Fabrication method for miniature plastic gripper

DOEpatents

Benett, William J.; Krulevitch, Peter A.; Lee, Abraham P.; Northrup, Milton A.; Folta, James A.

1998-01-01

A miniature plastic gripper actuated by inflation of a miniature balloon and method of fabricating same. The gripper is constructed of either heat-shrinkable or heat-expandable plastic tubing and is formed around a mandrel, then cut to form gripper prongs or jaws and the mandrel removed. The gripper is connected at one end with a catheter or tube having an actuating balloon at its tip, whereby the gripper is opened or dosed by inflation or deflation of the balloon. The gripper is designed to removably retain a member to which is connected a quantity or medicine, plugs, or micro-components. The miniature plastic gripper is inexpensive to fabricate and can be used for various applications, such as gripping, sorting, or placing of micron-scale particles for analysis.

Miniature plastic gripper and fabrication method

DOEpatents

Benett, William J.; Krulevitch, Peter A.; Lee, Abraham P.; Northrup, Milton A.; Folta, James A.

1997-01-01

A miniature plastic gripper actuated by inflation of a miniature balloon and method of fabricating same. The gripper is constructed of either heat-shrinkable or heat-expandable plastic tubing and is formed around a mandrel, then cut to form gripper prongs or jaws and the mandrel removed. The gripper is connected at one end with a catheter or tube having an actuating balloon at its tip, whereby the gripper is opened or closed by inflation or deflation of the balloon. The gripper is designed to removably retain a member to which is connected a quantity or medicine, plugs, or micro-components. The miniature plastic gripper is inexpensive to fabricate and can be used for various applications, such as gripping, sorting, or placing of micron-scale particles for analysis.

Woven electrochemical fabric-based test sensors (WEFTS): a new class of multiplexed electrochemical sensors.

PubMed

Choudhary, Tripurari; Rajamanickam, G P; Dendukuri, Dhananjaya

2015-05-07

We present textile weaving as a new technique for the manufacture of miniature electrochemical sensors with significant advantages over current fabrication techniques. Biocompatible silk yarn is used as the material for fabrication instead of plastics and ceramics used in commercial sensors. Silk yarns are coated with conducting inks and reagents before being handloom-woven as electrodes into patches of fabric to create arrays of sensors, which are then laminated, cut and packaged into individual sensors. Unlike the conventionally used screen-printing, which results in wastage of reagents, yarn coating uses only as much reagent and ink as required. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic yarns are used for patterning so that sample flow is restricted to a small area of the sensor. This simple fluidic control is achieved with readily available materials. We have fabricated and validated individual sensors for glucose and hemoglobin and a multiplexed sensor, which can detect both analytes. Chronoamperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to detect glucose and hemoglobin, respectively. Industrial quantities of these sensors can be fabricated at distributed locations in the developing world using existing skills and manufacturing facilities. We believe such sensors could find applications in the emerging area of wearable sensors for chemical testing.

Miniature optical fiber temperature sensor based on FMF-SCF structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chuanbiao; Ning, Tigang; Zheng, Jingjing; Gao, Xuekai; Lin, Heng; Li, Jing; Pei, Li; Wen, Xiaodong

2018-03-01

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a miniature optical fiber temperature sensor consisting of a seven core fiber (SCF) and a few mode fiber (FMF). The device is fabricated by splicing a section of FMF with a segment of SCF to form a FMF-SCF based sensing structure, and during the FMF region, few modes can be excited and will propagate within the SCF. In experiment, the proposed device has good quality interferometric spectra, and the highest extinction ratio of 27 dB was achieved. When the temperature increases from room temperature to 110 °C, the temperature response properties of the sensor have been investigated, the wavelength sensitivity of about 91.8 pm/°C and the amplitude sensitivity of about 1.57 × 10-2 a.u./°C are obtained, respectively. Due to its easy and controllable fabrication, the sensor can be a suitable candidate in temperature sensing applications.

Miniature Scroll Pumps Fabricated by LIGA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiberg, Dean; Shcheglov, Kirill; White, Victor; Bae, Sam

2009-01-01

Miniature scroll pumps have been proposed as roughing pumps (low - vacuum pumps) for miniature scientific instruments (e.g., portable mass spectrometers and gas analyzers) that depend on vacuum. The larger scroll pumps used as roughing pumps in some older vacuum systems are fabricated by conventional machining. Typically, such an older scroll pump includes (1) an electric motor with an eccentric shaft to generate orbital motion of a scroll and (2) conventional bearings to restrict the orbital motion to a circle. The proposed miniature scroll pumps would differ from the prior, larger ones in both design and fabrication. A miniature scroll pump would include two scrolls: one mounted on a stationary baseplate and one on a flexure stage (see figure). An electromagnetic actuator in the form of two pairs of voice coils in a push-pull configuration would make the flexure stage move in the desired circular orbit. The capacitance between the scrolls would be monitored to provide position (gap) feedback to a control system that would adjust the drive signals applied to the voice coils to maintain the circular orbit as needed for precise sealing of the scrolls. To minimize power consumption and maximize precision of control, the flexure stage would be driven at the frequency of its mechanical resonance. The miniaturization of these pumps would entail both operational and manufacturing tolerances of <1 m. Such tight tolerances cannot be achieved easily by conventional machining of high-aspect-ratio structures like those of scroll-pump components. In addition, the vibrations of conventional motors and ball bearings exceed these tight tolerances by an order of magnitude. Therefore, the proposed pumps would be fabricated by the microfabrication method known by the German acronym LIGA ( lithographie, galvanoformung, abformung, which means lithography, electroforming, molding) because LIGA has been shown to be capable of providing the required tolerances at large aspect ratios.

Miniaturized Metal (Metal Alloy)/PdO(x)/SiC Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO(x)). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600 C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sided sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Miniaturized photoacoustic spectrometer

DOEpatents

Okandan, Murat; Robinson, Alex; Nielson, Gregory N.; Resnick, Paul J.

2016-08-09

A low-power miniaturized photoacoustic sensor uses an optical microphone made by semiconductor fabrication techniques, and optionally allows for all-optical communication to and from the sensor. This allows integration of the photoacoustic sensor into systems with special requirements, such as those that would be reactive in an electrical discharge condition. The photoacoustic sensor can also be operated in various other modes with wide application flexibility.

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x ). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Miniaturized metal (metal alloy)/ PdO.sub.x/SiC hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Jennifer C. (Inventor); Hunter, Gary W. (Inventor); Lukco, Dorothy (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdO.sub.x). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600.degree. C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.

Miniature Wireless BioSensor for Remote Endoscopic Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemiroski, Alex; Brown, Keith; Issadore, David; Westervelt, Robert; Thompson, Chris; Obstein, Keith; Laine, Michael

2009-03-01

We have built a miniature wireless biosensor with fluorescence detection capability that explores the miniaturization limit for a self-powered sensor device assembled from the latest off-the-shelf technology. The device is intended as a remote medical sensor to be inserted endoscopically and remainin a patient's gastrointestinal tract for a period of weeks, recording and transmitting data as necessary. A sensing network may be formed by using multiple such devices within the patient, routing information to an external receiver that communicates through existing mobilephone networks to relay data remotely. By using a monolithic IC chip with integrated processor, memory, and 2.4 GHz radio,combined with a photonic sensor and miniature battery, we have developed a fully functional computing device in a form factorcompliantwith insertion through the narrowest endoscopic channels (less than 3mm x 3mm x 20mm). We envision similar devices with various types of sensors to be used in many different areas of the human body.

Miniaturized Environmental Monitoring Instrumentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. B. Freidhoff

1997-09-01

The objective of the Mass Spectrograph on a Chip (MSOC) program is the development of a miniature, multi-species gas sensor fabricated using silicon micromachining technology which will be orders of magnitude smaller and lower power consumption than a conventional mass spectrometer. The sensing and discrimination of this gas sensor are based on an ionic mass spectrograph, using magnetic and/or electrostatic fields. The fields cause a spatial separation of the ions according to their respective mass-to-charge ratio. The fabrication of this device involves the combination of microelectronics with micromechanically built sensors and, ultimately, vacuum pumps. The prototype of a chemical sensormore » would revolutionize the method of performing environmental monitoring for both commercial and government applications. The portable unit decided upon was the miniaturized gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer detector, referred to as a GC/MS in the analytical marketplace.« less

A Miniaturized QEPAS Trace Gas Sensor with a 3D-Printed Acoustic Detection Module.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaotao; Xiao, Youhong; Ma, Yufei; He, Ying; Tittel, Frank K

2017-07-31

A 3D printing technique was introduced to a quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor and is reported for the first time. The acoustic detection module (ADM) was designed and fabricated using the 3D printing technique and the ADM volume was compressed significantly. Furthermore, a small grin lens was used for laser focusing and facilitated the beam adjustment in the 3D-printed ADM. A quartz tuning fork (QTF) with a low resonance frequency of 30.72 kHz was used as the acoustic wave transducer and acetylene (C₂H₂) was chosen as the analyte. The reported miniaturized QEPAS trace gas sensor is useful in actual sensor applications.

Simple graphene chemiresistors as pH sensors: fabrication and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Nan; Li, Pengfei; Xue, Wei; Xu, Jie

2011-10-01

We report the fabrication and characterization of a simple gate-free graphene device as a pH sensor. The graphene sheets are made by mechanical exfoliation. Platinum contact electrodes are fabricated with a mask-free process using a focused ion beam and then expanded by silver paint. Annealing is used to improve the electrical contact. The experiment on the fabricated graphene device shows that the resistance of the device decreases linearly with increasing pH values (in the range of 4-10) in the surrounding liquid environment. The resolution achieved in our experiments is approximately 0.3 pH in alkali environment. The sensitivity of the device is calculated as approximately 2 kΩ pH-1. The simple configuration, miniaturized size and integration ability make graphene-based sensors promising candidates for future micro/nano applications.

Batch fabrication of precision miniature permanent magnets

DOEpatents

Christenson, Todd R.; Garino, Terry J.; Venturini, Eugene L.

2002-01-01

A new class of processes for fabrication of precision miniature rare earth permanent magnets is disclosed. Such magnets typically have sizes in the range 0.1 to 10 millimeters, and dimensional tolerances as small as one micron. Very large magnetic fields can be produced by such magnets, lending to their potential application in MEMS and related electromechanical applications, and in miniature millimeter-wave vacuum tubes. This abstract contains simplifications, and is supplied only for purposes of searching, not to limit or alter the scope or meaning of any claims herein.

Miniature all-silica optical fiber pressure sensor with an ultrathin uniform diaphragm.

PubMed

Wang, Wenhui; Wu, Nan; Tian, Ye; Niezrecki, Christopher; Wang, Xingwei

2010-04-26

This paper presents an all-silica miniature optical fiber pressure/acoustic sensor based on the Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric principle. The endface of the etched optical fiber tip and silica thin diaphragm on it form the FP structure. The uniform and thin silica diaphragm was fabricated by etching away the silicon substrate from a commercial silicon wafer that has a thermal oxide layer. The thin film was directly thermally bonded to the endface of the optical fiber thus creating the Fabry-Perot cavity. Thin films with a thickness from 1microm to 3microm have been bonded successfully. The sensor shows good linearity and hysteresis during measurement. A sensor with 0.75 microm-thick diaphragm thinned by post silica etching was demonstrated to have a sensitivity of 11 nm/kPa. The new sensor has great potential to be used as a non-intrusive pressure sensor in a variety of sensing applications.

Fabrication of a Miniaturized ZnO Nanowire Accelerometer and Its Performance Tests

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyun Chan; Song, Sangho; Kim, Jaehwan

2016-01-01

This paper reports a miniaturized piezoelectric accelerometer suitable for a small haptic actuator array. The accelerometer is made with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) grown on a copper wafer by a hydrothermal process. The size of the accelerometer is 1.5 × 1.5 mm2, thus fitting the 1.8 × 1.8 mm2 haptic actuator array cell. The detailed fabrication process of the miniaturized accelerometer is illustrated. Performance evaluation of the fabricated accelerometer is conducted by comparing it with a commercial piezoelectric accelerometer. The output current of the fabricated accelerometer increases linearly with the acceleration. The miniaturized ZnO NW accelerometer is feasible for acceleration measurement of small and lightweight devices. PMID:27649184

Circuits and Systems for Low-Power Miniaturized Wireless Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraju, Manohar

The field of electronic sensors has witnessed a tremendous growth over the last decade particularly with the proliferation of mobile devices. New applications in Internet of Things (IoT), wearable technology, are further expected to fuel the demand for sensors from current numbers in the range of billions to trillions in the next decade. The main challenges for a trillion sensors are continued miniaturization, low-cost and large-scale manufacturing process, and low power consumption. Traditional integration and circuit design techniques in sensor systems are not suitable for applications in smart dust, IoT etc. The first part of this thesis demonstrates an example sensor system for biosignal recording and illustrates the tradeoffs in the design of low-power miniaturized sensors. The different components of the sensor system are integrated at the board level. The second part of the thesis demonstrates fully integrated sensors that enable extreme miniaturization of a sensing system with the sensor element, processing circuitry, a frequency reference for communication and the communication circuitry in a single hermetically sealed die. Design techniques to reduce the power consumption of the sensor interface circuitry at the architecture and circuit level are demonstrated. The principles are used to design sensors for two of the most common physical variables, mass and pressure. A low-power wireless mass and pressure sensor suitable for a wide variety of biological/chemical sensing applications and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) respectively are demonstrated. Further, the idea of using high-Q resonators for a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) is proposed and a low-noise, wide bandwidth FBAR-based VCO is presented.

Miniature fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator (FBG-Transceiver) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Edgar A.; Kempen, Cornelia; Lopatin, Craig

2007-04-01

This paper describes recent progress conducted towards the development of a miniature fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator (FBG-Transceiver TM) system based on multi-channel integrated optic sensor (InOSense TM) microchip technology. The hybrid InOSense TM microchip technology enables the integration of all of the functionalities, both passive and active, of conventional bench top FBG sensor interrogator systems, packaged in a miniaturized, low power operation, 2-cm x 5-cm package suitable for the long-term structural health monitoring in applications where size, weight, and power are critical for operation. The FBG-Transceiver system uses active optoelectronic components monolithically integrated to the InOSense TM microchip, a microprocessor controlled signal processing electronics board capable of processing the FBG sensors signals related to stress-strain and temperature as well as vibration and acoustics. The FBG-Transceiver TM system represents a new, reliable, highly robust technology that can be used to accurately monitor the status of an array of distributed fiber optic Bragg grating sensors installed in critical infrastructures. Its miniature package, low power operation, and state-of-the-art data communications architecture, all at a very affordable price makes it a very attractive solution for a large number of SHM/NDI applications in aerospace, naval and maritime industry, civil structures like bridges, buildings and dams, the oil and chemical industry, and for homeland security applications. The miniature, cost-efficient FBG-Transceiver TM system is poised to revolutionize the field of structural health monitoring and nondestructive inspection market. The sponsor of this program is NAVAIR under a DOD SBIR contract.

Miniaturized sensor module for a mechatronic bearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Robert X.; Sahay, Priyaranjan

1998-12-01

To assess the working condition of a rolling element bearing, the condition monitoring system should be located as close as possible to the bearing to take advantage of shorter signal transmission path, increased signal-to-noise ratio, and reduced complexity of the signal processing electronics. The advantages of integrated sensing are presented in this paper, with a focus on the design and analysis of a miniaturized sensor module. Mechatronic principles have been applied to treat the various subjects in a synergistic way. To complement analytical studies, experiments have been conducted on a scaled-up version of the sensor module to analyze the system dynamic response. The result obtained provided insight into the electromechanical interaction within the module as well as input for the system implementation using miniaturization technologies.

Directed assembly of nanomaterials for miniaturized sensors by dip-pen nanolithography using precursor inks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ming

The advent of nanomaterials with enhanced properties and the means to pattern them in a controlled fashion have paved the way to construct miniaturized sensors for improved detection. However it remains a challenge for the traditional methods to create such sensors and sensor arrays. Dip pen nanolithography (DPN) can form nanostructures on a substrate by controlling the transfer of molecule inks. However, previous DPN can not pattern solid materials on insulating surfaces, which are necessary to form functional electronic devices. In the dissertation, the concept of reactive precursor inks for DPN is developed for the generation of solid functional nanostructures of the following materials: organic molecule, sol-gel material, and conducting polymer. First, the covalent bonding is unnecessary for DPN as shown in the colored ink DPN; therefore the numbers of molecules that can be patterned is extended beyond thiol or thiolated molecules. Subsequently, a reactive precursor strategy (sol) is developed to pattern inorganic or organic/inorganic composite nanostructures on silicon based substrates. The method works by hydrolysis of metal precursors in the water meniscus and allows the preparation of solid structures with controlled geometry beyond the individual molecule level. Then the SnO 2 nanostructures patterned between the gaps of electrodes are tested as gas sensors. Proof-of-concept experiments are demonstrated on miniaturized sensors that show fast response and recovery to certain gases. Furthermore, an eight-unit sensor array is fabricated on a chip using SnO2 sols that are doped with different metals. The multiplexed device can recognize different gases by comparing the response patterns with the reference patterns of known gases generated on the same array. At last, the idea of precursor ink for DPN is extended to construct conducting polymer based devices. By using an acid promoted polymerization approach, conducting polymers are patterned on silicon dioxide

Autonomous chemical and biological miniature wireless-sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Bar-Giora

2005-05-01

The presentation discusses a new concept and a paradigm shift in biological, chemical and explosive sensor system design and deployment. From large, heavy, centralized and expensive systems to distributed wireless sensor networks utilizing miniature platforms (nodes) that are lightweight, low cost and wirelessly connected. These new systems are possible due to the emergence and convergence of new innovative radio, imaging, networking and sensor technologies. Miniature integrated radio-sensor networks, is a technology whose time has come. These network systems are based on large numbers of distributed low cost and short-range wireless platforms that sense and process their environment and communicate data thru a network to a command center. The recent emergence of chemical and explosive sensor technology based on silicon nanostructures, coupled with the fast evolution of low-cost CMOS imagers, low power DSP engines and integrated radio chips, has created an opportunity to realize the vision of autonomous wireless networks. These threat detection networks will perform sophisticated analysis at the sensor node and convey alarm information up the command chain. Sensor networks of this type are expected to revolutionize the ability to detect and locate biological, chemical, or explosive threats. The ability to distribute large numbers of low-cost sensors over large areas enables these devices to be close to the targeted threats and therefore improve detection efficiencies and enable rapid counter responses. These sensor networks will be used for homeland security, shipping container monitoring, and other applications such as laboratory medical analysis, drug discovery, automotive, environmental and/or in-vivo monitoring. Avaak"s system concept is to image a chromatic biological, chemical and/or explosive sensor utilizing a digital imager, analyze the images and distribute alarm or image data wirelessly through the network. All the imaging, processing and communications

Photoacoustic CO2 sensor system: design and potential for miniaturization and integration in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, J.; Wöllenstein, J.

2015-05-01

The detection of CO2 indoors has a large impact on today's sensor market. The ambient room climate is important for human health and wellbeing. The CO2 concentration is a main indicator for indoor climate and correlates with the number of persons inside a room. People in Europe spend more than 90% of their time indoors. This leads to a high demand for miniaturized and energy efficient CO2 sensors. To realize small and energy-efficient mass-market sensors, we develop novel miniaturized photoacoustic sensor systems with optimized design for real-time and selective CO2 detection. The sensor system consists of two chambers, a measurement and a detection chamber. The detection chamber consists of an integrated pressure sensor under special gas atmosphere. As pressure sensor we use a commercially available cell phone microphone. We describe a possible miniaturization process of the developed system by regarding the possibility of integration of all sensor parts. The system is manufactured in precision mechanics with IR-optical sapphire windows as optical connections. During the miniaturization process the sapphire windows are replaced by Si chips with a special IR anti-reflection coating. The developed system is characterized in detail with gas measurements and optical transmission investigations. The results of the characterization process offer a high potential for further miniaturization with high capability for mass market applications.

Design and testing of miniaturized plasma sensor for measuring hypervelocity impact plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goel, A.; Tarantino, P. M.; Lauben, D. S.; Close, S.

2015-04-01

An increasingly notable component of the space environment pertains to the impact of meteoroids and orbital debris on spacecraft and the resulting mechanical and electrical damages. Traveling at speeds of tens of km/s, when these particles, collectively referred to as hypervelocity particles, impact a satellite, they vaporize, ionize, and produce a radially expanding plasma that can generate electrically harmful radio frequency emission or serve as a trigger for electrostatic discharge. In order to measure the flux, composition, energy distribution, and temperature of ions and electrons in this plasma, a miniaturized plasma sensor has been developed for carrying out in-situ measurements in space. The sensor comprises an array of electrostatic analyzer wells split into 16 different channels, catering to different species and energy ranges in the plasma. We present results from numerical simulation based optimization of sensor geometry. A novel approach of fabricating the sensor using printed circuit boards is implemented. We also describe the test setup used for calibrating the sensor and show results demonstrating the energy band pass characteristics of the sensor. In addition to the hypervelocity impact plasmas, the plasma sensor developed can also be used to carry out measurements of ionospheric plasma, diagnostics of plasma propulsion systems, and in other space physics experiments.

