Apparatus, systems and methods for detecting and transmitting sensory data over a computer network

• US 6,422,061 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cyrano Sciences, Inc. (Smiths Detection-Watford Ltd.)
• Inventors: Steinthal, Gregory, Sunshine, Steven A., Boehr, Christopher K., Nakayama, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIGGINS, JOHN DAVID
• Application Number:
  US09/518,179
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 73/232, 73/233, 73/233.4, 73/240.6, 73/290.1, 73/290.5, 73/310.5, 73/310.6, 738/665, 73/10.6, 73/280.1, 340/541, 340/632, 340/603, 422/83
• US Class Current: 73/29.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0217 Smoke, combustion gases
• 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 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array electrochemical electrode arrays G01N27/27
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A vapor sensing device that is sufficiently small and lightweight to be handheld, and also modular so as to allow the device to be conveniently adapted for use in sensing the presence and concentration of a wide variety of specified vapors. The device provides these benefits using a sensor module that incorporates a sample chamber and a plurality of sensors located on a chip releasably carried within or adjacent to the sample chamber. Optionally, the sensor module can be configured to be releasably plugged into a receptacle formed in the device. Vapors are directed to pass through the sample chamber, whereupon the sensors provide a distinct combination of electrical signals in response to each. The sensors of the sensor module can take the form of chemically sensitive resistors having resistances that vary according to the identity and concentration of an adjacent vapor. These chemically sensitive resistors can each be connected in series with a reference resistor, between a reference voltage and ground, such that an analog signal is established for each chemically sensitive resistor. The resulting analog signals are supplied to an analog-to-digital converter, to produce corresponding digital signals. These digital signals are appropriately analyzed for vapor identification. The device can then subsequently transmit the digital signals over a computer network, such as the Internet, for analysis at a remote location.

Claims

1. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a sensor module coupled to the housing and including at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample;

a processing device coupled to the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, and configured to identify or quantify analytes within the test sample based on the particular response; and

a communication interface coupled to the processing device and configured to communicate digitally or wirelessly bidirectional with a computer network situated at a remote location.

2. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing device is a member selected from a group consisting of a microcontroller, microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and a digital signal processor (DSP).

3. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors in the sensor module is a member selected from a group consisting of a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor, a SAW sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor, a conductive composite sensor, a chemiresistor, a conducting polymer sensor, an organic semiconducting gas sensor, fiber optical chemical sensor and a piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor.

4. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the sensors in the sensor module is an organic semiconducting gas sensor.

5. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer network is selected from a member of a group consisting of an internet, a wide area network, a local area network, an intranet, a worldwide computer network, and the Internet.

6. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said network is a wireless network.

7. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to couple with a docking station which is in communication with the computer network.

8. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the coupling between the communication interface and the docking station is implemented using wireless techniques.

9. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is a member selected from a group consisting of an RS-232 interface, a parallel port, an universal serial bus (USB), an infrared data link, an optical interface and an RF interface.

10. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is configured to handle communication with another handheld sensing apparatus.

11. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication with the another handheld sensing apparatus is implemented using infrared techniques.

12. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a preconcentrator.

13. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least thirty-two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said computer network is a member selected from a group consisting of a wide area network, a local area network, an intranet, a wireless network, a worldwide computer network, and the Internet.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said sensory device is a mobile device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said communication interface is selected from a member from a group consisting of a Ethernet, a wireless Ethernet, a token ring, and a modem.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said sensory device includes at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said sensory data is a member selected from a group consisting of physical, chemical, taste, olfaction, optical olfaction, optical parameters or combinations thereof.

14. A system for acquiring sensory data from a plurality of different remote locations to be distributed over a computer network, said system comprising:

a handheld sensory device for measuring sensory data at the different locations that is coupled to said computer network; and

a digital communication interface coupled to said handheld sensory device and configured to communicate with said computer network situated at a remote location.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said sensory device is a handheld sensing device that includes at least thirty-two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample.

21. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a sensor plug-in module coupled to the housing and including at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample;

a processing device coupled to the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, and configured to identify or quantify analytes within the test sample based on the particular response; and

a digital communication interface coupled to the processing device and configured to communicate with a computer network situated at a remote location.

22. A handheld sensing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a sensor module coupled to the housing and including at least two sensors that provide a distinct response to a particular test sample;

a processing device coupled to the housing and configured to analyze a particular response from the at least two sensors, and configured to identify or quantify analytes within the test sample based on the particular response; and

a communication interface coupled to the processing device and configured to communicate with a computer network, wherein the communication interface is configured to handle communication with another handheld sensing apparatus.

23. The handheld sensing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication with the another handheld sensing apparatus is implemented using infrared techniques.

24. A system for acquiring sensory data from a plurality of different remote locations to be distributed over a computer network, said system comprising:

a portable sensory device for measuring sensory data at the different locations that is coupled to said computer network; and

a wireless communication interface coupled to said portable sensory device and configured to communicate with said computer network situated at a remote location.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said wireless communication interface is selected from the group consisting of an infrared data link, an optical interface, a microwave link and an RF interface.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said wireless communication interface is an RF interface.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said sensory device is a handheld device.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein said sensory device comprises an analyte analyzer.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein said computer network comprises an analyte analyzer.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said sensory device comprises at least sensor which is a member selected from the group consisting of a conducting/nonconducting regions sensor, a SAW sensor, a quartz microbalance sensor, a conductive composite sensor, a chemiresistor, a conducting polymer sensor, an organic semiconducting gas sensor, fiber optical chemical sensor and a piezoelectric quartz crystal sensor.