Method for verification of particles having a sensor area and sensor arrangement for carrying out this method

• US 20070076207A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Holst, Jens-Christian, Steckenborn, Arno, Kruger, Ursus, Jensen, Jens, Arndt, Frank, Ronsch, Hendrik, Grahmann, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,446,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0606 by collecting particles on a support
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0217 Smoke, combustion gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02408 Solids in gases, e.g. particle suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for verification of particles, in particular of nanoparticles (16), in which a sensor area (15) is made available for this purpose, on which the particles can accumulate. The invention also relates to a sensor arrangement having a sensor area (15) which is suitable for carrying out the method mentioned. The invention provides for a plurality of sensor areas (15) to be arranged, on which particles which each have different characteristics can accumulate. For example, this makes it possible to classify nanoparticles (16) of different size, thus advantageously allowing a statement to be made on the size distribution of the nanoparticles (16) in a nanopowder.

Claims

1. A method for verification of particles (16), in which a sensor area (15) is made available, on which the particles (16) to be verified accumulate when they are present, and in which the characteristics of the sensor area (15) are monitored with respect to one parameter which varies on the basis of the accumulation of the particles (16),

wherein a plurality of sensor areas (15) are made available, and are sensitive to particles (16) with different characteristics.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the sensor areas (15) are monitored in parallel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the particles (16) to be verified differ in terms of their chemical nature or in terms of their composition.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the particles (16) to be verified are nanoparticles whose sizes differ from one another.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor areas (15) are formed by molecular imprinted surfaces.

6. A sensor arrangement having a sensor area (15) on which particles (16) to be verified accumulate when they are present, and having a monitoring apparatus (24, 25, 26) for the sensor area (15), by means of which it is possible to determine a change in one parameter of the sensor area (15) on the basis of the accumulation of the particles (16), wherein a plurality of sensor areas (15) are provided, and are sensitive to particles (16) with different characteristics.

7. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensor areas (15) are arranged alongside one another in an array (21).

8. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein sensor areas (15) are sensitive to nanoparticles of different size ranges.

9. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the size ranges which are predetermined by the sensitivity of the sensor areas (15) overlap.

10. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor areas (15) are formed in a micromechanical manner in the surface of a substrate (11), with the sensor areas being separated from one another by cutouts (14, 34) in this surface.

11. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises an electromagnetic transmitter (18), which is directed at the sensor areas, and a receiver (20) for radiation (19a, 19b) from the electromagnetic transmitter which has been reflected from the sensor areas (15).

12. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring apparatus contains a bearing (29), which can oscillate, for the sensor areas (15), an actuator (33) for oscillation excitation of the sensor areas, and a measurement device for the oscillation frequency and/or amplitude of the oscillations.

13. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein sensor areas (15) are sensitive to nanoparticles of different size ranges.

14. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor areas (15) are formed in a micromechanical manner in the surface of a substrate (11), with the sensor areas being separated from one another by cutouts (14, 34) in this surface.

15. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sensor areas (15) are formed in a micromechanical manner in the surface of a substrate (11), with the sensor areas being separated from one another by cutouts (14, 34) in this surface.

16. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises an electromagnetic transmitter (18), which is directed at the sensor areas, and a receiver (20) for radiation (19a, 19b) from the electromagnetic transmitter which has been reflected from the sensor areas (15).

17. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises an electromagnetic transmitter (18), which is directed at the sensor areas, and a receiver (20) for radiation (19a, 19b) from the electromagnetic transmitter which has been reflected from the sensor areas (15).

18. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the monitoring apparatus contains a bearing (29), which can oscillate, for the sensor areas (15), an actuator (33) for oscillation excitation of the sensor areas, and a measurement device for the oscillation frequency and/or amplitude of the oscillations.

19. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the monitoring apparatus contains a bearing (29), which can oscillate, for the sensor areas (15), an actuator (33) for oscillation excitation of the sensor areas, and a measurement device for the oscillation frequency and/or amplitude of the oscillations.

20. The sensor arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the monitoring apparatus contains a bearing (29), which can oscillate, for the sensor areas (15), an actuator (33) for oscillation excitation of the sensor areas, and a measurement device for the oscillation frequency and/or amplitude of the oscillations.