Applications of SPICE for modeling miniaturized biomedical sensor systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mundt, C. W.; Nagle, H. T.

2000-01-01

This paper proposes a model for a miniaturized signal conditioning system for biopotential and ion-selective electrode arrays. The system consists of three main components: sensors, interconnections, and signal conditioning chip. The model for this system is based on SPICE. Transmission-line based equivalent circuits are used to represent the sensors, lumped resistance-capacitance circuits describe the interconnections, and a model for the signal conditioning chip is extracted from its layout. A system for measurements of biopotentials and ionic activities can be miniaturized and optimized for cardiovascular applications based on the development of an integrated SPICE system model of its electrochemical, interconnection, and electronic components.

Development of a miniaturized optical viscosity sensor with an optical surface tracking system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, H.; Nagamachi, R.; Taguchi, Y.; Nagasaka, Y.

2010-02-01

A new viscosity sensor enabling non-contact measurement at high speed, with less sample volume and high stability is required in a broad field. For example, in the industrial field, process control by real time monitoring of viscosity can enhance the quality of coating films and the process yield such as conductive films and optical films. Therefore, we have developed a new miniaturized optical viscosity sensor, namely MOVS (Miniaturized Optical Viscosity Sensor), based on a laser-induced capillary wave (LiCW) method which can meet the requirements above. In the MOVS, viscosity is estimated by observing the damping oscillation of LiCW, which is generated by an interference of two excitation laser beams on a liquid surface. By irradiating a probing laser on LiCW, a first order diffracted beam containing information of sample viscosity, is generated. The intensity of the reflected beam is utilized to control the distance between liquid-level and the sensor. The newly integrated optical surface tracking system makes possible the stable viscosity measurement in the presence of disturbance such as evaporation and external vibration. MOVS consists of five U-grooves fabricated by MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) process to possess the optical fibers (photonic crystal fibers and fusion-spliced lensed fibers). In this study, by integrating the optical surface tracking system on the chip, nanosecond order damping oscillation of LiCW is successfully observed in the presence of external forced vibration, high speed evaporation (speed of 1 micrometer per second) and drying process of a liquid film (thickness of hundreds micrometer order).

Chemicapacitors as a versatile platform for miniature gas and vapor sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blue, Robert; Uttamchandani, Deepak

2017-02-01

Recent years have seen the rapid growth in the need for sensors throughout all areas of society including environmental sensing, health-care, public safety and manufacturing quality control. To meet this diverse need, sensors have to evolve from specialized and bespoke systems to miniaturized, low-power, low-cost (almost disposable) ubiquitous platforms. A technology that has been developed which gives a route to meet these challenges is the chemicapacitor sensor. To date the commercialization of these sensors has largely been restricted to humidity sensing, but in this review we examine the progress over recent years to expand this sensing technology to a wide range of gases and vapors. From sensors interrogated with laboratory instrumentation, chemicapacitor sensors have evolved into miniaturized units integrated with low power readout electronics that can selectively detect target molecules to ppm and sub-ppm levels within vapor mixtures.

Development of Miniaturized Optimized Smart Sensors (MOSS) for space plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, D. T.

1993-01-01

The cost of space plasma sensors is high for several reasons: (1) Most are one-of-a-kind and state-of-the-art, (2) the cost of launch to orbit is high, (3) ruggedness and reliability requirements lead to costly development and test programs, and (4) overhead is added by overly elaborate or generalized spacecraft interface requirements. Possible approaches to reducing costs include development of small 'sensors' (defined as including all necessary optics, detectors, and related electronics) that will ultimately lead to cheaper missions by reducing (2), improving (3), and, through work with spacecraft designers, reducing (4). Despite this logical approach, there is no guarantee that smaller sensors are necessarily either better or cheaper. We have previously advocated applying analytical 'quality factors' to plasma sensors (and spacecraft) and have begun to develop miniaturized particle optical systems by applying quantitative optimization criteria. We are currently designing a Miniaturized Optimized Smart Sensor (MOSS) in which miniaturized electronics (e.g., employing new power supply topology and extensive us of gate arrays and hybrid circuits) are fully integrated with newly developed particle optics to give significant savings in volume and mass. The goal of the SwRI MOSS program is development of a fully self-contained and functional plasma sensor weighing 1 lb and requiring 1 W. MOSS will require only a typical spacecraft DC power source (e.g., 30 V) and command/data interfaces in order to be fully functional, and will provide measurement capabilities comparable in most ways to current sensors.

Miniature Sensor Probe for O2, CO2, and H2O Monitoring in Portable Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Jesus; Chambers, Antja

2013-01-01

A miniature sensor probe, composed of four sensors which monitor the partial pressure of O2, CO2, H2O, and temperature, designed to operate in the portable life support system (PLSS), has been demonstrated. The probe provides an important advantage over existing technology in that it is able to operate reliably while wet. These luminescence-based fiber optic sensors consist of an indicator chemistry immobilized in a polymeric film, whose emission lifetime undergoes a strong change upon a reversible interaction with the target gas. Each sensor includes chemistry specifically sensitive to one target parameter. All four sensors are based on indicator chemistries that include luminescent dyes from the same chemical family, and therefore exhibit similar photochemical properties, which allow performing measurements of all the sensors by a single, compact, low-power optoelectronic unit remotely connected to the sensors by an electromagnetic interference-proof optical fiber cable. For space systems, using these miniature sensor elements with remote optoelectronics provides unmatched design flexibility for measurements in highly constrained volume systems such as the PLSS. A 10 mm diameter and 15 mm length prototype multiparameter probe was designed, fabricated, tested, and demonstrated over a wide operational range of gas concentration, humidity, and temperature relevant to operation in the PLSS. The sensors were evaluated for measurement range, precision, accuracy, and response time in temperatures ranging from 50 aF-150 aF and relative humidity from dry to 100% RH. Operation of the sensors in water condensation conditions was demonstrated wherein the sensors not only tolerated liquid water but actually operated while wet.

Miniature Intelligent Sensor Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beech, Russell S.

2007-01-01

An electronic unit denoted the Miniature Intelligent Sensor Module performs sensor-signal-conditioning functions and local processing of sensor data. The unit includes four channels of analog input/output circuitry, a processor, volatile and nonvolatile memory, and two Ethernet communication ports, all housed in a weathertight enclosure. The unit accepts AC or DC power. The analog inputs provide programmable gain, offset, and filtering as well as shunt calibration and auto-zeroing. Analog outputs include sine, square, and triangular waves having programmable frequencies and amplitudes, as well as programmable amplitude DC. One innovative aspect of the design of this unit is the integration of a relatively powerful processor and large amount of memory along with the sensor-signalconditioning circuitry so that sophisticated computer programs can be used to acquire and analyze sensor data and estimate and track the health of the overall sensor-data-acquisition system of which the unit is a part. The unit includes calibration, zeroing, and signalfeedback circuitry to facilitate health monitoring. The processor is also integrated with programmable logic circuitry in such a manner as to simplify and enhance acquisition of data and generation of analog outputs. A notable unique feature of the unit is a cold-junction compensation circuit in the back shell of a sensor connector. This circuit makes it possible to use Ktype thermocouples without compromising a housing seal. Replicas of this unit may prove useful in industrial and manufacturing settings - especially in such large outdoor facilities as refineries. Two features can be expected to simplify installation: the weathertight housings should make it possible to mount the units near sensors, and the Ethernet communication capability of the units should facilitate establishment of communication connections for the units.

Miniaturized fiber inline Fabry-Perot interferometer for chemical sensing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

This paper demonstrates the chemical sensing capability of a miniaturized fiber inline Fabry-Prot sensor fabricated by femtosecond : laser. Its accessible cavity enables the device to measure the refractive index within the cavity. The refractive i...

Sensor for Monitoring Nanodevice-Fabrication Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolshakov, Alexander

2004-01-01

The term plasma process diagnostics (PPD) refers to a spectroscopic technique and sensing hardware that have been proposed for monitoring plasma processes used to fabricate electronic devices that feature sizes as small as several nanometers. Nanometer dimensions are characteristic of the quantum level of miniaturization, where single impurity atoms or molecules can drastically change the local properties of the nanostructures. Such changes may be purposely used in nanoscale design but may also be extremely damaging or cause improper operation of the fabricated devices. Determination of temperature and densities of reactants near the developing features is important, since the structural synthesis is affected by characteristics of the local microenvironment. Consequently, sensors capable of nonintrusive monitoring with high sensitivity and high resolution are essential for real-time atomistic control of reaction kinetics and minimizing trace contamination in plasma processes used to fabricate electronic nanodevices. Such process-monitoring sensors are required to be compact, multiparametric, and immune to the harsh environments of processing plasmas. PPD is intended to satisfy these requirements. The specific technique used to implement plasma diagnostics with a PPD sensor would be an advanced version of continuous-wave cavity-ringdown spectroscopy (CW-CRDS) capable of profiling spectral line broadenings in order to derive both Doppler and Stark components. CRDS is based on measurements of the rate of absorption of laser light in an optical resonator. The ultimate sensitivity results from a very long absorption path length within the cavity and immunity to variations in incident laser intensity. The proposed version of this technique would involve the use of multiplexing tunable laser diodes and an actively modulated high-reflectivity optical resonator, thus offering a synergistic combination of simplicity, compactness, high sensitivity, and high resolution. The

Structure and yarn sensor for fabric

DOEpatents

Mee, David K.; Allgood, Glenn O.; Mooney, Larry R.; Duncan, Michael G.; Turner, John C.; Treece, Dale A.

1998-01-01

A structure and yarn sensor for fabric directly determines pick density in a fabric thereby allowing fabric length and velocity to be calculated from a count of the picks made by the sensor over known time intervals. The structure and yarn sensor is also capable of detecting full length woven defects and fabric. As a result, an inexpensive on-line pick (or course) density measurement can be performed which allows a loom or knitting machine to be adjusted by either manual or automatic means to maintain closer fiber density tolerances. Such a sensor apparatus dramatically reduces fabric production costs and significantly improves fabric consistency and quality for woven or knitted fabric.

Structure and yarn sensor for fabric

DOEpatents

Mee, D.K.; Allgood, G.O.; Mooney, L.R.; Duncan, M.G.; Turner, J.C.; Treece, D.A.

1998-10-20

A structure and yarn sensor for fabric directly determines pick density in a fabric thereby allowing fabric length and velocity to be calculated from a count of the picks made by the sensor over known time intervals. The structure and yarn sensor is also capable of detecting full length woven defects and fabric. As a result, an inexpensive on-line pick (or course) density measurement can be performed which allows a loom or knitting machine to be adjusted by either manual or automatic means to maintain closer fiber density tolerances. Such a sensor apparatus dramatically reduces fabric production costs and significantly improves fabric consistency and quality for woven or knitted fabric. 13 figs.

High sensitivity knitted fabric strain sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Juan; Long, Hairu; Miao, Menghe

2016-10-01

Wearable sensors are increasingly used in smart garments for detecting and transferring vital signals and body posture, movement and respiration. Existing fabric strain sensors made from metallized yarns have low sensitivity, poor comfort and low durability to washing. Here we report a knitted fabric strain sensor made from a cotton/stainless steel (SS) fibre blended yarn which shows much higher sensitivity than sensors knitted from metallized yarns. The fabric feels softer than pure cotton textiles owing to the ultrafine stainless steel fibres and does not lose its electrical property after washing. The reason for the high sensitivity of the cotton/SS knitted fabric sensor was explored by comparing its sensing mechanism with the knitted fabric sensor made from metallized yarns. The results show that the cotton/SS yarn-to-yarn contact resistance is highly sensitive to strain applied to hooked yarn loops.

A miniature disposable radio (MiDR) for unattended ground sensor systems (UGSS) and munitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, Jeffrey S.; Wurth, Timothy J.

2004-09-01

Unattended and tactical sensors are used by the U.S. Army"s Future Combat Systems (FCS) and Objective Force Warrior (OFW) to detect and identify enemy targets on the battlefield. The radios being developed as part of the Networked Sensors for the Objective Force (NSOF) are too costly and too large to deploy in missions requiring throw-away hardware. A low-cost miniature radio is required to satisfy the communication needs for unmanned sensor and munitions systems that are deployed in a disposable manner. A low cost miniature disposable communications suite is leveraged using the commercial off-the-shelf market and employing a miniature universal frequency conversion architecture. Employing the technology of universal frequency architecture in a commercially available communication unit delivers a robust disposable transceiver that can operate at virtually any frequency. A low-cost RF communication radio has applicability in the commercial, homeland defense, military, and other government markets. Specific uses include perimeter monitoring, infrastructure defense, unattended ground sensors, tactical sensors, and border patrol. This paper describes a low-cost radio architecture to meet the requirements of throw-away radios that can be easily modified or tuned to virtually any operating frequency required for the specific mission.

Performance improvement of miniaturized ZnO nanowire accelerometer fabricated by refresh hydrothermal synthesis

PubMed Central

Song, Sangho; Kim, Hyun Chan; Kim, Jung Woong; Kim, Debora

2017-01-01

Miniaturized accelerometers are necessary for evaluating the performance of small devices, such as haptics, robotics and simulators. In this study, we fabricated miniaturized accelerometers using well-aligned ZnO nanowires. The layer of ZnO nanowires is used for active piezoelectric layer of the accelerometer, and copper was chosen as a head mass. Seedless and refresh hydrothermal synthesis methods were conducted to grow ZnO nanowires on the copper substrate and the effect of ZnO nanowire length on the accelerometer performance was investigated. The refresh hydrothermal synthesis exhibits longer ZnO nanowires, 12 µm, than the seedless hydrothermal synthesis, 6 µm. Performance of the fabricated accelerometers was verified by comparing with a commercial accelerometer. The sensitivity of the fabricated accelerometer by the refresh hydrothermal synthesis is shown to be 37.7 pA g−1, which is about 30 times larger than the previous result. PMID:28989760

Miniaturized fiber-optic Michelson-type interferometric sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Kent A.; Miller, William V., III; Tran, Tuan A.; Vengsarkar, Ashish M.; Claus, Richard O.

1991-01-01

A novel, miniaturized Michelson-type fiber-optic interferometric sensor that is relatively insensitive to temperature drifts is presented. A fused-biconical tapered coupler is cleaved immediately after the coupled length and polished down to the region of the fused cladding, but short of the interaction region. The end of one core is selectively coated with a reflective surface and is used as the reference arm; the other core serves as the sensing arm. The detection of surface acoustic waves, microdisplacements, and magnetic fields is reported. The sensor is shown to be highly stable in comparison to a classic homodyne, uncompensated Michelson interferometer, and signal-to-noise ratios of 65 dB have been obtained.

CRUQS: A Miniature Fine Sun Sensor for Nanosatellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heatwole, Scott; Snow, Carl; Santos, Luis

2013-01-01

A new miniature fine Sun sensor has been developed that uses a quadrant photodiode and housing to determine the Sun vector. Its size, mass, and power make it especially suited to small satellite applications, especially nanosatellites. Its accuracy is on the order of one arcminute, and it will enable new science in the area of nanosatellites. The motivation for this innovation was the need for high-performance Sun sensors in the nanosatellite category. The design idea comes out of the LISS (Lockheed Intermediate Sun Sensor) used by the sounding rocket program on their solar pointing ACS (Attitude Control System). This system uses photodiodes and a wall between them. The shadow cast by the Sun is used to determine the Sun angle. The new sensor takes this concept and miniaturizes it. A cruciform shaped housing and a surface-mount quadrant photodiode package allow for a two-axis fine Sun sensor to be packaged into a space approx.1.25xl x0.25 in. (approx.3.2x2.5x0.6 cm). The circuitry to read the photodiodes is a simple trans-impedance operational amplifier. This is much less complex than current small Sun sensors for nanosatellites that rely on photo-arrays and processing of images to determine the Sun center. The simplicity of the circuit allows for a low power draw as well. The sensor consists of housing with a cruciform machined in it. The cruciform walls are 0.5-mm thick and the center of the cruciform is situated over the center of the quadrant photodiode sensor. This allows for shadows to be cast on each of the four photodiodes based on the angle of the Sun. A simple operational amplifier circuit is used to read the output of the photodiodes as a voltage. The voltage output of each photodiode is summed based on rows and columns, and then the values of both rows or both columns are differenced and divided by the sum of the voltages for all four photodiodes. The value of both difference over sums for the rows and columns is compared to a table or a polynomial fit

Fabrication of Miniature Thermoelectric Generators Using Bulk Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joo, Sung-Jae; Ryu, Byungki; Min, Bok-Ki; Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Bong-Seo; Park, Su-Dong; Lee, Hee-Woong

2016-07-01

Miniature thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are required for micro power generation as well as local cooling, and they should have small size and high performance. However, conventional bulk TEMs generally have in-plane dimensions of a few centimeters, and empty space between the legs for electrical isolation makes efficient miniaturization difficult. In this study, a miniature TEM with footprint of about 0.35 cm2 and leg height of 0.97 mm was fabricated by reducing the dimensions of the legs and attaching them together to form a closely packed assembly, without using microelectromechanical processes. First, Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 (BST) and Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 (BTS) ingots were made by ball milling and spark plasma sintering, and the ingots were cut into thin plates. These BST and BTS plates were then attached alternately using polyimide tapes, and the attached plates were sliced vertically to produce thin sheets. This process was repeated once again to make chessboard-like assemblies having 20 p- n pairs in an area of 0.35 cm2, and electrical contacts were formed by Ni sputtering and Ag paste coating. Finally, thermally conductive silicone pads (~500 μm) were attached on both sides of the assembly using electrically insulating interface thermal tapes (˜180 μm). The maximum output power ( P max) from the miniature module was about 28 μW and 2.0 mW for temperature difference (Δ T) of 5.6°C and 50.5°C, respectively. Reducing the contact resistance was considered to be the key to increase the output power.

Closed loop control of the induction heating process using miniature magnetic sensors

DOEpatents

Bentley, Anthony E.; Kelley, John Bruce; Zutavern, Fred J.

2003-05-20

A method and system for providing real-time, closed-loop control of the induction hardening process. A miniature magnetic sensor located near the outer surface of the workpiece measures changes in the surface magnetic field caused by changes in the magnetic properties of the workpiece as it heats up during induction heating (or cools down during quenching). A passive miniature magnetic sensor detects a distinct magnetic spike that appears when the saturation field, B.sub.sat, of the workpiece has been exceeded. This distinct magnetic spike disappears when the workpiece's surface temperature exceeds its Curie temperature, due to the sudden decrease in its magnetic permeability. Alternatively, an active magnetic sensor can measure changes in the resonance response of the monitor coil when the excitation coil is linearly swept over 0-10 MHz, due to changes in the magnetic permeability and electrical resistivity of the workpiece as its temperature increases (or decreases).

An innovative miniature microbial fuel cell fabricated using photolithography.

PubMed

Chen, You-Peng; Zhao, Yue; Qiu, Ke-Qiang; Chu, Jian; Lu, Rui; Sun, Min; Liu, Xian-Wei; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Yu, Han-Qing; Chen, Jie; Li, Wen-Jie; Liu, Gang; Tian, Yang-Chao; Xiong, Ying

2011-02-15

Recently microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have attracted increasing interests in both environmental and energy fields. Among the various MFC configurations, miniature microbial fuel cell (mini-MFC) has a great potential for the application in medical, communication and other areas because of its miniature volume and high output power density. In this work, a 25-μL single-chamber mini-MFC was fabricated using the photolithography technique. The plate-shaped gold anodic electrode in the mini-MFC showed a higher electrochemical activity than the stripe-shaped one. A biofilm of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was formed on the surface of gold electrode in this micro-liter-scale MFCs. As a result, a maximum power density of 29 mW/m(2) and a maximum current density of 2148 mA/m(2) were achieved by this single-chamber mini-MFC. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical monitoring of testicular torsion using a miniaturized near infrared spectroscopy sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadgan, Babak; Kajbafzadeh, Majid; Nigro, Mark; Kajbafzadeh, A. M.; Macnab, Andrew

2017-02-01

Background: Testicular torsion is an acute urological emergency occurring in children and adolescents. Accurate and fast diagnosis is important as the resulting ischemia can destroy the testis. Currently, Doppler ultrasound is the preferred diagnostic method. Ultrasound is not readily available in all centers which may delay surgical treatment. In this study, a rat model was used to examine the feasibility and sensitivity of using spatially-resolved near infrared spectroscopy (SR-NIRS) with a custom-made miniaturized optical sensor probe to detect and study changes in testicular hemodynamics and oxygenation during three degrees of induced testicular torsion, and after detorsion. Methods: Eight anesthetized rats (16 testes) were studied using SR-NIRS with the miniaturized optical probe applied directly onto the surface of the surgically exposed testis during 360, 720 and 1080 degrees of torsion followed by detorsion. Oxygenated, deoxygenated and total hemoglobin and TOI% were studied pre-and post-manipulations. Results: NIRS monitoring reflected acute testicular ischemia and hypoxia on induction of torsion, and tissue reperfusionreoxygenation after detorsion. Testicular torsion at 720 degrees induced the maximum observed degree of hypoxic changes. In all cases, rhythmic changes were observed in the NIRS signals before inducing torsion; these disappeared after applying 360 degrees of torsion and did not reappear after detorsion. Conclusion: This animal study indicates that SR-NIRS monitoring of the testes using a directly applied miniature sensor is a feasible and sensitive method to detect testicular ischemia and hypoxia immediately after torsion occurs, and testicular reperfusion upon detorsion. This study offers the potential for a SR-NIRS system with a miniaturized sensor to be explored further as a rapid, noninvasive, optical method for detecting testicular torsion in children.

