Oxygen sensor using principle of surface plasmon resonance and oxygen transmission rate measurement system including the same

• US 8,237,930 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Hong, Jae Min, Kim, Il Doo, Choi, Hee Dok
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Hwa
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOCK JR, GORDON J
• Application Number:
  US12/543,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/554 detecting the surface plasmon resonance of nanostructured metals, e.g. localised surface plasmon resonance

Abstract

Provided is an oxygen sensor using surface plasmon resonance, including: a laser diode emitting light; a polarizer converting the emitted light into polarized light; a prism receiving the polarized light from the polarizer and having a sensor substrate on one surface thereof so that the polarized light is reflected, the sensor substrate coated with oxygen-sensitive organic material; an oxygen concentration measurement chamber provided to enclose the sensor substrate so that oxygen whose concentration is to be measured is contained therein; a photodiode measuring an amount of light reflected from the prism; and a microcontroller unit controlling operation of the oxygen sensor and calculating the oxygen concentration. Further, the oxygen concentration is determined using the microcontroller unit having absolute concentrations corresponding to the amount of light measured using the photodiode, and the oxygen concentration is measured where an incidence angle of the polarized light incident on the sensor substrate is fixed.

Claims

1. An oxygen sensor using a principle of surface plasmon resonance, comprising:

a laser diode that emits light;

a polarizer that converts light emitted from the laser diode into polarized light;

a prism that receives the polarized light from the polarizer and that has a sensor substrate provided on one surface thereof to reflect the polarized light, the sensor substrate being coated with an oxygen-sensitive organic material;

an oxygen concentration measurement chamber that encloses the sensor substrate wherein oxygen a concentration of which is to be measured is contained therein;

a photodiode that measures an amount of light reflected from the prism; and

a microcontroller unit that controls operation of the oxygen sensor and that calculates the concentration of oxygen,

wherein the concentration of oxygen is determined using the microcontroller unit having values of absolute concentration corresponding to the amount of light measured using the photodiode, and the concentration of oxygen is measured in a state in which an incidence angle of the polarized light incident on the sensor substrate is fixed.

2. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure measurement pipe, one side of which is connected to the oxygen concentration measurement chamber and another side of which is connected to a vacuum pump and which includes a pressure gauge provided on an upper surface thereof and a vacuum pump valve disposed between the pressure gauge and the vacuum pump; and

a gas input pipe, one side of which is connected to the oxygen concentration measurement chamber and another side of which is connected to a gas input valve.

3. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a measurement chamber guide disposed to enclose the oxygen concentration measurement chamber.

4. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including metal nanoparticles applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed by linking the organic material to the metal nanoparticles of the nano-metal layer.

5. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including a metal film applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed on the nano-metal layer.

6. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 4, wherein the organic material is responsible for either or both of adsorption and desorption of oxygen gas.

7. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 4, wherein the organic material comprises a metal-porphyrin or hemoglobin which is selectively sensitive to only oxygen.

8. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 4, wherein the metal nanoparticles have a diameter ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

9. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 4, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.

10. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the metal film has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

11. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the organic material is responsible for either or both of adsorption and desorption of oxygen gas.

12. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the organic material comprises a metal-porphyrin or hemoglobin which is selectively sensitive to only oxygen.

13. The oxygen sensor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.

14. An oxygen transmission rate measurement system comprising an oxygen sensor using a principle of surface plasmon resonance, the oxygen transmission rate measurement system comprising:

the oxygen sensor, including;

a laser diode that emits light;

a polarizer that converts light emitted from the laser diode into polarized light;

a prism that receives the polarized light from the polarizer and that has a sensor substrate provided on one surface thereof to reflect the polarized light, the sensor substrate being coated with an oxygen-sensitive organic material;

an oxygen concentration measurement chamber that encloses the sensor substrate wherein oxygen a concentration of which is to be measured is contained therein,

a photodiode that measures an amount of light reflected from the prism, and

a microcontroller unit that controls operation of the oxygen sensor and that calculates an oxygen concentration change and an oxygen transmission rate; and

an oxygen supplier connected to one side of the oxygen sensor that supplies oxygen gas,

wherein the oxygen transmission rate is measured by determining the oxygen concentration change from the amount of the light measured using the photodiode at predetermined temporal intervals.

15. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the organic material is responsible for either or both of adsorption and desorption of oxygen gas.

16. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the organic material comprises a metal-porphyrin or hemoglobin which is selectively sensitive to only oxygen.

17. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including metal nanoparticles applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed by linking the organic material to the metal nanoparticles of the nano-metal layer.

18. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including a metal film applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed on the nano-metal layer.

19. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the oxygen supplier comprises:

a gas input pipe one side of which is connected to the oxygen concentration measurement chamber and another side of which is connected to a gas input valve;

a sample mounting device one side of which is connected to the gas input valve and another side of which is connected to an oxygen supply valve; and

an oxygen gas supplier one side of which is connected to the oxygen supply valve.

20. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the metal nanoparticles have a diameter ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

21. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.

22. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the metal film has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

23. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.

24. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the organic material is responsible for either or both of adsorption and desorption of oxygen gas.

25. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the organic material comprises a metal-porphyrin or hemoglobin which is selectively sensitive to only oxygen.

26. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including metal nanoparticles applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed by linking the organic material to the metal nanoparticles of the nano-metal layer.

27. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the sensor substrate comprises:

a dielectric substrate;

a nano-metal layer including a metal film applied on the dielectric substrate; and

an organic material layer formed on the nano-metal layer.

28. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the metal nanoparticles have a diameter ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

29. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.

30. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the metal film has a thickness ranging from 1 nm to 99 nm.

31. The oxygen transmission rate measurement system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises glass.