Monitoring probes and methods of use

• US 7,793,559 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Inventors: Brock, James, Susfalk, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bellamy; Tamiko D
• Application Number:
  US11/670,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 738/665, 374/170, 175/40, 175/45, 438/15, 438/106
• US Class Current: 73/866.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers

Abstract

Certain disclosed embodiments provide sensing devices of the type useable to obtain measurements from a plurality of positions of a substrate, such as in a well, body of water, soil, snow pack, or ice pack. In a particular implementation, the sensing device includes a housing having a length. A plurality of digital sensors are disposed at a plurality of positions along the length of the housing. A communication bus is in communication with each of the plurality of sensors. A data collection or transmission device is in communication with the communication bus. Further implementations provide sensing devices having a housing formed from a plurality of modular sections. Sensors are disposed in at least one of the modular sections. Also disclosed are networks formed from a plurality of the disclosed devices.

Claims

1. A sensing device of the type useable to obtain measurements from a plurality of positions of a substrate, the sensing device comprising:

a housing having a length and comprising a plurality of physically interconnected and electrically coupled modules, each module comprising an exterior surface defining an interior cavity of the module, wherein the joined exterior surfaces of the modules make up an exterior surface of the housing and define an interior cavity of the housing surrounded by the exterior housing surface, a plurality of apertures being defined in the exterior housing surface;

a plurality of digital sensors disposed in the apertures at a plurality of positions along the length of the housing;

a communication structure disposed in the interior cavity and in communication with each of the plurality of sensors; and

a data collection or transmission device in communication with the communication structure.

2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein a first module of the plurality of modules comprises a pin and a second module of the plurality of modules comprises a socket adapted to receive the pin, the pin and socket electrically coupled to the communication structure.

3. The sensing device of claim 2, wherein each module of the plurality of modules comprises a portion of the communication structure, each portion comprising a circuit board disposed in the interior cavity of a respective module and electrically coupled to a portion of the plurality of sensors and the circuit boards are electrically coupled through the pin and socket.

5. The sensing device of claim 1, the housing having a first end and further comprising a conical tip coupled to the first end of the housing, the conical tip extending from the housing in an axially outwardly extending point.

6. The sensing device of claim 5, wherein the conical tip comprises a tip and a base and a threaded protrusion extends from the base and the first end of the housing comprises threads for matingly engaging the threads of the threaded protrusion.

7. The sensing device of claim 1, further comprising a coupling cylinder coupled to a first module of the plurality of modules, a coupling cylinder coupled to a second module of the plurality of modules, and wiring extending through the coupling cylinders and electrically coupled to the communication structure.

8. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of the housing has a substantially constant diameter.

9. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the communication structure comprises a circuit board disposed in the interior cavity of the housing and to which the sensors are mounted.

18. A sensor network comprising a plurality of sensing devices according to claim 1.

4. A sensing device of the type useable to obtain measurements from a plurality of positions of a substrate, the sensing device comprising:

a housing having a length and comprising a plurality of interconnected housing modules;

a joint coupling two of the plurality of interconnected housing modules;

an electrical connector extending through the joint;

a plurality of sensors disposed at a plurality of positions along the length of a housing module;

a communication structure in communication with each of the plurality of sensors and electrically coupled to the electrical connector; and

a data collection or transmission device electrically coupled to the communication structure.

10. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the housing defines an interior cavity for each housing module and a portion of the communication structure is located in cavity of each housing module.

11. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of interconnected housing modules include a first housing module and a second housing module and the plurality of sensors are located along the length of the first housing module.

12. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of interconnected housing modules include a first housing module and a second housing module and the plurality of sensors are located along the lengths of the first and second housing modules.

13. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of housing modules does not include sensors.

14. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein each housing module has a length and at least one housing module has a different length than the other housing modules.

19. A sensor network comprising a plurality of sensing devices according to claim 4.

15. A sensing device of the type useable to obtain measurements from a plurality of positions of a substrate, the sensing device comprising:

a housing having a length, a threaded end, and an exterior surface, the exterior surface defining a plurality of apertures and an interior cavity surrounded by the exterior surface;

a plurality of digital sensors disposed in the apertures at a plurality of positions along the length of the housing;

a communication structure disposed in the interior cavity and in communication with each of the plurality of sensors;

a data collection or transmission device in communication with the communication structure; and

a conical tip coupled to the threaded end of the housing and extending from the housing in an axially outwardly extending point, the conical tip comprising a tip and a base, the base having an extending threaded protrusion, the threads of the threaded protrusion configured to matingly engage the threads of threaded housing end.

16. The sensing device of claim 15, wherein the housing is a unitary structure.

17. A sensor network comprising a plurality of sensing devices according to claim 15.