Novel approaches to the construction of miniaturized analytical instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porter, Marc D.; Otoole, Ronald P.; Coldiron, Shelley J.; Deninger, William D.; Deinhammer, Randall S.; Burns, Stanley G.; Bastiaans, Glenn J.; Braymen, Steve D.; Shanks, Howard R.

1992-01-01

This paper focuses on the design, construction, preliminary testing, and potential applications of three forms of miniaturized analytical instrumentation. The first is an optical fiber instrument for monitoring pH and other cations in aqueous solutions. The instrument couples chemically selective indicators that were immobilized at porous polymeric films with a hardware package that provides the excitation light source, required optical components, and detection and data processing hardware. The second is a new form of a piezoelectric mass sensor. The sensor was fabricated by the deposition of a thin (5.5 micron) film of piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AIN). The completed deposition process yields a thin film resonator (TFR) that is shaped as a 400 micron square and supports a standing bulk acoustic wave in a longitudinal mode at frequencies of approx. 1 GHz. Various deposition and vapor sorption studies indicate that the mass sensitivity of the TFR's rival those of the most sensitive mass sensors currently available, though offering such performance in a markedly smaller device. The third couples a novel form of liquid chromatography with microlithographic miniaturization techniques. The status of the miniaturization effort, the goal of which is to achieve chip-scale separations, is briefly discussed.

MiniDSS: a low-power and high-precision miniaturized digital sun sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, B. M.; Durkut, M.; Laan, E.; Hakkesteegt, H.; Theuwissen, A.; Xie, N.; Leijtens, J. L.; Urquijo, E.; Bruins, P.

2017-11-01

A high-precision and low-power miniaturized digital sun sensor has been developed at TNO. The single-chip sun sensor comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) on which an active pixel sensor (APS), read-out and processing circuitry as well as communication circuitry are combined. The design was optimized for low recurrent cost. The sensor is albedo insensitive and the prototype combines an accuracy in the order of 0.03° with a mass of just 72 g and a power consumption of only 65 mW.

Highly stretchable miniature strain sensor for large dynamic strain measurement

DOE PAGES

Song, Bo; Yao, Shurong; Nie, Xu; ...

2016-01-01

In this paper, a new type of highly stretchable strain sensor was developed to measure large strains. The sensor was based on the piezo-resistive response of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite thin films. The piezo-resistive response of CNT composite gives accurate strain measurement with high frequency response, while the ultra-soft PDMS matrix provides high flexibility and ductility for large strain measurement. Experimental results show that the CNT/PDMS sensor measures large strains (up to 8 %) with an excellent linearity and a fast frequency response. The new miniature strain sensor also exhibits much higher sensitivities than the conventional foil strain gages,more » as its gauge factor is 500 times of that of the conventional foil strain gages.« less

Human serum albumin adsorption study on 62-MHz miniaturized quartz gravimetric sensors.

PubMed

Kao, Ping; Patwardhan, Ashish; Allara, David; Tadigadapa, Srinivas

2008-08-01

We have designed and fabricated 25-microm-thick quartz resonators operating at a fundamental resonance frequency of approximately 62 MHz. The results show a substantial increase in the mass sensitivity compared to single monolithic commercial resonators operating at lower frequencies in the approximately 5-10-MHz range. The overall performance of the micromachined resonators is demonstrated for the example of human serum albumin protein adsorption from aqueous buffer solutions onto gold electrodes functionalized with self-assembled monolayers. The results show a saturation adsorption frequency change of 6.8 kHz as opposed to 40 Hz for a commercial approximately 5-MHz sensor under identical loading conditions. From the analysis of the adsorption isotherm, the equilibrium adsorption constant of the adsorption of the protein layer was found to be K = 8.03 x 10(6) M(-1), which is in agreement with the values reported in the literature. The high sensitivity of the miniaturized QCM devices can be a significant advantage in both vapor and solution adsorption analyses.

Miniature piezoresistive solid state integrated pressure sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahng, S. K.

1980-01-01

The characteristics of silicon pressure sensors with an ultra-small diaphragm are described. The pressure sensors utilize rectangular diaphragm as small as 0.0127 x 0.0254 cm and a p-type Wheatstone bridge consisting of diffused piezoresistive elements, 0.000254 cm by 0.00254 cm. These sensors exhibit as high as 0.5 MHz natural frequency and 1 mV/V/psi pressure sensitivity. Fabrication techniques and high frequency results from shock tube testing and low frequency comparison with microphones are presented.

Miniature fiber optic loop subcomponent for compact sensors and dense routing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillham, Frederick J.; Stowe, David W.; Ouellette, Thomas R.; Pryshlak, Adrian P.

1999-05-01

Fiber optic data links and embedded sensors, such as Fabry- Perot and Mach-Zehnders, are important elements in smart structure architectures. Unfortunately, one problem with optical fiber is the inherent limit through which fibers and cables can be looped. A revolutionary, patented technology has been developed which overcomes this problem. Based on processing the fiber into low loss miniature bends, it permits routing the fiber to difficult areas, and minimizing the size of sensors and components. The minimum bend diameter for singlemode fiber is typically over two inches in diameter, to avoid light attenuation and limit stresses which could prematurely break the fiber. With the new miniature bend technology, bend diameters as small as 1 mm are readily achieved. One embodiment is a sub-component with standard singlemode fiber formed into a 180 degree bend and packaged in a glass tube only 1.5 mm OD X 8 mm long, Figure 1. Measured insertion loss is less than 0.2 dB from 1260 nm to 1680 nm. A final processing step which anneals the fiber into the eventual curvature, reduces the internal stress, thereby resulting in long life expectancy with robust immunity to external loading. This paper addresses the optical and physical performance of the sub-component. Particular attention is paid to attenuation spectra, polarization dependent loss, reflectance, thermal cycle, damp heat, and shock tests. Applications are presented which employs the bend technology. Concatenating right angle bends into a 'wire harness' demonstrates the ability to route fiber through a smart engine or satellite structure. Miniature optical coils are proposed for sensors and expansion joints.

Surface biofunctionalization and production of miniaturized sensor structures using aerosol printing technologies.

PubMed

Grunwald, Ingo; Groth, Esther; Wirth, Ingo; Schumacher, Julian; Maiwald, Marcus; Zoellmer, Volker; Busse, Matthias

2010-03-01

The work described in this paper demonstrates that very small protein and DNA structures can be applied to various substrates without denaturation using aerosol printing technology. This technology allows high-resolution deposition of various nanoscaled metal and biological suspensions. Before printing, metal and biological suspensions were formulated and then nebulized to form an aerosol which is aerodynamically focused on the printing module of the system in order to achieve precise structuring of the nanoscale material on a substrate. In this way, it is possible to focus the aerosol stream at a distance of about 5 mm from the printhead to the surface. This technology is useful for printing fluorescence-marked proteins and printing enzymes without affecting their biological activity. Furthermore, higher molecular weight DNA can be printed without shearing. The advantages, such as printing on complex, non-planar 3D structured surfaces, and disadvantages of the aerosol printing technology are also discussed and are compared with other printing technologies. In addition, miniaturized sensor structures with line thicknesses in the range of a few micrometers are fabricated by applying a silver sensor structure to glass. After sintering using an integrated laser or in an oven process, electrical conductivity is achieved within the sensor structure. Finally, we printed BSA in small micrometre-sized areas within the sensor structure using the same deposition system. The aerosol printing technology combined with material development offers great advantages for future-oriented applications involving biological surface functionalization on small areas. This is important for innovative biomedical micro-device development and for production solutions which bridge the disciplines of biology and electronics.

Use of miniature magnetic sensors for real-time control of the induction heating process

DOEpatents

Bentley, Anthony E.; Kelley, John Bruce; Zutavern, Fred J.

2002-01-01

A method of monitoring the process of induction heating a workpiece. A miniature magnetic sensor located near the outer surface of the workpiece measures changes in the surface magnetic field caused by changes in the magnetic properties of the workpiece as it heats up during induction heating (or cools down during quenching). A passive miniature magnetic sensor detects a distinct magnetic spike that appears when the saturation field, B.sub.sat, of the workpiece has been exceeded. This distinct magnetic spike disappears when the workpiece's surface temperature exceeds its Curie temperature, due to the sudden decrease in its magnetic permeability. Alternatively, an active magnetic sensor can also be used to measure changes in the resonance response of the monitor coil when the excitation coil is linearly swept over 0-10 MHz, due to changes in the magnetic permeability and electrical resistivity of the workpiece as its temperature increases (or decreases).

Construction of a Chemical Sensor/Instrumentation Package Using Fiber Optic and Miniaturization Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newton, R. L.

1999-01-01

The objective of this research was to construct a chemical sensor/instrumentation package that was smaller in weight and volume than conventional instrumentation. This reduction in weight and volume is needed to assist in further reducing the cost of launching payloads into space. To accomplish this, fiber optic sensors, miniaturized spectrometers, and wireless modems were employed. The system was evaluated using iodine as a calibration analyte.

High-sensitivity low-noise miniature fluxgate magnetometers using a flip chip conceptual design.

PubMed

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Jeff; Chiu, Po-Kai; Chiu, Shih-Liang; Jeng, Jen-Tzong

2014-07-30

This paper presents a novel class of miniature fluxgate magnetometers fabricated on a print circuit board (PCB) substrate and electrically connected to each other similar to the current "flip chip" concept in semiconductor package. This sensor is soldered together by reversely flipping a 5 cm × 3 cm PCB substrate to the other identical one which includes dual magnetic cores, planar pick-up coils, and 3-D excitation coils constructed by planar Cu interconnections patterned on PCB substrates. Principles and analysis of the fluxgate sensor are introduced first, and followed by FEA electromagnetic modeling and simulation for the proposed sensor. Comprehensive characteristic experiments of the miniature fluxgate device exhibit favorable results in terms of sensitivity (or "responsivity" for magnetometers) and field noise spectrum. The sensor is driven and characterized by employing the improved second-harmonic detection technique that enables linear V-B correlation and responsivity verification. In addition, the double magnitude of responsivity measured under very low frequency (1 Hz) magnetic fields is experimentally demonstrated. As a result, the maximum responsivity of 593 V/T occurs at 50 kHz of excitation frequency with the second harmonic wave of excitation; however, the minimum magnetic field noise is found to be 0.05 nT/Hz(1/2) at 1 Hz under the same excitation. In comparison with other miniature planar fluxgates published to date, the fluxgate magnetic sensor with flip chip configuration offers advances in both device functionality and fabrication simplicity. More importantly, the novel design can be further extended to a silicon-based micro-fluxgate chip manufactured by emerging CMOS-MEMS technologies, thus enriching its potential range of applications in modern engineering and the consumer electronics market.

Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautic and Space Applications 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Chen, L. Y.; Neudeck, P. G.; Knight, D.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Zhou, H. J.; Makel, D.; Liu, M.; Rauch, W. A.

1998-01-01

Aeronautic and Space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Areas of most interest include launch vehicle safety monitoring emission monitoring and fire detection. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensor is based on progress two types of technology: 1) Micro-machining and micro-fabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Sensor development for each application involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this micro-fabricated gas sensor technology make this area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

Fabrication of Thin Film Heat Flux Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, Herbert A.

1992-01-01

Prototype thin film heat flux sensors have been constructed and tested. The sensors can be applied to propulsion system materials and components. The sensors can provide steady state and fast transient heat flux information. Fabrication of the sensor does not require any matching of the mounting surface. Heat flux is proportional to the temperature difference across the upper and lower surfaces of an insulation material. The sensor consists of an array of thermocouples on the upper and lower surfaces of a thin insulating layer. The thermocouples for the sensor are connected in a thermopile arrangement. A 100 thermocouple pair heat flux sensor has been fabricated on silicon wafers. The sensor produced an output voltage of 200-400 microvolts when exposed to a hot air heat gun. A 20 element thermocouple pair heat flux sensor has been fabricated on aluminum oxide sheet. Thermocouples are Pt-Pt/Rh with silicon dioxide as the insulating material. This sensor produced an output of 28 microvolts when exposed to the radiation of a furnace operating at 1000 C. Work is also underway to put this type of heat flux sensor on metal surfaces.

Miniature Six-Axis Load Sensor for Robotic Fingertip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diftler, Myron A.; Martin, Toby B.; Valvo, Michael C.; Rodriguez, Dagoberto; Chu, Mars W.

2009-01-01

A miniature load sensor has been developed as a prototype of tactile sensors that could fit within fingertips of anthropomorphic robot hands. The sensor includes a force-and-torque transducer in the form of a spring instrumented with at least six semiconductor strain gauges. The strain-gauge wires are secured to one side of an interface circuit board mounted at the base of the spring. This board protects the strain-gauge wires from damage that could otherwise occur as a result of finger motions. On the opposite side of the interface board, cables routed along the neutral axis of the finger route the strain-gauge output voltages to an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) board. The A/D board is mounted as close as possible to the strain gauges to minimize electromagnetic noise and other interference effects. The outputs of the A/D board are fed to a controller, wherein, by means of a predetermined calibration matrix, the digitized strain-gauge output voltages are converted to three vector components of force and three of torque exerted by or on the fingertip.

Disposable Screen Printed Electrochemical Sensors: Tools for Environmental Monitoring

PubMed Central

Hayat, Akhtar; Marty, Jean Louis

2014-01-01

Screen printing technology is a widely used technique for the fabrication of electrochemical sensors. This methodology is likely to underpin the progressive drive towards miniaturized, sensitive and portable devices, and has already established its route from “lab-to-market” for a plethora of sensors. The application of these sensors for analysis of environmental samples has been the major focus of research in this field. As a consequence, this work will focus on recent important advances in the design and fabrication of disposable screen printed sensors for the electrochemical detection of environmental contaminants. Special emphasis is given on sensor fabrication methodology, operating details and performance characteristics for environmental applications. PMID:24932865

Two-Axis Direct Fluid Shear Stress Sensor for Aerodynamic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bajikar, Sateesh S.; Scott, Michael A.; Adcock, Edward E.

2011-01-01

This miniature or micro-sized semiconductor sensor design provides direct, nonintrusive measurement of skin friction or wall shear stress in fluid flow situations in a two-axis configuration. The sensor is fabricated by microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, enabling small size and multiple, low-cost reproductions. The sensors may be fabricated by bonding a sensing element wafer to a fluid-coupling element wafer. Using this layered machine structure provides a truly three-dimensional device.

A family for miniature, easily reconfigurable particle sensors for space plasma measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieser, M.; Barabash, S.

2016-12-01

Over the last 15 years the Swedish Institute of Space Physics developed a line of miniaturized ion mass analyzers for space plasma studies with masses of 400-600 g and highly compact and dense design to minimize the volume. The sensors cover an energy range from few eV up to 15 keV and reach an angular coverage up to hemispherical and mass resolution up to 7, depending on application. The experience with this line of sensors demonstrates that a sensor mass of 400-600 g is a limit in the trade-off between scientifically valuable performance and the sensor mass. The Solar Wind Monitor (SWIM), part of the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) on board of the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon, was the first sensor in the line. A number of instruments derived from SWIM were built, each using the same basic architecture but adapted for the needs of the corresponding mission: the Miniature Ion Precipitation Analyzer (MIPA) on the European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission to Mercury, the Detector for Ions at Mars (DIM) for the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission and the Yinghuo Plasma Package Ion sensor (YPPi) for the Chinese Yinghuo-1 spacecraft (both to Mars), the Prisma Ion Mass Analyzer (PRIMA) for the Swedish PRISMA spacecraft to Earth orbit, the eXtra Small Analyzer of Neutrals (XASN) for the Russian Luna-Glob lander, and the Laboratory Ion Scattering Analyzer (LISA) used for laboratory studies. We review architecture, design, performance, and fields of application of the instruments in this family and give and outlook in future developments.

Diffractive Optic Fluid Shear Stress Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, D.; Scalf, J.; Forouhar, S.; Muller, R.; Taugwalder, F.; Gharib, M.; Fourguette, D.; Modarress, D.

2000-01-01

Light scattering off particles flowing through a two-slit interference pattern can be used to measure the shear stress of the fluid. We have designed and fabricated a miniature diffractive optic sensor based on this principle.

Development of thermoelectric fibers for miniature thermoelectric devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Fei; Menchhofer, Paul A.; Kiggans, Jr., James O.

Miniature thermoelectric (TE) devices may be used in a variety of applications such as power sources of small sensors, temperature regulation of precision electronics, etc. Reducing the size of TE elements may also enable design of novel devices with unique form factor and higher device efficiency. Current industrial practice of fabricating TE devices usually involves mechanical removal processes that not only lead to material loss but also limit the geometry of the TE elements. In this project, we explored a powder-processing method for the fabrication of TE fibers with large length-to-area ratio, which could be potentially used for miniature TEmore » devices. Powders were milled from Bi2Te3-based bulk materials and then mixed with a thermoplastic resin dissolved in an organic solvent. Through an extrusion process, flexible, continuous fibers with sub-millimeter diameters were formed. The polymer phase was then removed by sintering. Sintered fibers exhibited similar Seebeck coefficients to the bulk materials. Moreover, their electrical resistivity was much higher, which might be related to the residual porosity and grain boundary contamination. Prototype miniature uni-couples fabricated from these fibers showed a linear I-V behavior and could generate millivolt voltages and output power in the nano-watt range. Further development of these TE fibers requires improvement in their electrical conductivities, which needs a better understanding of the causes that lead to the low conductivity in the sintered fibers.« less

Development of thermoelectric fibers for miniature thermoelectric devices

DOE PAGES

Ren, Fei; Menchhofer, Paul A.; Kiggans, Jr., James O.; ...

2016-09-23

Miniature thermoelectric (TE) devices may be used in a variety of applications such as power sources of small sensors, temperature regulation of precision electronics, etc. Reducing the size of TE elements may also enable design of novel devices with unique form factor and higher device efficiency. Current industrial practice of fabricating TE devices usually involves mechanical removal processes that not only lead to material loss but also limit the geometry of the TE elements. In this project, we explored a powder-processing method for the fabrication of TE fibers with large length-to-area ratio, which could be potentially used for miniature TEmore » devices. Powders were milled from Bi2Te3-based bulk materials and then mixed with a thermoplastic resin dissolved in an organic solvent. Through an extrusion process, flexible, continuous fibers with sub-millimeter diameters were formed. The polymer phase was then removed by sintering. Sintered fibers exhibited similar Seebeck coefficients to the bulk materials. Moreover, their electrical resistivity was much higher, which might be related to the residual porosity and grain boundary contamination. Prototype miniature uni-couples fabricated from these fibers showed a linear I-V behavior and could generate millivolt voltages and output power in the nano-watt range. Further development of these TE fibers requires improvement in their electrical conductivities, which needs a better understanding of the causes that lead to the low conductivity in the sintered fibers.« less

Miniature infrared hyperspectral imaging sensor for airborne applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinnrichs, Michele; Hinnrichs, Bradford; McCutchen, Earl

2017-05-01

Pacific Advanced Technology (PAT) has developed an infrared hyperspectral camera, both MWIR and LWIR, small enough to serve as a payload on a miniature unmanned aerial vehicles. The optical system has been integrated into the cold-shield of the sensor enabling the small size and weight of the sensor. This new and innovative approach to infrared hyperspectral imaging spectrometer uses micro-optics and will be explained in this paper. The micro-optics are made up of an area array of diffractive optical elements where each element is tuned to image a different spectral region on a common focal plane array. The lenslet array is embedded in the cold-shield of the sensor and actuated with a miniature piezo-electric motor. This approach enables rapid infrared spectral imaging with multiple spectral images collected and processed simultaneously each frame of the camera. This paper will present our optical mechanical design approach which results in an infrared hyper-spectral imaging system that is small enough for a payload on a mini-UAV or commercial quadcopter. The diffractive optical elements used in the lenslet array are blazed gratings where each lenslet is tuned for a different spectral bandpass. The lenslets are configured in an area array placed a few millimeters above the focal plane and embedded in the cold-shield to reduce the background signal normally associated with the optics. We have developed various systems using a different number of lenslets in the area array. Depending on the size of the focal plane and the diameter of the lenslet array will determine the spatial resolution. A 2 x 2 lenslet array will image four different spectral images of the scene each frame and when coupled with a 512 x 512 focal plane array will give spatial resolution of 256 x 256 pixel each spectral image. Another system that we developed uses a 4 x 4 lenslet array on a 1024 x 1024 pixel element focal plane array which gives 16 spectral images of 256 x 256 pixel resolution each

High-Sensitivity Low-Noise Miniature Fluxgate Magnetometers Using a Flip Chip Conceptual Design

PubMed Central

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Jeff; Chiu, Po-Kai; Chiu, Shih-Liang; Jeng, Jen-Tzong

2014-01-01

This paper presents a novel class of miniature fluxgate magnetometers fabricated on a print circuit board (PCB) substrate and electrically connected to each other similar to the current “flip chip” concept in semiconductor package. This sensor is soldered together by reversely flipping a 5 cm × 3 cm PCB substrate to the other identical one which includes dual magnetic cores, planar pick-up coils, and 3-D excitation coils constructed by planar Cu interconnections patterned on PCB substrates. Principles and analysis of the fluxgate sensor are introduced first, and followed by FEA electromagnetic modeling and simulation for the proposed sensor. Comprehensive characteristic experiments of the miniature fluxgate device exhibit favorable results in terms of sensitivity (or “responsivity” for magnetometers) and field noise spectrum. The sensor is driven and characterized by employing the improved second-harmonic detection technique that enables linear V-B correlation and responsivity verification. In addition, the double magnitude of responsivity measured under very low frequency (1 Hz) magnetic fields is experimentally demonstrated. As a result, the maximum responsivity of 593 V/T occurs at 50 kHz of excitation frequency with the second harmonic wave of excitation; however, the minimum magnetic field noise is found to be 0.05 nT/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz under the same excitation. In comparison with other miniature planar fluxgates published to date, the fluxgate magnetic sensor with flip chip configuration offers advances in both device functionality and fabrication simplicity. More importantly, the novel design can be further extended to a silicon-based micro-fluxgate chip manufactured by emerging CMOS-MEMS technologies, thus enriching its potential range of applications in modern engineering and the consumer electronics market. PMID:25196107

A Magnetically Suspended Wheel for a Miniature Gyro Made Using Planar Fabrication Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dauwalter, Charles R.

1996-01-01

The technical feasibility of a magnetically suspended rotating wheel for miniature gyro applications was investigated under a NASA SBIR contract. A concept for a configuration for a system of compact, lightweight magnetic actuators capable of generating the necessary suspension forces and fabrication using millimachining planar fabrication technologies was developed. Both capacitive and electromagnetic position sensing concepts were developed for implementing a closed loop control system for supporting the wheel. A finite difference technique, implemented in a spreadsheet environment, for analyzing the force characteristics of the actuator was used and the results verified with Finite Element Analysis.

Textile-Based Weft Knitted Strain Sensors: Effect of Fabric Parameters on Sensor Properties

PubMed Central

Atalay, Ozgur; Kennon, William Richard; Husain, Muhammad Dawood

2013-01-01

The design and development of textile-based strain sensors has been a focus of research and many investigators have studied this subject. This paper presents a new textile-based strain sensor design and shows the effect of base fabric parameters on its sensing properties. Sensing fabric could be used to measure articulations of the human body in the real environment. The strain sensing fabric was produced by using electronic flat-bed knitting technology; the base fabric was produced with elastomeric yarns in an interlock arrangement and a conductive yarn was embedded in this substrate to create a series of single loop structures. Experimental results show that there is a strong relationship between base fabric parameters and sensor properties. PMID:23966199

Fabrication of taste sensor for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiao; Tahara, Yusuke; Toko, Kiyoshi; Kuriyaki, Hisao

2017-03-01

In order to solve the unconcern to usefulness of learning science among high school students in Japan, we developed a simple fabricated taste sensor with sensitivity and selectivity to each taste quality, which can be applied in science class. A commercialized Teflon membrane was used as the polymer membrane holding lipids. In addition, a non-adhesive method is considered to combine the membrane and the sensor electrode using a plastic cap which is easily accessible. The taste sensor for education fabricated in this way showed a good selectivity and sensitivity. By adjusting the composition of trioctylmethylammonium chloride (TOMA) and phosphoric acid di(2-ethylhexyl) ester (PAEE) included in lipid solution, we improved the selectivity of this simple taste sensor to saltiness and sourness. To verify this taste sensor as a useful science teaching material for science class, we applied this taste sensor into a science class for university students. By comparing the results between the sensory test and the sensor response, humans taste showed the same tendency just as the sensor response, which proved the sensor as a useful teaching material for science class.

Miniaturized pulse oximeter sensor for continuous vital parameter monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiala, Jens; Reichelt, Stephan; Werber, Armin; Bingger, Philipp; Zappe, Hans; Förster, Katharina; Klemm, Rolf; Heilmann, Claudia; Beyersdorf, Friedhelm

2007-07-01

A miniaturized photoplethysmographic sensor system which utilizes the principle of pulse oximetry is presented. The sensor is designed to be implantable and will permit continuous monitoring of important human vital parameters such as arterial blood oxygen saturation as well as pulse rate and shape over a long-term period in vivo. The system employs light emitting diodes and a photo transistor embedded in a transparent elastic cu. which is directly wrapped around an arterial vessel. This paper highlights the specific challenges in design, instrumentation, and electronics associated with that sensor location. In vitro measurements were performed using an artificial circulation system which allows for regulation of the oxygen saturation and pulsatile pumping of whole blood through a section of a domestic pig's arterial vessel. We discuss our experimental results compared to reference CO-oximeter measurements and determine the empirical calibration curve. These results demonstrate the capabilities of the pulse oximeter implant for measurement of a wide range of oxygen saturation levels and pave the way for a continuous and mobile monitoring of high-risk cardiovascular patients.

A Miniaturized Magnetic Induction Sensor Using Geomagnetism for Turn Count of Small-Caliber Ammunition

PubMed Central

Yoon, Sang-Hee; Lee, Seok-Woo; Lee, Young-Ho; Oh, Jong-Soo

2006-01-01

This paper presents a miniaturized magnetic induction sensor (MMIS), where geomagnetism and high rpm rotation of ammunition are used to detect the turn number of the ammunition for applications to small-caliber turn-counting fuzes. The MMIS, composed of cores and a coil, has a robust structure without moving parts to increase the shock survivability in a gunfire environment of ∼30,000 g's. The MMIS is designed and fabricated on the basis of the simulation results of an electromagnetic analysis tool, Maxwell® 3D. In the experimental study, static MMIS test using a solenoid-coil apparatus and dynamic MMIS test (firing test) have been made. The present MMIS has shown that an induction voltage of 6.5 mVp-p is generated at a magnetic flux density of 0.05 mT and a rotational velocity of 30,000 rpm. From the measured signal, MMIS has shown a signal-to-noise ratio of 44.0 dB, a nonlinearity of 0.59%, a frequency-normalized sensitivity of 0.256±0.010 V/T·Hz and a drift of 0.27% in the temperature range of -30∼+43°C. Firing test has shown that the MMIS can be used as a turn-counting sensor for small-caliber ammunition, verifying the shock survivability of the MMIS in a high-g environment.

Wearable carbon nanotube-based fabric sensors for monitoring human physiological performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Long; Loh, Kenneth J.

2017-05-01

A target application of wearable sensors is to detect human motion and to monitor physical activity for improving athletic performance and for delivering better physical therapy. In addition, measuring human vital signals (e.g., respiration rate and body temperature) provides rich information that can be used to assess a subject’s physiological or psychological condition. This study aims to design a multifunctional, wearable, fabric-based sensing system. First, carbon nanotube (CNT)-based thin films were fabricated by spraying. Second, the thin films were integrated with stretchable fabrics to form the fabric sensors. Third, the strain and temperature sensing properties of sensors fabricated using different CNT concentrations were characterized. Furthermore, the sensors were demonstrated to detect human finger bending motions, so as to validate their practical strain sensing performance. Finally, to monitor human respiration, the fabric sensors were integrated with a chest band, which was directly worn by a human subject. Quantification of respiration rates were successfully achieved. Overall, the fabric sensors were characterized by advantages such as flexibility, ease of fabrication, lightweight, low-cost, noninvasiveness, and user comfort.

Smart fabric sensors and e-textile technologies: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castano, Lina M.; Flatau, Alison B.

2014-05-01

This paper provides a review of recent developments in the rapidly changing and advancing field of smart fabric sensor and electronic textile technologies. It summarizes the basic principles and approaches employed when building fabric sensors as well as the most commonly used materials and techniques used in electronic textiles. This paper shows that sensing functionality can be created by intrinsic and extrinsic modifications to textile substrates depending on the level of integration into the fabric platform. The current work demonstrates that fabric sensors can be tailored to measure force, pressure, chemicals, humidity and temperature variations. Materials, connectors, fabric circuits, interconnects, encapsulation and fabrication methods associated with fabric technologies prove to be customizable and versatile but less robust than their conventional electronics counterparts. The findings of this survey suggest that a complete smart fabric system is possible through the integration of the different types of textile based functional elements. This work intends to be a starting point for standardization of smart fabric sensing techniques and e-textile fabrication methods.

Novel Modified Optical Fibers for High Temperature In-Situ Miniaturized Gas Sensors in Advanced Fossil Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pickrell, Gary; Scott, Brian

2014-06-30

This report covers the technical progress on the program “Novel Modified Optical Fibers for High Temperature In-Situ Miniaturized Gas Sensors in Advanced Fossil Energy Systems”, funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, and performed by the Materials Science & Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments at Virginia Tech, and summarizes technical progress from July 1st, 2005 –June 30th, 2014. The objective of this program was to develop novel fiber materials for high temperature gas sensors based on evanescent wave absorption in optical fibers. This project focused on two primary areas: the study ofmore » a sapphire photonic crystal fiber (SPCF) for operation at high temperature and long wavelengths, and a porous glass based fiber optic sensor for gas detection. The sapphire component of the project focused on the development of a sapphire photonic crystal fiber, modeling of the new structures, fabrication of the optimal structure, development of a long wavelength interrogation system, testing of the optical properties, and gas and temperature testing of the final sensor. The fabrication of the 6 rod SPCF gap bundle (diameter of 70μm) with a hollow core was successfully constructed with lead-in and lead-out 50μm diameter fiber along with transmission and gas detection testing. Testing of the sapphire photonic crystal fiber sensor capabilities with the developed long wavelength optical system showed the ability to detect CO 2 at or below 1000ppm at temperatures up to 1000°C. Work on the porous glass sensor focused on the development of a porous clad solid core optical fiber, a hollow core waveguide, gas detection capabilities at room and high temperature, simultaneous gas species detection, suitable joining technologies for the lead-in and lead-out fibers and the porous sensor, sensor system sensitivity improvement, signal processing improvement, relationship between pore structure and fiber

Conductive polymer nanowire gas sensor fabricated by nanoscale soft lithography.

PubMed

Tang, Ning; Jiang, Yang; Qu, Hemi; Duan, Xuexin

2017-12-01

Resistive devices composed of one-dimensional nanostructures are promising candidates for the next generation of gas sensors. However, the large-scale fabrication of nanowires is still challenging, which restricts the commercialization of such devices. Here, we report a highly efficient and facile approach to fabricating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanowire chemiresistive gas sensors by nanoscale soft lithography. Well-defined sub-100 nm nanowires are fabricated on silicon substrate, which facilitates device integration. The nanowire chemiresistive gas sensor is demonstrated for NH 3 and NO 2 detection at room temperature and shows a limit of detection at ppb level, which is compatible with nanoscale PEDOT:PSS gas sensors fabricated with the conventional lithography technique. In comparison with PEDOT:PSS thin-film gas sensors, the nanowire gas sensor exhibits higher sensitivity and a much faster response to gas molecules.

Conductive polymer nanowire gas sensor fabricated by nanoscale soft lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Ning; Jiang, Yang; Qu, Hemi; Duan, Xuexin

2017-12-01

Resistive devices composed of one-dimensional nanostructures are promising candidates for the next generation of gas sensors. However, the large-scale fabrication of nanowires is still challenging, which restricts the commercialization of such devices. Here, we report a highly efficient and facile approach to fabricating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanowire chemiresistive gas sensors by nanoscale soft lithography. Well-defined sub-100 nm nanowires are fabricated on silicon substrate, which facilitates device integration. The nanowire chemiresistive gas sensor is demonstrated for NH3 and NO2 detection at room temperature and shows a limit of detection at ppb level, which is compatible with nanoscale PEDOT:PSS gas sensors fabricated with the conventional lithography technique. In comparison with PEDOT:PSS thin-film gas sensors, the nanowire gas sensor exhibits higher sensitivity and a much faster response to gas molecules.

Design, fabrication and metrological evaluation of wearable pressure sensors.

PubMed

Goy, C B; Menichetti, V; Yanicelli, L M; Lucero, J B; López, M A Gómez; Parodi, N F; Herrera, M C

2015-04-01

Pressure sensors are valuable transducers that are necessary in a huge number of medical application. However, the state of the art of compact and lightweight pressure sensors with the capability of measuring the contact pressure between two surfaces (contact pressure sensors) is very poor. In this work, several types of wearable contact pressure sensors are fabricated using different conductive textile materials and piezo-resistive films. The fabricated sensors differ in size, the textile conductor used and/or the number of layers of the sandwiched piezo-resistive film. The intention is to study, through the obtaining of their calibration curves, their metrological properties (repeatability, sensitivity and range) and determine which physical characteristics improve their ability for measuring contact pressures. It has been found that it is possible to obtain wearable contact pressure sensors through the proposed fabrication process with satisfactory repeatability, range and sensitivity; and that some of these properties can be improved by the physical characteristics of the sensors.

Fiber-optic miniature sensor for in situ temperature monitoring of curing composite material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampath, Umesh; Kim, Dae-gil; Kim, Hyunjin; Song, Minho

2018-04-01

This study proposes a fiber-optic temperature sensor with a single-mode fiber tip covered with a thermo-sensitive polymer resin. The temperature is sensed by measuring the Fresnel reflection from the optical fiber/polymer interface. Because the thermo-optic coefficients differ between the optical fiber and the polymer, the in situ temperature can be measured even in curing composite materials. In initial experiments, the proposed sensor successfully measured and recovered the temperature information. The measured sensor data were linearly correlated, with an R2 exceeding 0.99. The standard deviation in the long-term measurements of constant temperature was 2.6%. The durability and stability of the sensor head material in long-term operation was validated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. In further experiments, the suggested miniature temperature sensor obtained the internal temperatures of curing composite material over a wide range (30-110 °C).

Miniature low-power inertial sensors: promising technology for implantable motion capture systems.

PubMed

Lambrecht, Joris M; Kirsch, Robert F

2014-11-01

Inertial and magnetic sensors are valuable for untethered, self-contained human movement analysis. Very recently, complete integration of inertial sensors, magnetic sensors, and processing into single packages, has resulted in miniature, low power devices that could feasibly be employed in an implantable motion capture system. We developed a wearable sensor system based on a commercially available system-in-package inertial and magnetic sensor. We characterized the accuracy of the system in measuring 3-D orientation-with and without magnetometer-based heading compensation-relative to a research grade optical motion capture system. The root mean square error was less than 4° in dynamic and static conditions about all axes. Using four sensors, recording from seven degrees-of-freedom of the upper limb (shoulder, elbow, wrist) was demonstrated in one subject during reaching motions. Very high correlation and low error was found across all joints relative to the optical motion capture system. Findings were similar to previous publications using inertial sensors, but at a fraction of the power consumption and size of the sensors. Such ultra-small, low power sensors provide exciting new avenues for movement monitoring for various movement disorders, movement-based command interfaces for assistive devices, and implementation of kinematic feedback systems for assistive interventions like functional electrical stimulation.

A Miniature Aerosol Sensor for Detecting Polydisperse Airborne Ultrafine Particles.

PubMed

Zhang, Chao; Wang, Dingqu; Zhu, Rong; Yang, Wenming; Jiang, Peng

2017-04-22

Counting and sizing of polydisperse airborne nanoparticles have attracted most attentions owing to increasing widespread presence of airborne engineered nanoparticles or ultrafine particles. Here we report a miniature aerosol sensor to detect particle size distribution of polydisperse ultrafine particles based on ion diffusion charging and electrical detection. The aerosol sensor comprises a couple of planar electrodes printed on two circuit boards assembled in parallel, where charging, precipitation and measurement sections are integrated into one chip, which can detect aerosol particle size in of 30-500 nm, number concentration in range of 5 × 10²-10⁷ /cm³. The average relative errors of the measured aerosol number concentration and the particle size are estimated to be 12.2% and 13.5% respectively. A novel measurement scheme is proposed to actualize a real-time detection of polydisperse particles by successively modulating the measurement voltage and deducing the particle size distribution through a smart data fusion algorithm. The effectiveness of the aerosol sensor is experimentally demonstrated via measurements of polystyrene latex (PSL) aerosol and nucleic acid aerosol, as well as sodium chloride aerosol particles.

Fabrication of strain gauge based sensors for tactile skins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptist, Joshua R.; Zhang, Ruoshi; Wei, Danming; Saadatzi, Mohammad Nasser; Popa, Dan O.

2017-05-01

Fabricating cost effective, reliable and functional sensors for electronic skins has been a challenging undertaking for the last several decades. Application of such skins include haptic interfaces, robotic manipulation, and physical human-robot interaction. Much of our recent work has focused on producing compliant sensors that can be easily formed around objects to sense normal, tension, or shear forces. Our past designs have involved the use of flexible sensors and interconnects fabricated on Kapton substrates, and piezoresistive inks that are 3D printed using Electro Hydro Dynamic (EHD) jetting onto interdigitated electrode (IDE) structures. However, EHD print heads require a specialized nozzle and the application of a high-voltage electric field; for which, tuning process parameters can be difficult based on the choice of inks and substrates. Therefore, in this paper we explore sensor fabrication techniques using a novel wet lift-off photolithographic technique for patterning the base polymer piezoresistive material, specifically Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) or PEDOT:PSS. Fabricated sensors are electrically and thermally characterized, and temperaturecompensated designs are proposed and validated. Packaging techniques for sensors in polymer encapsulants are proposed and demonstrated to produce a tactile interface device for a robot.

Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautic and Space Applications 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Chen, Liong-Yu; Neudeck, Phil G.; Knight, Dale; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Zhou, H. J.; Makel, Darby; Liu, M.; Rauch, W. A.

1998-01-01

Aeronautic and space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Areas of interest include launch vehicle safety monitoring, emission monitoring, and fire detection. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Sensor development for each application involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this microfabricated gas sensor technology make this area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautics and Space Applications III

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Chen, L. Y.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Sawayda, M. S.; Jin, Z.; Hammond, J.; Makel, D.; Liu, M.;

Laser-assisted fabrication of single-layer flexible touch sensor

PubMed Central

Son, Seokwoo; Park, Jong Eun; Lee, Joohyung; Yang, Minyang; Kang, Bongchul

2016-01-01

Single-layer flexible touch sensor that is designed for the indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-free, bendable, durable, multi-sensible, and single layer transparent touch sensor was developed via a low-cost and one-step laser-induced fabrication technology. To this end, an entirely novel approach involving material, device structure, and even fabrication method was adopted. Conventional metal oxides based multilayer touch structure was substituted by the single layer structure composed of integrated silver wire networks of sensors and bezel interconnections. This structure is concurrently fabricated on a glass substitutive plastic film via the laser-induced fabrication method using the low-cost organometallic/nanoparticle hybrid complex. In addition, this study addresses practical solutions to heterochromia and interference problem with a color display unit. As a result, a practical touch sensor is successfully demonstrated through resolving the heterochromia and interference problems with color display unit. This study could provide the breakthrough for early realization of wearable device. PMID:27703204

A Review on Surface Stress-Based Miniaturized Piezoresistive SU-8 Polymeric Cantilever Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Ribu; Ravi Sankar, A.

2018-06-01

In the last decade, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with piezoresistive readout combined with the advances in molecular recognition techniques have found versatile applications, especially in the field of chemical and biological sensing. Compared to conventional solid-state semiconductor-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors, SU-8 polymeric cantilevers have advantages in terms of better sensitivity along with reduced material and fabrication cost. In recent times, numerous researchers have investigated their potential as a sensing platform due to high performance-to-cost ratio of SU-8 polymer-based cantilever sensors. In this article, we critically review the design, fabrication, and performance aspects of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors. The evolution of surface stress-based piezoresistive cantilever sensors from solid-state semiconductor materials to polymers, especially SU-8 polymer, is discussed in detail. Theoretical principles of surface stress generation and their application in cantilever sensing technology are also devised. Variants of SU-8 polymeric cantilevers with different composition of materials in cantilever stacks are explained. Furthermore, the interdependence of the material selection, geometrical design parameters, and fabrication process of piezoresistive SU-8 polymeric cantilever sensors and their cumulative impact on the sensor response are also explained in detail. In addition to the design-, fabrication-, and performance-related factors, this article also describes various challenges in engineering SU-8 polymeric cantilevers as a universal sensing platform such as temperature and moisture vulnerability. This review article would serve as a guideline for researchers to understand specifics and functionality of surface stress-based piezoresistive SU-8 cantilever sensors.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors

PubMed Central

Pospíšilová, Marie; Kuncová, Gabriela; Trögl, Josef

2015-01-01

This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS) and biosensors (FOBS). Fiber optic sensor (FOS) systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF) to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) (180 nm) up to middle infrared (IR) (10 µm) and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors. PMID:26437407

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors.

PubMed

Pospíšilová, Marie; Kuncová, Gabriela; Trögl, Josef

2015-09-30

This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS) and biosensors (FOBS). Fiber optic sensor (FOS) systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF) to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) (180 nm) up to middle infrared (IR) (10 μm) and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors.

A flexible piezoelectric force sensor based on PVDF fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y. R.; Zheng, J. M.; Ren, G. Y.; Zhang, P. H.; Xu, C.

2011-04-01

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film has been widely investigated as a sensor and transducer material due to its high piezo-, pyro- and ferroelectric properties. To activate these properties, PVDF films require a mechanical treatment, stretching or poling. In this paper, we report on a force sensor based on PVDF fabrics with excellent flexibility and breathability, to be used as a specific human-related sensor. PVDF nanofibrous fabrics were prepared by using an electrospinning unit and characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Preliminary force sensors have been fabricated and demonstrated excellent sensitivity and response to external mechanical forces. This implies that promising applications can be made for sensing garment pressure, blood pressure, heartbeat rate, respiration rate and accidental impact on the human body.

A Miniature Aerosol Sensor for Detecting Polydisperse Airborne Ultrafine Particles

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chao; Wang, Dingqu; Zhu, Rong; Yang, Wenming; Jiang, Peng

2017-01-01

Counting and sizing of polydisperse airborne nanoparticles have attracted most attentions owing to increasing widespread presence of airborne engineered nanoparticles or ultrafine particles. Here we report a miniature aerosol sensor to detect particle size distribution of polydisperse ultrafine particles based on ion diffusion charging and electrical detection. The aerosol sensor comprises a couple of planar electrodes printed on two circuit boards assembled in parallel, where charging, precipitation and measurement sections are integrated into one chip, which can detect aerosol particle size in of 30–500 nm, number concentration in range of 5 × 102–5 × 107 /cm3. The average relative errors of the measured aerosol number concentration and the particle size are estimated to be 12.2% and 13.5% respectively. A novel measurement scheme is proposed to actualize a real-time detection of polydisperse particles by successively modulating the measurement voltage and deducing the particle size distribution through a smart data fusion algorithm. The effectiveness of the aerosol sensor is experimentally demonstrated via measurements of polystyrene latex (PSL) aerosol and nucleic acid aerosol, as well as sodium chloride aerosol particles. PMID:28441740

Method for Fabricating Miniaturized NiTi Self-Expandable Thin Film Devices with Increased Radiopacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bechtold, Christoph; Lima de Miranda, Rodrigo; Chluba, Christoph; Zamponi, Christiane; Quandt, Eckhard

2016-12-01

Nitinol is the material of choice for many medical applications, in particular for minimally invasive implants due to its superelasticity and biocompatibility. However, NiTi has limited radiopacity which complicates positioning in the body. A common strategy to increase the radiopacity of NiTi devices is the addition of radiopaque markers by micro-riveting or micro-welding. The recent trend of miniaturizing medical devices, however, reduces their radiopacity further, and makes the addition of radiopaque markers to these miniaturized devices difficult. NiTi thin film technology has great potential to overcome such limitations and to fabricate new generations of miniaturized, self-expandable NiTi medical devices with additional functionalities, such as structured multilayer devices with increased radiopacity. For this purpose, we have produced superelastic thin film NiTi samples covered locally with Tantalum structures of different thickness and different shape. These multilayer devices were characterized regarding their mechanical and corrosion properties as well as their X-ray visibility. The superelastic behavior of the underlying NiTi layer is impeded by the Ta layer, and shows therefore a dependence on the Tantalum patterning geometry and thickness. No delamination was observed after mechanical and corrosion tests. The multilayers reveal excellent corrosion resistance, as well as a significant increase in radiopacity.

3D sensors and micro-fabricated detector systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Vià, Cinzia

2014-11-01

Micro-systems based on the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology have been used in miniaturized low power and low mass smart structures in medicine, biology and space applications. Recently similar features found their way inside high energy physics with applications in vertex detectors for high-luminosity LHC Upgrades, with 3D sensors, 3D integration and efficient power management using silicon micro-channel cooling. This paper reports on the state of this development.

Miniature Inchworm Actuators Fabricated by Use of LIGA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, Eui-Hyeok

2003-01-01

Miniature inchworm actuators that would have relatively simple designs have been proposed for applications in which there are requirements for displacements of the order of microns or tens of microns and for the ability to hold their positions when electric power is not applied. The proposed actuators would be members of the class of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), but would be designed and fabricated following an approach that is somewhat unusual for MEMS. Like other MEMS actuators, the proposed inchworm actuators could utilize thermoplastic, bimetallic, shape-memory-alloy, or piezoelectric actuation principles. The figure depicts a piezoelectric inchworm actuator according to the proposal. As in other inchworm actuators, linear motion of an extensible member would be achieved by lengthening and shortening the extensible member in synchronism with alternately clamping and releasing one and then the other end of the member. In this case, the moving member would be the middle one; the member would be piezoelectric and would be shortened by applying a voltage to it. The two outer members would also be piezoelectric; the release of the clamps on the upper or lower end would be achieved by applying a voltage to the electrodes on the upper or lower ends, respectively, of these members. Usually, MEMS actuators cannot be fabricated directly on the side walls of silicon wafers, yet the geometry of this actuator necessitates such fabrication. The solution, according to the proposal, would be to use the microfabrication technique known by the German acronym LIGA - "lithographie, galvanoformung, abformung," which means lithography, electroforming, molding. LIGA involves x-ray lithography of a polymer film followed by selective removal of material to form a three-dimensional pattern from which a mold is made. Among the advantages of LIGA for this purpose are that it is applicable to a broad range of materials, can be used to implement a variety of designs, including

Miniaturized Bio-and Chemical-Sensors for Point-of-Care Monitoring of Chronic Kidney Diseases.

PubMed

Tricoli, Antonio; Neri, Giovanni

2018-03-22

This review reports the latest achievements in point-of-care (POC) sensor technologies for the monitoring of ammonia, creatinine and urea in patients suffering of chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Abnormal levels of these nitrogen biomarkers are found in the physiological fluids, such as blood, urine and sweat, of CKD patients. Delocalized at-home monitoring of CKD biomarkers via integration of miniaturized, portable, and low cost chemical- and bio-sensors in POC devices, is an emerging approach to improve patients' health monitoring and life quality. The successful monitoring of CKD biomarkers, performed on the different body fluids by means of sensors having strict requirements in term of size, cost, large-scale production capacity, response time and simple operation procedures for use in POC devices, is reported and discussed.

Electrochemical Sensors for Clinic Analysis

PubMed Central

Wang, You; Xu, Hui; Zhang, Jianming; Li, Guang

2008-01-01

Demanded by modern medical diagnosis, advances in microfabrication technology have led to the development of fast, sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors for clinic analysis. This review addresses the principles behind electrochemical sensor design and fabrication, and introduces recent progress in the application of electrochemical sensors to analysis of clinical chemicals such as blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites, DNA and antibodies, including basic and applied research. Miniaturized commercial electrochemical biosensors will form the basis of inexpensive and easy to use devices for acquiring chemical information to bring sophisticated analytical capabilities to the non-specialist and general public alike in the future. PMID:27879810

Optical fiber sensors for high temperature harsh environment applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Hai; Wei, Tao; Lan, Xinwei; Zhang, Yinan; Duan, Hongbiao; Han, Yukun; Tsai, Hai-Lung

2010-04-01

This paper summarizes our recent research progresses in developing optical fiber harsh environment sensors for various high temperature harsh environment sensing applications such as monitoring of the operating conditions in a coal-fired power plant and in-situ detection of key gas components in coal-derived syngas. The sensors described in this paper include a miniaturized inline fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) fabricated by one-step fs laser micromachining, a long period fiber grating (LPFG) and a fiber inline core-cladding mode interferometer (CMMI) fabricated by controlled CO2 laser irradiations. Their operating principles, fabrication methods, and applications for measurement of various physical and chemical parameters in a high temperature and high pressure coexisting harsh environment are presented.

Miniaturized Bio-and Chemical-Sensors for Point-of-Care Monitoring of Chronic Kidney Diseases

PubMed Central

Tricoli, Antonio

2018-01-01

This review reports the latest achievements in point-of-care (POC) sensor technologies for the monitoring of ammonia, creatinine and urea in patients suffering of chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Abnormal levels of these nitrogen biomarkers are found in the physiological fluids, such as blood, urine and sweat, of CKD patients. Delocalized at-home monitoring of CKD biomarkers via integration of miniaturized, portable, and low cost chemical- and bio-sensors in POC devices, is an emerging approach to improve patients’ health monitoring and life quality. The successful monitoring of CKD biomarkers, performed on the different body fluids by means of sensors having strict requirements in term of size, cost, large-scale production capacity, response time and simple operation procedures for use in POC devices, is reported and discussed. PMID:29565315

Design and fabrication of vertically-integrated CMOS image sensors.

PubMed

Skorka, Orit; Joseph, Dileepan

2011-01-01

Technologies to fabricate integrated circuits (IC) with 3D structures are an emerging trend in IC design. They are based on vertical stacking of active components to form heterogeneous microsystems. Electronic image sensors will benefit from these technologies because they allow increased pixel-level data processing and device optimization. This paper covers general principles in the design of vertically-integrated (VI) CMOS image sensors that are fabricated by flip-chip bonding. These sensors are composed of a CMOS die and a photodetector die. As a specific example, the paper presents a VI-CMOS image sensor that was designed at the University of Alberta, and fabricated with the help of CMC Microsystems and Micralyne Inc. To realize prototypes, CMOS dies with logarithmic active pixels were prepared in a commercial process, and photodetector dies with metal-semiconductor-metal devices were prepared in a custom process using hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The paper also describes a digital camera that was developed to test the prototype. In this camera, scenes captured by the image sensor are read using an FPGA board, and sent in real time to a PC over USB for data processing and display. Experimental results show that the VI-CMOS prototype has a higher dynamic range and a lower dark limit than conventional electronic image sensors.

Screen printing of a capacitive cantilever-based motion sensor on fabric using a novel sacrificial layer process for smart fabric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yang; Torah, Russel; Yang, Kai; Beeby, Steve; Tudor, John

2013-07-01

Free-standing cantilevers have been fabricated by screen printing sacrificial and structural layers onto a standard polyester cotton fabric. By printing additional conductive layers, a complete capacitive motion sensor on fabric using only screen printing has been fabricated. This type of free-standing structure cannot currently be fabricated using conventional fabric manufacturing processes. In addition, compared to conventional smart fabric fabrication processes (e.g. weaving and knitting), screen printing offers the advantages of geometric design flexibility and the ability to simultaneously print multiple devices of the same or different designs. Furthermore, a range of active inks exists from the printed electronics industry which can potentially be applied to create many types of smart fabric. Four cantilevers with different lengths have been printed on fabric using a five-layer structure with a sacrificial material underneath the cantilever. The sacrificial layer is subsequently removed at 160 °C for 30 min to achieve a freestanding cantilever above the fabric. Two silver electrodes, one on top of the cantilever and the other on top of the fabric, are used to capacitively detect the movement of the cantilever. In this way, an entirely printed motion sensor is produced on a standard fabric. The motion sensor was initially tested on an electromechanical shaker rig at a low frequency range to examine the linearity and the sensitivity of each design. Then, these sensors were individually attached to a moving human forearm to evaluate more representative results. A commercial accelerometer (Microstrain G-link) was mounted alongside for comparison. The printed sensors have a similar motion response to the commercial accelerometer, demonstrating the potential of a printed smart fabric motion sensor for use in intelligent clothing applications.

Design of a miniature wind turbine for powering wireless sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, F. J.; Yuan, F. G.; Hu, J. Z.; Qiu, Y. P.

2010-04-01

In this paper, a miniature wind turbine (MWT) system composed of commercially available off-the-shelf components was designed and tested for harvesting energy from ambient airflow to power wireless sensors. To make MWT operate at very low air flow rates, a 7.6 cm thorgren plastic Propeller blade was adopted as the wind turbine blade. A sub watt brushless DC motor was used as generator. To predict the performance of the MWT, an equivalent circuit model was employed for analyzing the output power and the net efficiency of the MWT system. In theory, the maximum net efficiency 14.8% of the MWT system was predicted. Experimental output power of the MWT versus resistive loads ranging from 5 ohms to 500 ohms under wind speeds from 3 m/s to 4.5 m/s correlates well with those from the predicted model, which means that the equivalent circuit model provides a guideline for optimizing the performance of the MWT and can be used for fulfilling the design requirements by selecting specific components for powering wireless sensors.

Hydrocarbon sensors and materials therefor

DOEpatents

Pham, Ai Quoc; Glass, Robert S.

2000-01-01

An electrochemical hydrocarbon sensor and materials for use in sensors. A suitable proton conducting electrolyte and catalytic materials have been found for specific application in the detection and measurement of non-methane hydrocarbons. The sensor comprises a proton conducting electrolyte sandwiched between two electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is covered with a hydrocarbon decomposition catalyst. Two different modes of operation for the hydrocarbon sensors can be used: equilibrium versus non-equilibrium measurements and differential catalytic. The sensor has particular application for on-board monitoring of automobile exhaust gases to evaluate the performance of catalytic converters. In addition, the sensor can be utilized in monitoring any process where hydrocarbons are exhausted, for instance, industrial power plants. The sensor is low cost, rugged, sensitive, simple to fabricate, miniature, and does not suffer cross sensitivities.

Chemical Gas Sensors for Aeronautic and Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Chen, Liang-Yu; Neudeck, Philip G.; Knight, Dak; Liu, Chung-Chiun; Wu, Quing-Hai; Zhou, Huan-Jun

1997-01-01

Aeronautic and space applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. Two areas of particular interest are safety monitoring and emission monitoring. In safety monitoring, detection of low concentrations of hydrogen at potentially low temperatures is important while for emission monitoring the detection of nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, hydrocarbons and oxygen is of interest. This paper discusses the needs of aeronautic and space applications and the point-contact sensor technology being developed to address these needs. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) Micromachining and microfabrication technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. (2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. The number of dual-use commercial applications of this microfabricated gas sensor technology make this general area of sensor development a field of significant interest.

An integrated optical oxygen sensor fabricated using rapid-prototyping techniques.

PubMed

Chang-Yen, David A; Gale, Bruce K

2003-11-01

This paper details the design and fabrication of an integrated optical biochemical sensor using a select oxygen-sensitive fluorescent dye, tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(ii) hexahydrate, combined with polymeric waveguides that are fabricated on a glass substrate. The sensor uses evanescent interaction of light confined within the waveguide with the dye that is immobilized on an SU-8 waveguide surface. Adhesion of the dye to the integrated waveguide surface is accomplished using a unique process of spin-coating/electrostatic layer-by-layer formation. The SU-8 waveguide was chemically modified to allow the deposition process. Exposure of the dye molecules to the analyte and subsequent chemical interaction is achieved by directly coupling the fluid channel to the integrated waveguide. The completed sensor was linear in the dissolved oxygen across a wide range of interest and had a sensitivity of 0.6 ppm. A unique fabrication aspect of this sensor is the inherent simplicity of the design, and the resulting rapidity of fabrication, while maintaining a high degree of functionality and flexibility.

Micro-patterning and characterization of PHEMA-co-PAM-based optical chemical sensors for lab-on-a-chip applications.

PubMed

Zhu, Haixin; Zhou, Xianfeng; Su, Fengyu; Tian, Yanqing; Ashili, Shashanka; Holl, Mark R; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2012-10-01

We report a novel method for wafer level, high throughput optical chemical sensor patterning, with precise control of the sensor volume and capability of producing arbitrary microscale patterns. Monomeric oxygen (O(2)) and pH optical probes were polymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and acrylamide (AM) to form spin-coatable and further crosslinkable polymers. A micro-patterning method based on micro-fabrication techniques (photolithography, wet chemical process and reactive ion etch) was developed to miniaturize the sensor film onto glass substrates in arbitrary sizes and shapes. The sensitivity of fabricated micro-patterns was characterized under various oxygen concentrations and pH values. The process for spatially integration of two sensors (Oxygen and pH) on the same substrate surface was also developed, and preliminary fabrication and characterization results were presented. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that poly (2-hydroxylethyl methacrylate)-co-poly (acrylamide) (PHEMA-co-PAM)-based sensors had been patterned and integrated at the wafer level with micron scale precision control using microfabrication techniques. The developed methods can provide a feasible way to miniaturize and integrate the optical chemical sensor system and can be applied to any lab-on-a-chip system, especially the biological micro-systems requiring optical sensing of single or multiple analytes.

Micro-patterning and characterization of PHEMA-co-PAM-based optical chemical sensors for lab-on-a-chip applications

PubMed Central

Zhu, Haixin; Zhou, Xianfeng; Su, Fengyu; Tian, Yanqing; Ashili, Shashanka; Holl, Mark R.; Meldrum, Deirdre R.

2012-01-01

We report a novel method for wafer level, high throughput optical chemical sensor patterning, with precise control of the sensor volume and capability of producing arbitrary microscale patterns. Monomeric oxygen (O2) and pH optical probes were polymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and acrylamide (AM) to form spin-coatable and further crosslinkable polymers. A micro-patterning method based on micro-fabrication techniques (photolithography, wet chemical process and reactive ion etch) was developed to miniaturize the sensor film onto glass substrates in arbitrary sizes and shapes. The sensitivity of fabricated micro-patterns was characterized under various oxygen concentrations and pH values. The process for spatially integration of two sensors (Oxygen and pH) on the same substrate surface was also developed, and preliminary fabrication and characterization results were presented. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that poly (2-hydroxylethyl methacrylate)-co-poly (acrylamide) (PHEMA-co-PAM)-based sensors had been patterned and integrated at the wafer level with micron scale precision control using microfabrication techniques. The developed methods can provide a feasible way to miniaturize and integrate the optical chemical sensor system and can be applied to any lab-on-a-chip system, especially the biological micro-systems requiring optical sensing of single or multiple analytes. PMID:23175599

A Macroporous TiO2 Oxygen Sensor Fabricated Using Anodic Aluminium Oxide as an Etching Mask

PubMed Central

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Yong-Sheng; Huang, Jun-Wei; Chang, Chien-Kuo; Wu, Sheng-Po

2010-01-01

An innovative fabrication method to produce a macroporous Si surface by employing an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) nanopore array layer as an etching template is presented. Combining AAO with a reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, a homogeneous and macroporous silicon surface can be effectively configured by modulating AAO process parameters and alumina film thickness, thus hopefully replacing conventional photolithography and electrochemical etch methods. The hybrid process integration is considered fully CMOS compatible thanks to the low-temperature AAO and CMOS processes. The gas-sensing characteristics of 50 nm TiO2 nanofilms deposited on the macroporous surface are compared with those of conventional plain (or non-porous) nanofilms to verify reduced response noise and improved sensitivity as a result of their macroporosity. Our experimental results reveal that macroporous geometry of the TiO2 chemoresistive gas sensor demonstrates 2-fold higher (∼33%) improved sensitivity than a non-porous sensor at different levels of oxygen exposure. In addition, the macroporous device exhibits excellent discrimination capability and significantly lessened response noise at 500 °C. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid process of such miniature and macroporous devices are compatible as well as applicable to integrated next generation bio-chemical sensors. PMID:22315561

A macroporous TiO2 oxygen sensor fabricated using anodic aluminium oxide as an etching mask.

PubMed

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Yong-Sheng; Huang, Jun-Wei; Chang, Chien-Kuo; Wu, Sheng-Po

2010-01-01

An innovative fabrication method to produce a macroporous Si surface by employing an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) nanopore array layer as an etching template is presented. Combining AAO with a reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, a homogeneous and macroporous silicon surface can be effectively configured by modulating AAO process parameters and alumina film thickness, thus hopefully replacing conventional photolithography and electrochemical etch methods. The hybrid process integration is considered fully CMOS compatible thanks to the low-temperature AAO and CMOS processes. The gas-sensing characteristics of 50 nm TiO(2) nanofilms deposited on the macroporous surface are compared with those of conventional plain (or non-porous) nanofilms to verify reduced response noise and improved sensitivity as a result of their macroporosity. Our experimental results reveal that macroporous geometry of the TiO(2) chemoresistive gas sensor demonstrates 2-fold higher (∼33%) improved sensitivity than a non-porous sensor at different levels of oxygen exposure. In addition, the macroporous device exhibits excellent discrimination capability and significantly lessened response noise at 500 °C. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid process of such miniature and macroporous devices are compatible as well as applicable to integrated next generation bio-chemical sensors.

Integration of miniature Fabry-Perot fiber optic sensor with FBG for the measurement of temperature and strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Tong, X. L.; Zhou, C. M.; Wen, H. Q.; Lv, D. J.; Ling, K.; Wen, C. S.

