Gas sensor using nanotubes
First Claim
1. A sensor configured to detect at least first and second gases in a volume that includes a mixture of two or more gases, the sensor comprising:
- a dielectric substrate;
a first resonator on the dielectric substrate, the first resonator including;
a first conductive plate on a first surface of the dielectric substrate; and
a first nanotube layer arranged on the first conductive plate;
wherein the first resonator has a first base resonant frequency selected to cause the first resonator to resonate in response to an interrogation signal when the first resonator is provided in contact with the first gas; and
a second resonator on the dielectric substrate spaced apart from the first resonator along the first surface, the second resonator including;
a second conductive plate on the first surface of the dielectric substrate; and
a second nanotube layer arranged on the second conductive plate;
wherein the second resonator has a second base resonant frequency different from the first base resonant frequency, the second base resonant frequency selected to cause the second resonator to resonate in response to the interrogation signal when the second resonator is provided in contact with the second gas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are generally described for detecting a concentration level of at least one gas. Some example devices may include a sensor including conductive plate on a surface of dielectric including a nanotube layer formed thereon. The conductive plate and the nanotube layer form a resonator that resonates at a frequency in response to an interrogation signal. The nanotube layer may be configured to associate with one or more gas molecules. The frequency at which the resonator resonates may shift according to which gas molecules are associated with the nanotube layer to identify a particular gas. An amount of resonance may be exhibited as a resonant response signal. An amplitude of the resonant response signal may be indicative of the concentration level of the detected gas.
24 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A sensor configured to detect at least first and second gases in a volume that includes a mixture of two or more gases, the sensor comprising:
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a dielectric substrate; a first resonator on the dielectric substrate, the first resonator including; a first conductive plate on a first surface of the dielectric substrate; and a first nanotube layer arranged on the first conductive plate; wherein the first resonator has a first base resonant frequency selected to cause the first resonator to resonate in response to an interrogation signal when the first resonator is provided in contact with the first gas; and a second resonator on the dielectric substrate spaced apart from the first resonator along the first surface, the second resonator including; a second conductive plate on the first surface of the dielectric substrate; and a second nanotube layer arranged on the second conductive plate; wherein the second resonator has a second base resonant frequency different from the first base resonant frequency, the second base resonant frequency selected to cause the second resonator to resonate in response to the interrogation signal when the second resonator is provided in contact with the second gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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10. A system for detecting first and second gasses gases in a volume including a mixture of two or more gases, the system comprising:
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a signal generator configured to provide an interrogation signal; a sensor configured to receive the interrogation signal, wherein the sensor includes; a dielectric substrate; a first resonator including a first nanotube layer arranged on a first conductive plate disposed at a first location on the dielectric substrate, the first resonator configured to generate a first resonant response signal in response to the interrogation signal, the first resonant response signal being indicative of a resonance characteristic of the first resonator that changes when the sensor is in contact with the first gas in the volume such that the resonance characteristic of the first resonator identifies the first gas; and a second resonator including a second nanotube layer arranged on a second conductive plate disposed at a second location on the dielectric substrate spaced apart from the first location, and configured to generate a second resonant response signal in response to the interrogation signal, the second resonant response signal indicative of a resonance characteristic of the second resonator that changes when the sensor is in contact with the second gas in the volume such that the resonance characteristic of the second resonator identifies the second gas; and a detector configured to receive the first and second resonant response signals and generate a detection signal that indicates the resonance characteristic of the first resonator that identifies the first gas and/or the resonance characteristic of the second resonator that identifies the second gas. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25)
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18. A method for identifying first and/or second gases in a volume including a mixture of two or more gases, the method comprising:
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applying an interrogation signal to a first resonator, the resonator including first carbon nanotubes arranged on a first conductive plate, the first conductive plate on a first surface of a dielectric substrate, the first resonator configured to associate with the first gas to generate a first shifted resonant response in response to the interrogation signal when the first resonator is exposed to the first gas; applying the interrogation signal to a second resonator separate from the first resonator, the second resonator including second carbon nanotubes arranged on a second conductive plate on the surface of the dielectric substrate, the second resonator configured to associate with the second gas to generate a second shifted resonant response in response to the interrogation signal when the second resonator is exposed to the second gas;
measuring two or more resonant responses of the first resonator and the second resonator when excited by the interrogation signal, the two or more resonant responses including at least the first shifted resonant response and the second shifted resonant response; andidentifying the first gas in the volume based on detecting the first shifted resonant response of the first resonator and identifying the second gas in the volume based on detecting the second shifted resonant response of the second resonator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 30, 31)
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22. A method for identifying a first gas and/or a second gas in a mixture including two or more gases, the method comprising:
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receiving a radio based interrogation signal with an antenna that is operatively coupled to a first and second carbon nanotube resonators, the second carbon nanotube resonator havin a base resonant frequency that is different from a base resonant frequency of the first carbon nanotube resonator; interrogating the first and second carbon nanotube resonators with the radio based interrogation signal; generating at least one of a first resonant response and a second resonant response in response to the interrogating the first and second carbon nanotube resonators with the radio based interrogation signal, wherein the first resonant response of the first carbon nanotube resonator corresponds to a shifted resonant response of the first carbon nanotube resonator when exposed to the first gas, and wherein the second resonant response corresponds to a shifted resonant response of the second carbon nanotube resonator when exposed to; identifying a presence of at least one of the first gas or the second gas in the mixture based on detecting the first resonant response or the second resonant response. - View Dependent Claims (23, 32, 33)
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Specification