Mass and heat flow measurement sensor

• US 6,439,765 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charity F. Smith
• Original Assignee: Allan L. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Allan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guadalupe, Yaritza
• Application Number:
  US09/768,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 374/142, 374/43, 374/45, 374/31, 374/32, 374/35
• US Class Current: 374/31
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/13 having piezoelectric or piezoresistive properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/20 across a radiating surface, combined with ascertainment of the heat transmission coefficient materials therefor G01K17/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/4813 concerning the measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/4866 by using a differential method
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 5/02 by absorbing or adsorbing components of a material and determining change of weight of the adsorbent, e.g. determining moisture content absorption bulbs B01D53/00

Abstract

Provided are mass and heat flow measurement sensors comprising a microresonator, such as a quartz crystal microbalance; a heat flow sensor; and a heat sink coupled thermally to the heat flow sensor. The sensors may be used to measure changes in mass due to a sample on a surface of the microresonator and also to measure heat flow from the sample on the surface of the microresonator by utilizing the heat flow sensor, which is coupled thermally to the microresonator. Also provided are methods for measuring the mass of a sample, such as a gas, and the flow of heat from the sample to the heat sink by utilizing such mass and heat flow measurement sensors.

Claims

1. A liquid sensor comprising:

(a) a microresonator comprising a piezoelectric substrate having a first face and a second opposite face, wherein said first face of said piezoelectric substrate comprises an electrode deposited on said first face;

(b) a heat flow sensor coupled thermally to said piezoelectric substrate of said microresonator; and

(c) a heat sink coupled thermally to said heat flow sensor;

wherein said microresonator is capable of measuring at least one property of a liquid sample interacting with said first face, and said heat flow sensor is capable of measuring the flow of heat from said liquid to said heat sink.

2. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein said heat flow sensor is capable of simultaneously measuring the flow of heat from said liquid sample to said heat sink coupled thermally to said heat flow sensor, in real time with the measurement of said at least one property of said liquid sample by said microresonator.

3. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is mass.

4. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is liquid density.

5. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is liquid viscosity.

6. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is a heat per unit mass change.

7. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of evaporation of said liquid sample.

8. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of condensation of said liquid sample.

9. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of adsorption of said liquid sample.

10. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat desorption of said liquid sample.

11. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid senor is the heat of reaction of said liquid sample.

12. The liquid sensor of claim 1, wherein said microresonator is selected from the group of microresonators consisting of bulk acoustic wave sensors, quartz crystal microbalances, surface acoustic wave sensors, flexural plate wave sensors, and acoustic plate mode sensors.

13. The liquid sensor comprising:

(a) a coated microresonator comprising a piezoelectric substrate having a first face and a second opposite face, wherein said first face of said piezoelectric substrate comprises a coating layer deposited on said first face;

(b) a heat flow sensor coupled thermally to said piezoelectric substrate of said microresonator; and

(c) a heat sink coupled thermally to said heat flow sensor;

wherein said microresonator is capable of measuring at least one property of a liquid sample interacting with said coating layer, and said heat flow sensor is capable of measuring the flow of heat from said liquid sample to said heat sink.

14. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein said heat flow sensor is capable of simultaneously measuring the flow of heat from said liquid sample to said heat sink coupled thermally to said heat flow sensor, in real time with the measurement of at least one property of said liquid sample by said microresonator.

15. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein said coating layer is a polymer layer.

16. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein said coating layer is a protein layer.

17. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is mass.

18. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by microresonator is liquid density.

19. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is liquid viscosity.

20. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is a heat per unit mass change.

21. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of evaporation of said liquid sample.

22. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of condensation of said liquid sample.

23. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of adsorption of said liquid sample.

24. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of desorption of said liquid sample.

25. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of reaction of said liquid sample.

26. The liquid sensor of claim 13, wherein said microresonator is selected from the group of microresonators, consisting of bulk acoustic wave sensors, quartz crystal microbalances, surface acoustic wave sensors, flexural plate wave sensors, and acoustic plate mode sensors.

27. A method for measuring a liquid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a microresonator which comprises a piezoelectric substrate having a first solid face for directly contacting a liquid sample and a second opposite solid face isolated from contacting said sample, said piezoelectric substrate having a resonant frequency and capable of producing a measurement signal based on said resonant frequency;

(b) providing a heat flow sensor coupled thermally to said piezoelectric substrate of said microresonator;

(c) providing a heat sink coupled thermally to said heat flow sensor;

(d) measuring the changes in at least one property of said liquid sample interacting with said first face utilizing said microresonator; and

(e) measuring the flow of heat from said liquid sample to said heat sink.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said heat flow sensor is capable of simultaneously measuring the flow of heat from said liquid sample to said heat sink, in real time with the measurement of said at least one property of said liquid sample by said microresonator.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said first solid face comprises an electrode deposited on said first solid face.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said first solid face comprises a coating layer deposited on said first solid face.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said coating layer is polymer layer.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said coating layer is protein layer.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is mass.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is liquid density.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein one property of said at least one property of said liquid sample measured by said microresonator is liquid viscosity.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is heat per unit mass change.

37. The method of claim 27, a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of evaporation of said liquid sample.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of condensation of said liquid sample.

39. The method claim 27, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of adsorption of said liquid sample.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of desorption of said liquid sample.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein a property of said liquid sample measured by said liquid sensor is the heat of reaction of said liquid sample.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein said microresonator is selected from the group of microresonators consisting of bulk acoustic wave sensors, quartz crystal microbalances, surface acoustic wave sensors, flexural plate wave sensors, and acoustic plate mode sensors.