2011-03-01

A sensor has been fabricated by the integration of a fiber Bragg gating sensor (FBGs) with a fiber Fabry-Perot (F-P) sensor fabricated by etching method. In the integrated sensor, the FBG was used to measure temperature, while the fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor (FFPIs) was used for strain measurement. Wavelength decoding for FBG and peak tracking for FFPI was employed for demodulation, respectively. The result showed that the temperature and strain sensitivity for the integrated sensor is ~ 2.7 pm/ μɛand ~ 9.3 pm/°C, respectively.

Development of Fabric-Based Chemical Gas Sensors for Use as Wearable Electronic Noses

PubMed Central

Seesaard, Thara; Lorwongtragool, Panida; Kerdcharoen, Teerakiat

2015-01-01

Novel gas sensors embroidered into fabric substrates based on polymers/ SWNT-COOH nanocomposites were proposed in this paper, aiming for their use as a wearable electronic nose (e-nose). The fabric-based chemical gas sensors were fabricated by two main processes: drop coating and embroidery. Four potential polymers (PVC, cumene-PSMA, PSE and PVP)/functionalized-SWCNT sensing materials were deposited onto interdigitated electrodes previously prepared by embroidering conductive thread on a fabric substrate to make an optimal set of sensors. After preliminary trials of the obtained sensors, it was found that the sensors yielded a electrical resistance in the region of a few kilo-Ohms. The sensors were tested with various volatile compounds such as ammonium hydroxide, ethanol, pyridine, triethylamine, methanol and acetone, which are commonly found in the wastes released from the human body. These sensors were used to detect and discriminate between the body odors of different regions and exist in various forms such as the urine, armpit and exhaled breath odor. Based on a simple pattern recognition technique, we have shown that the proposed fabric-based chemical gas sensors can discriminate the human body odor from two persons. PMID:25602265

Development of fabric-based chemical gas sensors for use as wearable electronic noses.

PubMed

Seesaard, Thara; Lorwongtragool, Panida; Kerdcharoen, Teerakiat

2015-01-16

Novel gas sensors embroidered into fabric substrates based on polymers/ SWNT-COOH nanocomposites were proposed in this paper, aiming for their use as a wearable electronic nose (e-nose). The fabric-based chemical gas sensors were fabricated by two main processes: drop coating and embroidery. Four potential polymers (PVC, cumene-PSMA, PSE and PVP)/functionalized-SWCNT sensing materials were deposited onto interdigitated electrodes previously prepared by embroidering conductive thread on a fabric substrate to make an optimal set of sensors. After preliminary trials of the obtained sensors, it was found that the sensors yielded a electrical resistance in the region of a few kilo-Ohms. The sensors were tested with various volatile compounds such as ammonium hydroxide, ethanol, pyridine, triethylamine, methanol and acetone, which are commonly found in the wastes released from the human body. These sensors were used to detect and discriminate between the body odors of different regions and exist in various forms such as the urine, armpit and exhaled breath odor. Based on a simple pattern recognition technique, we have shown that the proposed fabric-based chemical gas sensors can discriminate the human body odor from two persons.

Multi-Band Miniaturized Patch Antennas for a Compact, Shielded Microwave Breast Imaging Array.

PubMed

Aguilar, Suzette M; Al-Joumayly, Mudar A; Burfeindt, Matthew J; Behdad, Nader; Hagness, Susan C

2013-12-18

We present a comprehensive study of a class of multi-band miniaturized patch antennas designed for use in a 3D enclosed sensor array for microwave breast imaging. Miniaturization and multi-band operation are achieved by loading the antenna with non-radiating slots at strategic locations along the patch. This results in symmetric radiation patterns and similar radiation characteristics at all frequencies of operation. Prototypes were fabricated and tested in a biocompatible immersion medium. Excellent agreement was obtained between simulations and measurements. The trade-off between miniaturization and radiation efficiency within this class of patch antennas is explored via a numerical analysis of the effects of the location and number of slots, as well as the thickness and permittivity of the dielectric substrate, on the resonant frequencies and gain. Additionally, we compare 3D quantitative microwave breast imaging performance achieved with two different enclosed arrays of slot-loaded miniaturized patch antennas. Simulated array measurements were obtained for a 3D anatomically realistic numerical breast phantom. The reconstructed breast images generated from miniaturized patch array data suggest that, for the realistic noise power levels assumed in this study, the variations in gain observed across this class of multi-band patch antennas do not significantly impact the overall image quality. We conclude that these miniaturized antennas are promising candidates as compact array elements for shielded, multi-frequency microwave breast imaging systems.

Fabric strain sensor integrated with CNPECs for repeated large deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Weijing

Flexible and soft strain sensors that can be used in smart textiles for wearable applications are much desired. They should meet the requirements of low modulus, large working range and good fatigue resistance as well as good sensing performances. However, there were no commercial products available and the objective of the thesis is to investigate fabric strain sensors based on carbon nanoparticle (CNP) filled elastomer composites (CNPECs) for potential wearing applications. Conductive CNPECs were fabricated and investigated. The introduction of silicone oil (SO) significantly decreased modulus of the composites to less than 1 MPa without affecting their deformability and they showed good stability after heat treatment. With increase of CNP concentration, a percolation appeared in electrical resistivity and the composites can be divided into three ranges. I-V curves and impedance spectra together with electro-mechanical studies demonstrated a balance between sensitivity and working range for the composites with CNP concentrations in post percolation range, and were preferred for sensing applications only if the fatigue life was improved. Due to the good elasticity and failure resist property of knitted fabric under repeated extension, it was adopted as substrate to increase the fatigue life of the conductive composites. After optimization of processing parameters, the conductive fabric with CNP concentration of 9.0CNP showed linear I-V curves when voltage is in the range of -1 V/mm and 1 V/mm and negligible capacitive behavior when frequency below 103 Hz even with strain of 60%. It showed higher sensitivity due to the combination of nonlinear resistance-strain behavior of the CNPECs and non-even strain distribution of knitted fabric under extension. The fatigue life of the conductive fabric was greatly improved. Extended on the studies of CNPECs and the coated conductive fabrics, a fabric strain sensor was designed, fabricated and packaged. The Young's modulus of

Design and Fabrication of Vertically-Integrated CMOS Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Skorka, Orit; Joseph, Dileepan

2011-01-01

Technologies to fabricate integrated circuits (IC) with 3D structures are an emerging trend in IC design. They are based on vertical stacking of active components to form heterogeneous microsystems. Electronic image sensors will benefit from these technologies because they allow increased pixel-level data processing and device optimization. This paper covers general principles in the design of vertically-integrated (VI) CMOS image sensors that are fabricated by flip-chip bonding. These sensors are composed of a CMOS die and a photodetector die. As a specific example, the paper presents a VI-CMOS image sensor that was designed at the University of Alberta, and fabricated with the help of CMC Microsystems and Micralyne Inc. To realize prototypes, CMOS dies with logarithmic active pixels were prepared in a commercial process, and photodetector dies with metal-semiconductor-metal devices were prepared in a custom process using hydrogenated amorphous silicon. The paper also describes a digital camera that was developed to test the prototype. In this camera, scenes captured by the image sensor are read using an FPGA board, and sent in real time to a PC over USB for data processing and display. Experimental results show that the VI-CMOS prototype has a higher dynamic range and a lower dark limit than conventional electronic image sensors. PMID:22163860

Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Safety and Emission Control Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Chen, L.-Y.; Knight, D.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.

1998-01-01

Chemical sensor technology is being developed for leak detection, emission monitoring, and fire safety applications. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)-based) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Using these technologies, sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed. A description is given of each sensor type and its present stage of development. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Ultrasensitive displacement sensor based on tunable horn-shaped resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Ying; Wu, Jiong; Yu, Le; Yang, Helin; Huang, Xiaojun

2018-04-01

In this paper, we proposed a novel double-deck displacement sensor with a high linearity based on tunable horn-shaped resonators. The designed sensor included two substrate layers etched with copper metallization in various shapes. When the upper trip-type resonator layer has a relative displacement to the bottom horn-shaped resonator layer, the resonance frequency of the sensor is redshift. High sensitivity of the sensor is around 207.2 MHz mm-1 with 4 mm linear dynamic range. We fabricate the sample of the proposed displacement sensor, in addition the simulated results are verified by experiment. The proposed displacement sensor is appropriate for using MEMS technology in further miniaturization.

Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors and Sensor Arrays for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.

2005-01-01

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring, and fire detection. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors; 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity; 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. This presentation discusses the needs of space applications as well as the point-contact sensor technology and sensor arrays being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NO,), carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed as well as arrays for leak, fire, and emissions detection. Demonstrations of the technology will also be discussed. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Slab-coupled optical sensor fabrication using side-polished Panda fibers.

PubMed

King, Rex; Seng, Frederick; Stan, Nikola; Cuzner, Kevin; Josephson, Chad; Selfridge, Richard; Schultz, Stephen

2016-11-01

A new device structure used for slab-coupled optical sensor (SCOS) technology was developed to fabricate electric field sensors. This new device structure replaces the D-fiber used in traditional SCOS technology with a side-polished Panda fiber. Unlike the D-fiber SCOS, the Panda fiber SCOS is made from commercially available materials and is simpler to fabricate. The Panda SCOS interfaces easier with lab equipment and exhibits ∼3  dB less loss at link points than the D-fiber SCOS. The optical system for the D-fiber is bandwidth limited by a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) used to amplify to the electric signal. The Panda SCOS exhibits less loss than the D-fiber and, as a result, does not require as high a gain setting on the TIA, which results in an overall higher bandwidth range. Results show that the Panda sensor also achieves comparable sensitivity results to the D-fiber SCOS. Although the Panda SCOS is not as sensitive as other side-polished fiber electric field sensors, it can be fabricated much easier because the fabrication process does not require special alignment techniques, and it is made from commercially available materials.

Fabrication of a Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor for Micro Reformer Applications

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lin, Chien-Hen; Lo, Yi-Man

2011-01-01

Micro reformers still face obstacles in minimizing their size, decreasing the concentration of CO, conversion efficiency and the feasibility of integrated fabrication with fuel cells. By using a micro temperature sensor fabricated on a stainless steel-based micro reformer, this work attempts to measure the inner temperature and increase the conversion efficiency. Micro temperature sensors on a stainless steel substrate are fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and then placed separately inside the micro reformer. Micro temperature sensors are characterized by their higher accuracy and sensitivity than those of a conventional thermocouple. To the best of our knowledge, micro temperature sensors have not been embedded before in micro reformers and commercial products, therefore, this work presents a novel approach to integrating micro temperature sensors in a stainless steel-based micro reformer in order to evaluate inner local temperature distributions and enhance reformer performance. PMID:22163817

Characterization of a CMOS sensing core for ultra-miniature wireless implantable temperature sensors with application to cryomedicine.

PubMed

Khairi, Ahmad; Thaokar, Chandrajit; Fedder, Gary; Paramesh, Jeyanandh; Rabin, Yoed

2014-09-01

In effort to improve thermal control in minimally invasive cryosurgery, the concept of a miniature, wireless, implantable sensing unit has been developed recently. The sensing unit integrates a wireless power delivery mechanism, wireless communication means, and a sensing core-the subject matter of the current study. The current study presents a CMOS ultra-miniature PTAT temperature sensing core and focuses on design principles, fabrication of a proof-of-concept, and characterization in a cryogenic environment. For this purpose, a 100 μm × 400 μm sensing core prototype has been fabricated using a 130 nm CMOS process. The senor has shown to operate between -180°C and room temperature, to consume power of less than 1 μW, and to have an uncertainty range of 1.4°C and non-linearity of 1.1%. Results of this study suggest that the sensing core is ready to be integrated in the sensing unit, where system integration is the subject matter of a parallel effort. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide.

PubMed

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Jeff

2015-06-19

A new class of tri-axial miniature magnetometer consisting of a planar fluxgate structure with an orthogonal ferromagnetic fluxguide centrally situated over the magnetic cores is presented. The magnetic sensor possesses a cruciform ferromagnetic core placed diagonally upon the square excitation coil under which two pairs of pick-up coils for in-plane field detection are allocated. Effective principles and analysis of the magnetometer for 3-D field vectors are described and verified by numerically electromagnetic simulation for the excitation and magnetization of the ferromagnetic cores. The sensor is operated by applying the second-harmonic detection technique that can verify V-B relationship and device responsivity. Experimental characterization of the miniature fluxgate device demonstrates satisfactory spatial magnetic field detection results in terms of responsivity and noise spectrum. As a result, at an excitation frequency of 50 kHz, a maximum in-plane responsivity of 122.4 V/T appears and a maximum out-of-plane responsivity of 11.6 V/T is obtained as well. The minimum field noise spectra are found to be 0.11 nT/√Hz and 6.29 nT/√Hz, respectively, in X- and Z-axis at 1 Hz under the same excitation frequency. Compared with the previous tri-axis fluxgate devices, this planar magnetic sensor with an orthogonal fluxguide provides beneficial enhancement in both sensory functionality and manufacturing simplicity. More importantly, this novel device concept is considered highly suitable for the extension to a silicon sensor made by the current CMOS-MEMS technologies, thus emphasizing its emerging applications of field detection in portable industrial electronics.

Economic fabrication of a novel hybrid planar Grating/Fresnel lens for miniature spectrometers.

PubMed

Zhou, Qian; Li, Xinghui; Geng, Menglin; Hu, Haifei; Ni, Kai; Zhong, Lunchao; Yan, Peng; Wang, Xiaohao

2018-03-05

We propose a new technique to fabricate a highly specialized optical element, a hybrid planar Grating/Fresnel lens (G-Fresnel), which is particularly useful to improve or enable more-affordable miniature/portable spectrometers. Both the Fresnel and the grating surface are fabricated simultaneously by sandwiching soft PDMS between a hard grating and a pre-replicated negative Fresnel surface. Several adhesion reduction techniques are also investigated that help improve both fabrication and cost efficiency (by reducing the solidification time) as well as the lifetime of the mold. Alignment errors are systematically analyzed, and their effects on the G-Fresnel lens evaluated. A compact fabrication platform was built, which is smaller than a volume of 160☓140☓106 mm 3 to fit into a conventional vacuum drying oven, for the fabrication of a G-Fresnel lens with a diameter of 25.4 mm, an equivalent focal length of 25 mm, and a blazed grating pattern with 600 lines/mm spacing. The solidification time was reduced to 2 hours thanks to the improved adhesion reduction technique that permits a PDMS drying-temperature as high as 65 °C. The fabricated G-Fresnel lens was evaluated with regard to both geometrical fabrication precision and optical performance. The measured results, using a step gauge and atomic force microscopy, confirm that this replication technique produces high-quality replicates of the master surface-profile. Furthermore, a prototype spectrometer that uses a G-Fresnel lens was built and evaluated. The spectrometer fits within a volume of about 100 mm☓50 mm☓30 mm, and it operates across a wide wavelength spectrum (450 nm to 650 nm). Both the calculation based on the optical software ZEMAX and the experimental measurements are consistent and confirm that the spectrometer with the G-Fresnel lens can provide a spectral resolution of better than 1.2nm.

Fabrication of a printed capacitive air-gap touch sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Hwiwon; Lee, Sangyoon

2018-05-01

Unlike lithography-based processes, printed electronics does not require etching, which makes it difficult to fabricate electronic devices with an air gap. In this study, we propose a method to fabricate capacitive air-gap touch sensors via printing and coating. First, the bottom electrode was fabricated on a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate using roll-to-roll gravure printing with silver ink. Then poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was spin coated to form a sacrificial layer. The top electrode was fabricated on the sacrificial layer by spin coating with a stretchable silver ink. The sensor samples were then put in a tetrabutylammonium (TBAF) bath to generate the air gap by removing the sacrificial layer. The capacitance of the samples was measured for verification, and the results show that the capacitance increases in proportion to the applied force from 0 to 2.5 N.

Miniaturized unified imaging system using bio-inspired fluidic lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Frank S.; Cho, Sung Hwan; Qiao, Wen; Kim, Nam-Hyong; Lo, Yu-Hwa

2008-08-01

Miniaturized imaging systems have become ubiquitous as they are found in an ever-increasing number of devices, such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants, and web cameras. Until now, the design and fabrication methodology of such systems have not been significantly different from conventional cameras. The only established method to achieve focusing is by varying the lens distance. On the other hand, the variable-shape crystalline lens found in animal eyes offers inspiration for a more natural way of achieving an optical system with high functionality. Learning from the working concepts of the optics in the animal kingdom, we developed bio-inspired fluidic lenses for a miniature universal imager with auto-focusing, macro, and super-macro capabilities. Because of the enormous dynamic range of fluidic lenses, the miniature camera can even function as a microscope. To compensate for the image quality difference between the central vision and peripheral vision and the shape difference between a solid-state image sensor and a curved retina, we adopted a hybrid design consisting of fluidic lenses for tunability and fixed lenses for aberration and color dispersion correction. A design of the world's smallest surgical camera with 3X optical zoom capabilities is also demonstrated using the approach of hybrid lenses.

Six component robotic force-torque sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grahn, Allen R.; Hutchings, Brad L.; Johnston, David R.; Parsons, David C.; Wyatt, Roland F.

1987-01-01

The results of a two-phase contract studying the feasibility of a miniaturized six component force-torque sensor and development of a working laboratory system were described. The principle of operation is based upon using ultrasonic pulse-echo ranging to determine the position of ultrasonic reflectors attached to a metal or ceramic cover plate. Because of the small size of the sensor, this technology may have application in robotics, to sense forces and torques at the finger tip of a robotic end effector. Descriptions are included of laboratory experiments evaluating materials and techniques for sensor fabrication and of the development of support electronics for data acquisition, computer interface, and operator display.

Evolution of miniature detectors and focal plane arrays for infrared sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watts, Louis A.

1993-06-01

Sensors that are sensitive in the infrared spectral region have been under continuous development since the WW2 era. A quest for the military advantage of 'seeing in the dark' has pushed thermal imaging technology toward high spatial and temporal resolution for night vision equipment, fire control, search track, and seeker 'homing' guidance sensing devices. Similarly, scientific applications have pushed spectral resolution for chemical analysis, remote sensing of earth resources, and astronomical exploration applications. As a result of these developments, focal plane arrays (FPA) are now available with sufficient sensitivity for both high spatial and narrow bandwidth spectral resolution imaging over large fields of view. Such devices combined with emerging opto-electronic developments in integrated FPA data processing techniques can yield miniature sensors capable of imaging reflected sunlight in the near IR and emitted thermal energy in the Mid-wave (MWIR) and longwave (LWIR) IR spectral regions. Robotic space sensors equipped with advanced versions of these FPA's will provide high resolution 'pictures' of their surroundings, perform remote analysis of solid, liquid, and gas matter, or selectively look for 'signatures' of specific objects. Evolutionary trends and projections of future low power micro detector FPA developments for day/night operation or use in adverse viewing conditions are presented in the following test.

Evolution of miniature detectors and focal plane arrays for infrared sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, Louis A.

1993-01-01

Sensors that are sensitive in the infrared spectral region have been under continuous development since the WW2 era. A quest for the military advantage of 'seeing in the dark' has pushed thermal imaging technology toward high spatial and temporal resolution for night vision equipment, fire control, search track, and seeker 'homing' guidance sensing devices. Similarly, scientific applications have pushed spectral resolution for chemical analysis, remote sensing of earth resources, and astronomical exploration applications. As a result of these developments, focal plane arrays (FPA) are now available with sufficient sensitivity for both high spatial and narrow bandwidth spectral resolution imaging over large fields of view. Such devices combined with emerging opto-electronic developments in integrated FPA data processing techniques can yield miniature sensors capable of imaging reflected sunlight in the near IR and emitted thermal energy in the Mid-wave (MWIR) and longwave (LWIR) IR spectral regions. Robotic space sensors equipped with advanced versions of these FPA's will provide high resolution 'pictures' of their surroundings, perform remote analysis of solid, liquid, and gas matter, or selectively look for 'signatures' of specific objects. Evolutionary trends and projections of future low power micro detector FPA developments for day/night operation or use in adverse viewing conditions are presented in the following test.

