing apparatus when the sensor module is received in the receptacle, the electrical connector transmitting the characteristic signals from the at least one sensor to the sensing apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A handheld sensing apparatus for measuring the concentration of one or more analytes within a sample chamber, comprising:
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at least two chemically sensitive resistors, each chemically sensitive resistor having a resistance that varies according to a concentration of one or more analytes within the sample chamber; conditioning circuitry coupled to the at least two chemically sensitive resistors, the conditioning circuitry generating an analog signal indicative of the resistance of each of the at least two chemically sensitive resistors; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the conditioning circuitry, the ADC responsive to the analog signal and providing a digital signal; and a microprocessor coupled to the ADC, the microprocessor responsive to the digital signal and determining the identity or concentration of one or more analytes within the sample chamber. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification