Non-specific sensor array detectors

• US 20040135684A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cyrano Sciences, Inc. (Smiths Detection-Watford Ltd.)
• Inventors: Steinthal, Gregory, Burch, Tim, Plotkin, Neil, Hsiung, Chang-Meng, Sunshine, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,034,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/522
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0034 comprising neural networks or related mathematical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0063 using a threshold to release an alarm or displaying means alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarm actuated by the presence of smoke or gases G08B17/10, for other abnormal conditions G08B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

Portable and wearable chemical detector devices, such as badges, that are analyte-general, rather than analyte-specific, and which provide an optimal way to notify and protect personnel against known and unknown airborne chemical hazards. The devices of the present invention are advantageously low-cost, have low-power requirements, may be wearable and are designed to detect and alarm to a general chemical threat. A sensor device of the present invention in one embodiment includes two or more sensor devices, a processing module coupled to each of the sensor devices and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state; and a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus, comprising:

two or more sensor devices;

a processing module coupled to each of the sensor devices and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state; and

a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a first process that detects a change in an environmental condition, and a second process that identifies the origin of the change in the environmental condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second process includes a pattern recognition algorithm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power required to operate the apparatus is less than about 1 milliwatt.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further including one of a battery and a solar cell for supplying the power.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a pick-up antenna, wherein the power is supplied by an external RF field received by the antenna.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication module includes one of a LED, speaker, buzzer and vibration mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication module includes one of a wireless interface device and a physical bus interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless interface device includes one of an RF transmitter, an RF transceiver, an IR transmitter and an IR transceiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the physical bus interface includes one of an RS-232 port, a USB port and a Firewire port.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of the sensor devices are polymer composite sensors.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor devices is a chemical sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the chemical sensor is selected from the group consisting of a polymer composite sensor and a surface modified carbon black sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a dimension of less than about 4 square inches.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a dimension of less than about 1 square inch.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensors and the processing module are integrated on a single silicon chip.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an attachment mechanism for allowing a user to wear the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the attachment mechanism includes one of a clip and a pin.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to automatically communicate information about the environmental state to an external intelligence module using the communication module.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is used to diagnose a disease based on sampling the environment of a bodily fluid.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a first process that detects a change in an environmental condition, and a second process that identifies the origin of the change in the environmental condition.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a memory module configured to store various parameters associated with one or more environmental conditions.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the memory module further stores algorithms used by the first and second processes.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication module includes a wireless transceiver and wherein the processor is configured to automatically communicate information about environmental conditions with an external intelligence module using the communication module.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the communication module includes a physical port interface and wherein the processor is configured to automatically communicate information about environmental conditions with an external intelligence module using the communication module when the physical port interface is connected to a bus interface.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the bus interface is one of an RS-232 bus, a USB bus and a Firewire bus.

21. A wearable sensor device comprising:

a compact housing structure;

an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing structure;

one or more polymer-composite sensors;

an alarm module; and

a digital signal processor configured to monitor signals from the one or more sensors and provide an alarm activation signal to the alarm module in response to the detection of a threshold condition.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a communication module configured to communicate with an external processor.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the communication module includes a wireless transmitter device.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the wireless transmitter device includes one of an RF transmitter and an IR transmitter.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the attachment mechanism includes one of a clip and a pin for attaching the device to a user.

26. An integrated sensor apparatus, comprising:

an array of two or more polymer composite sensors;

a processing module coupled to each of the sensors and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state; and

a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, further including a power source selected from the group consisting of a battery, a solar cell, an RF tag module and an IR tag module.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the communication module includes one of an LED, a vibration module and a speaker.

35. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is implemented in a user-wearable badge.

36. A portable sensor apparatus, comprising:

two or more sensor devices;

a processing module coupled to each of the sensor devices and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state;

a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user; and

a power supply module configured to supply power for the sensor apparatus, wherein the lifetime of the power supply during continuous operation of the apparatus exceeds two weeks.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the lifetime of the power supply during continuous operation of the apparatus exceeds two months.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the lifetime of the power supply during continuous operation of the apparatus exceeds two years.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising a power management module configured to control power flow from the power supply module to the processor module.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the apparatus operates in a passive and continuous manner without user intervention.

41. A method of using a wearable badge detector, the badge detector having two or more sensor devices, a processing module coupled to each of the sensor devices and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state, a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user, and a power supply module for supplying power for the detector, the method comprising:

providing the wearable badge detector to a user;

attaching the detector to the user; and

activating the detector, wherein once activated, the detector operates passively and continuously in excess of one week without requiring recharging or replacement of the power supply module.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the two or more sensors include polymer composite sensors.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein activating includes attaching the power supply module to the detector.

44. A portable sensor apparatus, comprising:

two or more sensor devices;

a processing module coupled to each of the sensor devices and configured to process signals received from each of the two or more sensor devices to determine an environmental state; and

a communication module that communicates information about the environmental state to a user;

wherein the apparatus operates in a passive and continuous manner without user intervention.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the processor is configured to execute a first process that detects a change in an environmental condition, and a second process that identifies the origin of the change in the environmental condition.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the second process includes a pattern recognition algorithm.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, further comprising a power supply module configured to supply power for the sensor apparatus, wherein the lifetime of the power supply during continuous operation of the apparatus exceeds two weeks.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, further including an attachment mechanism for allowing a user to ear the apparatus.

49. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the two or more sensors include two or more polymer composite sensors.