Scalable fabrication of nanomaterials based piezoresistivity sensors with enhanced performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, Phong Tran

Nanomaterials are small structures that have at least one dimension less than 100 nanometers. Depending on the number of dimensions that are not confined to the nanoscale range, nanomaterials can be classified into 0D, 1D and 2D types. Due to their small sizes, nanoparticles possess exceptional physical and chemical properties which opens a unique possibility for the next generation of strain sensors that are cheap, multifunctional, high sensitivity and reliability. Over the years, thanks to the development of new nanomaterials and the printing technologies, a number of printing techniques have been developed to fabricate a wide range of electronic devices on diverse substrates. Nanomaterials based thin film devices can be readily patterned and fabricated in a variety of ways, including printing, spraying and laser direct writing. In this work, we review the piezoresistivity of nanomaterials of different categories and study various printing approaches to utilize their excellent properties in the fabrication of scalable and printable thin film strain gauges. CNT-AgNP composite thin films were fabricated using a solution based screen printing process. By controlling the concentration ratio of CNTs to AgNPs in the nanocomposites and the supporting substrates, we were able to engineer the crack formation to achieve stable and high sensitivity sensors. The crack formation in the composite films lead to piezoresistive sensors with high GFs up to 221.2. Also, with a simple, low cost, and easy to scale up fabrication process they may find use as an alternative to traditional strain sensors. By using computer controlled spray coating system, we can achieve uniform and high quality CNTs thin films for the fabrication of strain sensors and transparent / flexible electrodes. A simple diazonium salt treatment of the pristine SWCNT thin film has been identified to be efficient in greatly enhancing the piezoresistive sensitivity of SWCNT thin film based piezoresistive sensors

Photo-Attachment of Biomolecules for Miniaturization on Wicking Si-Nanowire Platform

PubMed Central

Cheng, He; Zheng, Han; Wu, Jia Xin; Xu, Wei; Zhou, Lihan; Leong, Kam Chew; Fitzgerald, Eugene; Rajagopalan, Raj; Too, Heng Phon; Choi, Wee Kiong

2015-01-01

We demonstrated the surface functionalization of a highly three-dimensional, superhydrophilic wicking substrate using light to immobilize functional biomolecules for sensor or microarray applications. We showed here that the three-dimensional substrate was compatible with photo-attachment and the performance of functionalization was greatly improved due to both increased surface capacity and reduced substrate reflectivity. In addition, photo-attachment circumvents the problems induced by wicking effect that was typically encountered on superhydrophilic three-dimensional substrates, thus reducing the difficulty of producing miniaturized sites on such substrate. We have investigated various aspects of photo-attachment process on the nanowire substrate, including the role of different buffers, the effect of wavelength as well as how changing probe structure may affect the functionalization process. We demonstrated that substrate fabrication and functionalization can be achieved with processes compatible with microelectronics processes, hence reducing the cost of array fabrication. Such functionalization method coupled with the high capacity surface makes the substrate an ideal candidate for sensor or microarray for sensitive detection of target analytes. PMID:25689680

Design of air blast pressure sensors based on miniature silicon membrane and piezoresistive gauges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riondet, J.; Coustou, A.; Aubert, H.; Pons, P.; Lavayssière, M.; Luc, J.; Lefrançois, A.

2017-11-01

Available commercial piezoelectric pressure sensors are not able to accurately reproduce the ultra-fast transient pressure occurring during an air blast experiment. In this communication a new pressure sensor prototype based on a miniature silicon membrane and piezoresistive gauges is reported for significantly improving the performances in terms of time response. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of a pressure transducer having a fundamental resonant frequency almost ten times greater than the commercial piezoelectric sensors one. The sensor uses a 5μm-thick SOI membrane and four P-type silicon gauges (doping level ≅ 1019 at/cm3) in Wheatstone bridge configuration. To obtain a good trade-off between the fundamental mechanical resonant frequency and pressure sensitivity values, the typical dimension of the rectangular membrane is fixed to 30μm x 90μm with gauge dimension of 1μm x 5μm. The achieved simulated mechanical resonant frequency of these configuration is greater than 40MHz with a sensitivity of 0.04% per bar.

Fabrication and characterization of bending and pressure sensors for a soft prosthetic hand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, Rui Pedro; Alhais Lopes, Pedro; de Almeida, Anibal T.; Tavakoli, Mahmoud; Majidi, Carmel

2018-03-01

We demonstrate fabrication, characterization, and implementation of ‘soft-matter’ pressure and bending sensors for a soft robotic hand. The elastomer-based sensors are embedded in a robot finger composed of a 3D printed endoskeleton and covered by an elastomeric skin. Two types of sensors are evaluated, resistive pressure sensors and capacitive pressure sensors. The sensor is fabricated entirely out of insulating and conductive rubber, the latter composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer embedded with a percolating network of structured carbon black (CB). The sensor-integrated fingers have a simple materials architecture, can be fabricated with standard rapid prototyping methods, and are inexpensive to produce. When incorporated into a robotic hand, the CB-PDMS sensors and PDMS carrier medium function as an ‘artificial skin’ for touch and bend detection. Results show improved response with a capacitive sensor architecture, which, unlike a resistive sensor, is robust to electromechanical hysteresis, creep, and drift in the CB-PDMS composite. The sensorized fingers are integrated in an anthropomorphic hand and results for a variety of grasping tasks are presented.

Femtosecond Laser Fabrication of Monolithically Integrated Microfluidic Sensors in Glass

PubMed Central

He, Fei; Liao, Yang; Lin, Jintian; Song, Jiangxin; Qiao, Lingling; Cheng, Ya; Sugioka, Koji

2014-01-01

Femtosecond lasers have revolutionized the processing of materials, since their ultrashort pulse width and extremely high peak intensity allows high-quality micro- and nanofabrication of three-dimensional (3D) structures. This unique capability opens up a new route for fabrication of microfluidic sensors for biochemical applications. The present paper presents a comprehensive review of recent advancements in femtosecond laser processing of glass for a variety of microfluidic sensor applications. These include 3D integration of micro-/nanofluidic, optofluidic, electrofluidic, surface-enhanced Raman-scattering devices, in addition to fabrication of devices for microfluidic bioassays and lab-on-fiber sensors. This paper describes the unique characteristics of femtosecond laser processing and the basic concepts involved in femtosecond laser direct writing. Advanced spatiotemporal beam shaping methods are also discussed. Typical examples of microfluidic sensors fabricated using femtosecond lasers are then highlighted, and their applications in chemical and biological sensing are described. Finally, a summary of the technology is given and the outlook for further developments in this field is considered. PMID:25330047

Scalable fabric tactile sensor arrays for soft bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Nathan; Penaloza, Jimmy; Santos, Veronica J.; Killpack, Marc D.

2018-06-01

Soft robots have the potential to transform the way robots interact with their environment. This is due to their low inertia and inherent ability to more safely interact with the world without damaging themselves or the people around them. However, existing sensing for soft robots has at least partially limited their ability to control interactions with their environment. Tactile sensors could enable soft robots to sense interaction, but most tactile sensors are made from rigid substrates and are not well suited to applications for soft robots which can deform. In addition, the benefit of being able to cheaply manufacture soft robots may be lost if the tactile sensors that cover them are expensive and their resolution does not scale well for manufacturability. This paper discusses the development of a method to make affordable, high-resolution, tactile sensor arrays (manufactured in rows and columns) that can be used for sensorizing soft robots and other soft bodies. However, the construction results in a sensor array that exhibits significant amounts of cross-talk when two taxels in the same row are compressed. Using the same fabric-based tactile sensor array construction design, two different methods for cross-talk compensation are presented. The first uses a mathematical model to calculate a change in resistance of each taxel directly. The second method introduces additional simple circuit components that enable us to isolate each taxel electrically and relate voltage to force directly. Fabric sensor arrays are demonstrated for two different soft-bodied applications: an inflatable single link robot and a human wrist.

A 3-Axis Miniature Magnetic Sensor Based on a Planar Fluxgate Magnetometer with an Orthogonal Fluxguide

PubMed Central

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Jeff

2015-01-01

A new class of tri-axial miniature magnetometer consisting of a planar fluxgate structure with an orthogonal ferromagnetic fluxguide centrally situated over the magnetic cores is presented. The magnetic sensor possesses a cruciform ferromagnetic core placed diagonally upon the square excitation coil under which two pairs of pick-up coils for in-plane field detection are allocated. Effective principles and analysis of the magnetometer for 3-D field vectors are described and verified by numerically electromagnetic simulation for the excitation and magnetization of the ferromagnetic cores. The sensor is operated by applying the second-harmonic detection technique that can verify V-B relationship and device responsivity. Experimental characterization of the miniature fluxgate device demonstrates satisfactory spatial magnetic field detection results in terms of responsivity and noise spectrum. As a result, at an excitation frequency of 50 kHz, a maximum in-plane responsivity of 122.4 V/T appears and a maximum out-of-plane responsivity of 11.6 V/T is obtained as well. The minimum field noise spectra are found to be 0.11 nT/√Hz and 6.29 nT/√Hz, respectively, in X- and Z-axis at 1 Hz under the same excitation frequency. Compared with the previous tri-axis fluxgate devices, this planar magnetic sensor with an orthogonal fluxguide provides beneficial enhancement in both sensory functionality and manufacturing simplicity. More importantly, this novel device concept is considered highly suitable for the extension to a silicon sensor made by the current CMOS-MEMS technologies, thus emphasizing its emerging applications of field detection in portable industrial electronics. PMID:26102496

Whole Wafer Design and Fabrication for the Alignment of Nanostructures for Chemical Sensor Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biaggi-Labiosa, Azlin M.; Hunter, Gary W.

2013-01-01

A major objective in aerospace sensor development is to produce sensors that are small in size, easy to batch fabricate and low in cost, and have low power consumption The fabrication of chemical sensors involving nanostructured materials can provide these properties as well as the potential for the development of sensor systems with unique properties and improved performance. However, the fabrication and processing of nanostructures for sensor applications currently is limited in the ability to control their location on the sensor. Currently, our group at NASA Glenn Research Center has demonstrated the controlled placement of nanostructures in sensors using a sawtooth patterned electrode design. With this design the nanostructures are aligned between opposing sawtooth electrodes by applying an alternating current.

Photo-crosslinkable polymers for fabrication of photonic multilayer sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiappelli, Maria; Hayward, Ryan C.

2013-03-01

We have used photo-crosslinkable polymers to fabricate photonic multilayer sensors. Benzophenone is utilized as a covalently incorporated pendent photo-crosslinker, providing a convenient means of fabricating multilayer films by sequential spin-coating and crosslinking processes. Colorimetric temperature sensors were designed from thermally-responsive, low-refractive index poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and high-refractive index poly(para-methyl styrene) (P pMS). Copolymer chemistries and layer thicknesses were selected to provide robust multilayer sensors which show color changes across nearly the full visible spectrum due to changes in temperature of the hydrated film stack. We have characterized the uniformity and interfacial broadening within the multilayers, the kinetics of swelling and de-swelling, and the reversibility over multiple hydration/dehydration cycles. We also describe how the approach can be extended to alternative sensor designs through the ability to tailor each layer independently, as well as to additional stimuli by selecting alternative copolymer chemistries.

A Miniaturized Nickel Oxide Thermistor via Aerosol Jet Technology.

PubMed

Wang, Chia; Hong, Guan-Yi; Li, Kuan-Ming; Young, Hong-Tsu

2017-11-12

In this study, a miniaturized thermistor sensor was produced using the Aerosol Jet printing process for temperature sensing applications. A nickel oxide nanoparticle ink with a large temperature coefficient of resistance was fabricated. The thermistor was printed with a circular NiO thin film in between the two parallel silver conductive tracks on a cutting tool insert. The printed thermistor, which has an adjustable dimension with a submillimeter scale, operates over a range of 30-250 °C sensitively (B value of ~4310 K) without hysteretic effects. Moreover, the thermistor may be printed on a 3D surface through the Aerosol Jet printing process, which has increased capability for wide temperature-sensing applications.

A Miniaturized Nickel Oxide Thermistor via Aerosol Jet Technology

PubMed Central

Wang, Chia; Hong, Guan-Yi; Li, Kuan-Ming; Young, Hong-Tsu

2017-01-01

In this study, a miniaturized thermistor sensor was produced using the Aerosol Jet printing process for temperature sensing applications. A nickel oxide nanoparticle ink with a large temperature coefficient of resistance was fabricated. The thermistor was printed with a circular NiO thin film in between the two parallel silver conductive tracks on a cutting tool insert. The printed thermistor, which has an adjustable dimension with a submillimeter scale, operates over a range of 30–250 °C sensitively (B value of ~4310 K) without hysteretic effects. Moreover, the thermistor may be printed on a 3D surface through the Aerosol Jet printing process, which has increased capability for wide temperature-sensing applications. PMID:29137148

Design and fabrication of miniaturized PEM fuel cell combined microreactor with self-regulated hydrogen mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakrishnan, A.; Frei, M.; Kerzenmacher, S.; Reinecke, H.; Mueller, C.

2015-12-01

In this work we present the design and fabrication of the miniaturized PEM fuel cell combined microreactor system with hydrogen regulation mechanism and testing of prototype microreactor. The system consists of two components (i) fuel cell component and (ii) microreactor component. The fuel cell component represents the miniaturized PEM fuel cell system (combination of screen printed fuel cell assembly and an on-board hydrogen storage medium). Hydrogen production based on catalytic hydrolysis of chemical hydride takes place in the microreactor component. The self-regulated hydrogen mechanism based on the gaseous hydrogen produced from the catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) gets accumulated as bubbles at the vicinity of the hydrophobic coated hydrogen exhaust holes. When the built up hydrogen bubbles pressure exceeds the burst pressure at the hydrogen exhaust holes the bubble collapses. This collapse causes a surge of fresh NaBH4 solution onto the catalyst surface leading to the removal of the reaction by-products formed at the active sites of the catalyst. The catalyst used in the system is platinum deposited on a base substrate. Nickel foam, carbon porous medium (CPM) and ceramic plate were selected as candidates for base substrate for developing a robust catalyst surface. For the first time the platinum layer fabricated by pulsed electrodeposition and dealloying (EPDD) technique is used for hydrolysis of NaBH4. The major advantages of such platinum catalyst layers are its high surface area and their mechanical stability. Prototype microreactor system with self-regulated hydrogen mechanism is demonstrated.

Collaboration of Miniature Multi-Modal Mobile Smart Robots over a Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-14

theoretical research on mathematics of failures in sensor-network-based miniature multimodal mobile robots and electromechanical systems. The views...theoretical research on mathematics of failures in sensor-network-based miniature multimodal mobile robots and electromechanical systems. The...independently evolving research directions based on physics-based models of mechanical, electromechanical and electronic devices, operational constraints

Integrated bio-fluorescence sensor.

PubMed

Thrush, Evan; Levi, Ofer; Ha, Wonill; Wang, Ke; Smith, Stephen J; Harris, James S

2003-09-26

Due to the recent explosion in optoelectronics for telecommunication applications, novel optoelectronic sensing structures can now be realized. In this work, we explore the integration of optoelectronic components towards miniature and portable fluorescence sensors. The integration of these micro-fabricated sensors with microfluidics and capillary networks may reduce the cost and complexity of current research instruments and open up a world of new applications in portable biological analysis systems. A novel optoelectronic design that capitalizes on current vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology is explored. Specifically, VCSELs, optical emission filters and PIN photodetectors are fabricated as part of a monolithically integrated near-infrared fluorescence detection system. High-performance lasers and photodetectors have been characterized and integrated to form a complete sensor. Experimental results show that sensor sensitivity is limited by laser background. The laser background is caused by spontaneous emission emitted from the side of the VCSEL excitation source. Laser background will limit sensitivity in most integrated sensing designs due to locating excitation sources and photodetectors in such close proximity, and methods are proposed to reduce the laser background in such designs so that practical fluorescent detection limits can be achieved.

Miniature Cavity-Enhanced Diamond Magnetometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidrosos, Georgios; Wickenbrock, Arne; Bougas, Lykourgos; Leefer, Nathan; Wu, Teng; Jensen, Kasper; Dumeige, Yannick; Budker, Dmitry

2017-10-01

We present a highly sensitive miniaturized cavity-enhanced room-temperature magnetic-field sensor based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The magnetic resonance signal is detected by probing absorption on the 1042-nm spin-singlet transition. To improve the absorptive signal the diamond is placed in an optical resonator. The device has a magnetic-field sensitivity of 28 pT /√{Hz } , a projected photon shot-noise-limited sensitivity of 22 pT /√{Hz } , and an estimated quantum projection-noise-limited sensitivity of 0.43 pT /√{Hz } with the sensing volume of ˜390 μ m ×4500 μ m2 . The presented miniaturized device is the basis for an endoscopic magnetic-field sensor for biomedical applications.

A miniature fiber optic pressure sensor for intradiscal pressure measurements of rodents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesson, Silas; Yu, Miao; Hsieh, Adam H.

2007-04-01

Lower back pain continues to be a leading cause of disability in people of all ages, and has been associated with degenerative disc disease. It is well accepted that mechanical stress, among other factors, can play a role in the development of disc degeneration. Pressures generated in the intervertebral disc have been measured both in vivo and in vitro for humans and animals. However, thus far it has been difficult to measure pressure experimentally in rodent discs due to their small size. With the prevalent use of rodent tail disc models in mechanobiology, it is important to characterize the intradiscal pressures generated with externally applied stresses. In this paper, a miniature fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometric pressure sensor with an outer diameter of 360 μm was developed to measure intradiscal pressures in rat caudal discs. A low coherence interferometer based optical system was used, which includes a broadband light source, a high-speed spectrometer, and a Fabry-Perot sensor. The sensor employs a capillary tube, a flexible, polymer diaphragm coated with titanium as a partial mirror, and a fiber tip as another mirror. The pressure induced deformation of the diaphragm results in a cavity length change of the Fabry-Perot interferometer which can be calculated from the wavelength shift of interference fringes. The sensor exhibited good linearity with small applied pressures. Our validation experiments show that owing to the small size, inserting the sensor does not disrupt the annulus fibrosus and will not alter intradiscal pressures generated. Measurements also demonstrate the feasibility of using this sensor to quantify external load intradiscal pressure relationships in small animal discs.

Wearable sensor glove based on conducting fabric using electrodermal activity and pulse-wave sensors for e-health application.

PubMed

Lee, Youngbum; Lee, Byungwoo; Lee, Myoungho

2010-03-01

Improvement of the quality and efficiency of health in medicine, both at home and the hospital, calls for improved sensors that might be included in a common carrier such as a wearable sensor device to measure various biosignals and provide healthcare services that use e-health technology. Designed to be user-friendly, smart clothes and gloves respond well to the end users for health monitoring. This study describes a wearable sensor glove that is equipped with an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, pulse-wave sensor, conducting fabric, and an embedded system. The EDA sensor utilizes the relationship between drowsiness and the EDA signal. The EDA sensors were made using a conducting fabric instead of silver chloride electrodes, as a more practical and practically wearable device. The pulse-wave sensor measurement system, which is widely applied in oriental medicinal practices, is also a strong element in e-health monitoring systems. The EDA and pulse-wave signal acquisition module was constructed by connecting the sensor to the glove via a conductive fabric. The signal acquisition module is then connected to a personal computer that displays the results of the EDA and pulse-wave signal processing analysis and gives accurate feedback to the user. This system is designed for a number of applications for the e-health services, including drowsiness detection and oriental medicine.

Compact silicon diffractive sensor: design, fabrication, and prototype.

PubMed

Maikisch, Jonathan S; Gaylord, Thomas K

2012-07-01

An in-plane constant-efficiency variable-diffraction-angle grating and an in-plane high-angular-selectivity grating are combined to enable a new compact silicon diffractive sensor. This sensor is fabricated in silicon-on-insulator and uses telecommunications wavelengths. A single sensor element has a micron-scale device size and uses intensity-based (as opposed to spectral-based) detection for increased integrability. In-plane diffraction gratings provide an intrinsic splitting mechanism to enable a two-dimensional sensor array. Detection of the relative values of diffracted and transmitted intensities is independent of attenuation and is thus robust. The sensor prototype measures refractive index changes of 10(-4). Simulations indicate that this sensor configuration may be capable of measuring refractive index changes three or four orders of magnitude smaller. The characteristics of this sensor type make it promising for lab-on-a-chip applications.

Capillary-Driven Microfluidic Chips for Miniaturized Immunoassays: Efficient Fabrication and Sealing of Chips Using a "Chip-Olate" Process.

PubMed

Temiz, Yuksel; Delamarche, Emmanuel

2017-01-01

The fabrication of silicon-based microfluidic chips is invaluable in supporting the development of many microfluidic concepts for research in the life sciences and in vitro diagnostic applications such as the realization of miniaturized immunoassays using capillary-driven chips. While being extremely abundant, the literature covering microfluidic chip fabrication and assay development might not have addressed properly the challenge of fabricating microfluidic chips on a wafer level or the need for dicing wafers to release chips that need then to be further processed, cleaned, rinsed, and dried one by one. Here, we describe the "chip-olate" process wherein microfluidic structures are formed on a silicon wafer, followed by partial dicing, cleaning, and drying steps. Then, integration of reagents (if any) can be done, followed by lamination of a sealing cover. Breaking by hand the partially diced wafer yields individual chips ready for use.

Growth and Characterization of Nanostructured Glass Ceramic Scintillators for Miniature High-Energy Radiation Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

public release; distribution is unlimited. October 2013 HDTRA1-03-D-0009 Mansoor Sheik- Bahae Prepared by: OVPR...Characterization of Nanostructured Glass Ceramic Scintillators for Miniature High-Energy Radiation Sensors HDTRA01-03-D-0009 Mansoor Sheik- Bahae 26 OVPR...Table of Contents…………………………………………………………….3 I . Synthesis of Nano-Structured Glass Ceramic…..……………………………4 II. Characterize Structure and

Fabrication of thermal microphotonic sensors and sensor arrays

DOEpatents

Shaw, Michael J.; Watts, Michael R.; Nielson, Gregory N.

2010-10-26

A thermal microphotonic sensor is fabricated on a silicon substrate by etching an opening and a trench into the substrate, and then filling in the opening and trench with silicon oxide which can be deposited or formed by thermally oxidizing a portion of the silicon substrate surrounding the opening and trench. The silicon oxide forms a support post for an optical resonator which is subsequently formed from a layer of silicon nitride, and also forms a base for an optical waveguide formed from the silicon nitride layer. Part of the silicon substrate can be selectively etched away to elevate the waveguide and resonator. The thermal microphotonic sensor, which is useful to detect infrared radiation via a change in the evanescent coupling of light between the waveguide and resonator, can be formed as a single device or as an array.

A Dynamic Infrastructure for Interconnecting Disparate ISR/ISTAR Assets (the ITA Sensor Fabric)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-01

areas of sensor identification, classification, interoperability and sensor data sharing, dissemination and consumability. This paper presents the ITA...sensors in the area of operations. This paper also presents a use case scenario developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and... paper we describe the Fabric, and its application to a simulated representative coalition operation scenario. The Fabric spans the network from the

Dense periodical patterns in photonic devices: Technology for fabrication and device performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandramohan, Sabarish

For the fabrication, focused ion beam parameters are investigated to successfully fabricate dense periodical patterns, such as gratings, on hard transition metal nitride such as zirconium nitride. Transition metal nitrides such as titanium nitride and zirconium nitride have recently been studied as alternative materials for plasmonic devices because of its plasmonic resonance in the visible and near-infrared ranges, material strength, CMOS compatibility and optical properties resembling gold. Coupling of light on the surface of these materials using sub-micrometer gratings gives additional capabilities for wider applications. Here we report the fabrication of gratings on the surface of zirconium nitride using gallium ion 30keV dual beam focused ion beam. Scanning electron microscope imaging and atomic force microscope profiling is used to characterize the fabricated gratings. Appropriate values for FIB parameters such as ion beam current, magnification, dwell time and milling rate are found for successful milling of dense patterns on zirconium nitride. For the device performance, a real-time image-processing algorithm is developed to enhance the sensitivity of an optical miniature spectrometer. The novel approach in this design is the use of real-time image-processing algorithm to average the image intensity along the arc shaped images registered by the monochromatic inputs on the CMOS image sensor. This approach helps to collect light from the entire arc and thus enhances the sensitivity of the device. The algorithm is developed using SiTiO2 planar waveguide. The accuracy of the mapping from x-pixel number scale of the CMOS image sensor to the wavelength spectra of the miniature spectrometer is demonstrated by measuring the spectrum of a known LED source using a conventional desktop spectrometer and comparing it with the spectrum measured by the miniature spectrometer. The sensitivity of miniature spectrometer is demonstrated using two methods. In the first method

Hollow glass microsphere-structured Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor for highly sensitive temperature measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Junna; Zhou, Ciming; Fan, Dian; Ou, Yiwen

2017-04-01

We propose and demonstrate a miniature Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometric sensor based on a hollow glass microsphere (HGM) for highly sensitive temperature measurement. The sensor head is fabricated by sticking a HGM on the end face of a single-mode fiber, and it consists of a short air F-P cavity between the front and the rear surfaces of the HGM. A sensor with 135.7280-μm cavity length was tested for temperature measurement from -5 °C to 50 °C. The obtained sensitivity reached up to 24.5 pm/°C and the variation rate of the HGM- F-P's cavity length was2.1 nm/°C. The advantages of compact size, easy fabrication and low cost make the sensor suitable for highly sensitive temperature sensing.

Flexible MEMS: A novel technology to fabricate flexible sensors and electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Hongen

This dissertation presents the design and fabrication techniques used to fabricate flexible MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) devices. MEMS devices and CMOS(Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) circuits are traditionally fabricated on rigid substrates with inorganic semiconductor materials such as Silicon. However, it is highly desirable that functional elements like sensors, actuators or micro fluidic components to be fabricated on flexible substrates for a wide variety of applications. Due to the fact that flexible substrate is temperature sensitive, typically only low temperature materials, such as polymers, metals, and organic semiconductor materials, can be directly fabricated on flexible substrates. A novel technology based on XeF2(xenon difluoride) isotropic silicon etching and parylene conformal coating, which is able to monolithically incorporate high temperature materials and fluidic channels, was developed at Wayne State University. The technology was first implemented in the development of out-of-plane parylene microneedle arrays that can be individually addressed by integrated flexible micro-channels. These devices enable the delivery of chemicals with controlled temporal and spatial patterns and allow us to study neurotransmitter-based retinal prosthesis. The technology was further explored by adopting the conventional SOI-CMOS processes. High performance and high density CMOS circuits can be first fabricated on SOI wafers, and then be integrated into flexible substrates. Flexible p-channel MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistors) were successfully integrated and tested. Integration of pressure sensors and flow sensors based on single crystal silicon has also been demonstrated. A novel smart yarn technology that enables the invisible integration of sensors and electronics into fabrics has been developed. The most significant advantage of this technology is its post-MEMS and post-CMOS compatibility. Various high

Towards continuous glucose monitoring: in vivo evaluation of a miniaturized glucose sensor implanted for several days in rat subcutaneous tissue.

PubMed

Moatti-Sirat, D; Capron, F; Poitout, V; Reach, G; Bindra, D S; Zhang, Y; Wilson, G S; Thévenot, D R

1992-03-01

A miniaturized amperometric, enzymatic, glucose sensor (outer diameter 0.45 mm) was evaluated after implantation in the subcutaneous tissue of normal rats. A simple experimental procedure was designed for the long-term assessment of the sensor's function which was performed by recording the current during an intraperitoneal glucose load. The sensor was calibrated by accounting for the increase in the current during the concomitant increase in plasma glucose concentration, determined in blood sampled at the tail vein. This made it possible to estimate the glucose concentration in subcutaneous tissue. During the glucose load, the change in subcutaneous glucose concentration followed that in blood with a lag time consistently shorter than 5 min. The estimations of subcutaneous glucose concentration during these tests were compared to the concomitant plasma glucose concentrations by using a grid analysis. Three days after implantation (n = 6 experiments), 79 estimations were considered accurate, except for five which were in the acceptable zone. Ten days after implantation (n = 5 experiments), 101 estimations were accurate, except for one value, which was still acceptable. The sensitivity was around 0.5 nA.mmol-1.l-1 on day 3 and day 10. A longitudinal study on seven sensors tested on different days demonstrated a relative stability of the sensor's sensitivity. Finally, histological examination of the zone around the implantation site revealed a fibrotic reaction containing neocapillaries, which could explain the fast response of the sensor to glucose observed in vivo, even on day 10. We conclude that this miniaturized glucose sensor, whose size makes it easily implanted, works for at least ten days after implantation into rat subcutaneous tissue.

A Rapid Process for Fabricating Gas Sensors

PubMed Central

Hsiao, Chun-Ching; Luo, Li-Siang

2014-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a low-toxicity and environmentally-friendly material applied on devices, sensors or actuators for “green” usage. A porous ZnO film deposited by a rapid process of aerosol deposition (AD) was employed as the gas-sensitive material in a CO gas sensor to reduce both manufacturing cost and time, and to further extend the AD application for a large-scale production. The relative resistance change (ΔR/R) of the ZnO gas sensor was used for gas measurement. The fabricated ZnO gas sensors were measured with operating temperatures ranging from 110 °C to 180 °C, and CO concentrations ranging from 100 ppm to 1000 ppm. The sensitivity and the response time presented good performance at increasing operating temperatures and CO concentrations. AD was successfully for applied for making ZnO gas sensors with great potential for achieving high deposition rates at low deposition temperatures, large-scale production and low cost. PMID:25010696

Fabrication and Evaluation of a Graphene Oxide-Based Capacitive Humidity Sensor.

PubMed

Feng, Jinfeng; Kang, Xiaoxu; Zuo, Qingyun; Yuan, Chao; Wang, Weijun; Zhao, Yuhang; Zhu, Limin; Lu, Hanwei; Chen, Juying

2016-03-01

In this study, a CMOS compatible capacitive humidity sensor structure was designed and fabricated on a 200 mm CMOS BEOL Line. A top Al interconnect layer was used as an electrode with a comb/serpent structure, and graphene oxide (GO) was used as sensing material. XRD analysis was done which shows that GO sensing material has a strong and sharp (002) peak at about 10.278°, whereas graphite has (002) peak at about 26°. Device level CV and IV curves were measured in mini-environments at different relative humidity (RH) level, and saturated salt solutions were used to build these mini-environments. To evaluate the potential value of GO material in humidity sensor applications, a prototype humidity sensor was designed and fabricated by integrating the sensor with a dedicated readout ASIC and display/calibration module. Measurements in different mini-environments show that the GO-based humidity sensor has higher sensitivity, faster recovery time and good linearity performance. Compared with a standard humidity sensor, the measured RH data of our prototype humidity sensor can match well that of the standard product.

Fabrication of All-SiC Fiber-Optic Pressure Sensors for High-Temperature Applications.

PubMed

Jiang, Yonggang; Li, Jian; Zhou, Zhiwen; Jiang, Xinggang; Zhang, Deyuan

2016-10-17

Single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC)-based pressure sensors can be used in harsh environments, as they exhibit stable mechanical and electrical properties at elevated temperatures. A fiber-optic pressure sensor with an all-SiC sensor head was fabricated and is herein proposed. SiC sensor diaphragms were fabricated via an ultrasonic vibration mill-grinding (UVMG) method, which resulted in a small grinding force and low surface roughness. The sensor head was formed by hermetically bonding two layers of SiC using a nickel diffusion bonding method. The pressure sensor illustrated a good linearity in the range of 0.1-0.9 MPa, with a resolution of 0.27% F.S. (full scale) at room temperature.

Facile Fabrication of Multi-hierarchical Porous Polyaniline Composite as Pressure Sensor and Gas Sensor with Adjustable Sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiao-Xiao; Li, Jin-Tao; Jia, Xian-Sheng; Tong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Jun; Zheng, Jie; Ning, Xin; Long, Yun-Ze

2017-08-01

A multi-hierarchical porous polyaniline (PANI) composite which could be used in good performance pressure sensor and adjustable sensitivity gas sensor has been fabricated by a facile in situ polymerization. Commercial grade sponge was utilized as a template scaffold to deposit PANI via in situ polymerization. With abundant interconnected pores throughout the whole structure, the sponge provided sufficient surface for the growth of PANI nanobranches. The flexible porous structure helped the composite to show high performance in pressure detection with fast response and favorable recoverability and gas detection with adjustable sensitivity. The sensing mechanism of the PANI/sponge-based flexible sensor has also been discussed. The results indicate that this work provides a feasible approach to fabricate efficient sensors with advantages of low cost, facile preparation, and easy signal collection.

Facile Fabrication of Multi-hierarchical Porous Polyaniline Composite as Pressure Sensor and Gas Sensor with Adjustable Sensitivity.

PubMed

He, Xiao-Xiao; Li, Jin-Tao; Jia, Xian-Sheng; Tong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; Zhang, Jun; Zheng, Jie; Ning, Xin; Long, Yun-Ze

2017-12-01

A multi-hierarchical porous polyaniline (PANI) composite which could be used in good performance pressure sensor and adjustable sensitivity gas sensor has been fabricated by a facile in situ polymerization. Commercial grade sponge was utilized as a template scaffold to deposit PANI via in situ polymerization. With abundant interconnected pores throughout the whole structure, the sponge provided sufficient surface for the growth of PANI nanobranches. The flexible porous structure helped the composite to show high performance in pressure detection with fast response and favorable recoverability and gas detection with adjustable sensitivity. The sensing mechanism of the PANI/sponge-based flexible sensor has also been discussed. The results indicate that this work provides a feasible approach to fabricate efficient sensors with advantages of low cost, facile preparation, and easy signal collection.

Humidity Sensors Principle, Mechanism, and Fabrication Technologies: A Comprehensive Review

PubMed Central

Farahani, Hamid; Wagiran, Rahman; Hamidon, Mohd Nizar

2014-01-01

Humidity measurement is one of the most significant issues in various areas of applications such as instrumentation, automated systems, agriculture, climatology and GIS. Numerous sorts of humidity sensors fabricated and developed for industrial and laboratory applications are reviewed and presented in this article. The survey frequently concentrates on the RH sensors based upon their organic and inorganic functional materials, e.g., porous ceramics (semiconductors), polymers, ceramic/polymer and electrolytes, as well as conduction mechanism and fabrication technologies. A significant aim of this review is to provide a distinct categorization pursuant to state of the art humidity sensor types, principles of work, sensing substances, transduction mechanisms, and production technologies. Furthermore, performance characteristics of the different humidity sensors such as electrical and statistical data will be detailed and gives an added value to the report. By comparison of overall prospects of the sensors it was revealed that there are still drawbacks as to efficiency of sensing elements and conduction values. The flexibility offered by thick film and thin film processes either in the preparation of materials or in the choice of shape and size of the sensor structure provides advantages over other technologies. These ceramic sensors show faster response than other types. PMID:24784036

Fabrication of High-Sensitivity Skin-Attachable Temperature Sensors with Bioinspired Microstructured Adhesive.

PubMed

Oh, Ju Hyun; Hong, Soo Yeong; Park, Heun; Jin, Sang Woo; Jeong, Yu Ra; Oh, Seung Yun; Yun, Junyeong; Lee, Hanchan; Kim, Jung Wook; Ha, Jeong Sook

2018-02-28

In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of a highly sensitive flexible temperature sensor with a bioinspired octopus-mimicking adhesive. A resistor-type temperature sensor consisting of a composite of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM)-temperature sensitive hydrogel, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, and carbon nanotubes exhibits a very high thermal sensitivity of 2.6%·°C -1 between 25 and 40 °C so that the change in skin temperature of 0.5 °C can be accurately detected. At the same time, the polydimethylsiloxane adhesive layer of octopus-mimicking rim structure coated with pNIPAM is fabricated through the formation of a single mold by utilizing undercut phenomenon in photolithography. The fabricated sensor shows stable and reproducible detection of skin temperature under repeated attachment/detachment cycles onto skin without any skin irritation for a long time. This work suggests a high potential application of our skin-attachable temperature sensor to wearable devices for medical and health-care monitoring.

OmniBird: a miniature PTZ NIR sensor system for UCAV day/night autonomous operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Steven; Li, Hui

2007-04-01

Through a SBIR funding from NAVAIR, we have successfully developed an innovative, miniaturized, and lightweight PTZ UCAV imager called OmniBird for UCAV taxiing. The proposed OmniBird will be able to fit in a small space. The designed zoom capability allows it to acquire focused images for targets ranging from 10 to 250 feet. The innovative panning mechanism also allows the system to have a field of view of +/- 100 degrees within the provided limited spacing (6 cubic inches). The integrated optics, camera sensor, and mechanics solution will allow the OmniBird to stay optically aligned and shock-proof under harsh environments.

Fabrication of All-SiC Fiber-Optic Pressure Sensors for High-Temperature Applications

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yonggang; Li, Jian; Zhou, Zhiwen; Jiang, Xinggang; Zhang, Deyuan

2016-01-01

Single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC)-based pressure sensors can be used in harsh environments, as they exhibit stable mechanical and electrical properties at elevated temperatures. A fiber-optic pressure sensor with an all-SiC sensor head was fabricated and is herein proposed. SiC sensor diaphragms were fabricated via an ultrasonic vibration mill-grinding (UVMG) method, which resulted in a small grinding force and low surface roughness. The sensor head was formed by hermetically bonding two layers of SiC using a nickel diffusion bonding method. The pressure sensor illustrated a good linearity in the range of 0.1–0.9 MPa, with a resolution of 0.27% F.S. (full scale) at room temperature. PMID:27763494

Ultra-miniaturization of a planar amperometric sensor targeting continuous intradermal glucose monitoring.

PubMed

Ribet, Federico; Stemme, Göran; Roxhed, Niclas

2017-04-15

An ultra-miniaturized electrochemical biosensor for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is presented. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the possibility of an overall reduction in sensor size to allow minimally invasive glucose monitoring in the interstitial fluid in the dermal region, in contrast to larger state-of-the-art systems, which are necessarily placed in the subcutaneous layer. Moreover, the reduction in size might be a key factor to improve the stability and reliability of transdermal sensors, due to the reduction of the detrimental foreign body reaction and of consequent potential failures. These advantages are combined with lower invasiveness and discomfort for patients. The realized device consists of a microfabricated three-electrode enzymatic sensor with a total surface area of the sensing portion of less than 0.04mm 2 , making it the smallest fully integrated planar amperometric glucose sensor area reported to date. The working electrode and counter electrode consist of platinum and are functionalized by drop casting of three polymeric membranes. The on-chip iridium oxide (IrOx) pseudo-reference electrode provides the required stability for measurements under physiological conditions. The device is able to dynamically and linearly measure glucose concentrations in-vitro over the relevant physiological range, while showing sufficient selectivity to known interfering species present in the interstitial fluid, with resolution and sensitivity (1.51nA/mM) comparable to that of state-of-art commercial CGM systems. This work can therefore enable less invasive and improved CGM in patients affected by diabetes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supramolecular fabrication of multilevel graphene-based gas sensors with high NO2 sensibility.

PubMed

Chen, Zhuo; Umar, Ahmad; Wang, Shiwei; Wang, Yao; Tian, Tong; Shang, Ying; Fan, Yuzun; Qi, Qi; Xu, Dongmei; Jiang, Lei

2015-06-14

This study reports the supramolecular assembly of a silver nanoparticle-naphthalene-1-sulphonic acid-reduced graphene oxide composite (Ag-NA-rGO) and its utilization to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective gas sensor. The prepared supramolecular assembly acted not only as a non-covalent functionalization platform (π-π interaction) but was also an excellent scaffold to fabricate a highly sensitive and selective low concentration NO2 gas sensor. The prepared composites were characterized using several techniques, which revealed that the graphene sheets were dispersed as ultrathin monolayers with a uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles. The fabricated multilevel structure exhibited an excellent sensing performance, i.e. 2.8 times better, towards 10 ppm NO2 compared to the NA-rGO and rGO based sensors. Apart from its high sensitivity, superior reversibility and selectivity, the prepared supramolecular assembly exhibited an outstanding linear response over the large concentration range from 1 ppm to 10 ppm. The obtained results demonstrate that the prepared supramolecular assembly holds great potential in the fabrication of efficient and effective low-concentration NO2 gas sensors for practical applications.

A micro-power precision amplifier for converting the output of light sensors to a voltage readable by miniature data loggers.

PubMed

Phillips, Nathan; Bond, Barbara J.

1999-07-01

To record photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) simultaneously at a number of points throughout a forest canopy, we developed a simple, inexpensive (< $10 US) current-to-voltage converter that processes the current generated by a photodiode radiation sensor to a voltage range that is recordable with a miniature data logger. The converter, which weighs less than 75 g and has a volume of only 100 cm(3), is built around an ultra-low power OP-90 precision operational amplifier, which consumes less than 0.5 mA at 9 V when converting the output of a Li-Cor LI-190SA quantum sensor exposed to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of 2500 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1) or only 5 &mgr;A in low light. A small 9-V battery thus powers the amplifier for more than 1000 h of continuous operation. Correlations between photometer readings and voltage output from the current-to-voltage converter were high and linear at both high and low PAR. Sixteen Li-Cor LI-190SA quantum sensors each equipped with current-to-voltage converters and connected to a miniature data logger were deployed in the upper branches of a Panamanian tropical rainforest canopy. Each unit performed reliably during a one- or two-week evaluation.

Bio-inspired piezoelectric artificial hair cell sensor fabricated by powder injection molding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jun Sae; Oh, Keun Ha; Moon, Won Kyu; Kim, Kyungseop; Joh, Cheeyoung; Seo, Hee Seon; Bollina, Ravi; Park, Seong Jin

2015-12-01

A piezoelectric artificial hair cell sensor was fabricated by the powder injection molding process in order to make an acoustic vector hydrophone. The entire process of powder injection molding was developed and optimized for PMN-PZT ceramic powder. The artificial hair cell sensor, which consists of high aspect ratio hair cell and three rectangular mechanoreceptors, was precisely fabricated through the developed powder injection molding process. The density and the dielectric property of the fabricated sensor shows 98% of the theoretical density and 85% of reference dielectric property of PMN-PZT ceramic powder. With regard to homogeneity, three rectangular mechanoreceptors have the same dimensions, with 3 μm of tolerance with 8% of deviation of dielectric property. Packaged vector hydrophones measure the underwater acoustic signals from 500 to 800 Hz with -212 dB of sensitivity. Directivity of vector hydrophone was acquired at 600 Hz as analyzing phase differences of electric signals.

Fabrication of miniature elastomer lenses with programmable liquid mold for smartphone microscopy: curing polydimethylsiloxane with in situ curvature control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunakaran, Bhuvaneshwari; Tharion, Joseph; Dhawangale, Arvind Ramrao; Paul, Debjani; Mukherji, Soumyo

2018-02-01

Miniature lenses can transform commercial imaging systems, e.g., smartphones and webcams, into powerful, low-cost, handheld microscopes. To date, the reproducible fabrication of polymer lenses is still a challenge as they require controlled dispensing of viscous liquid. This paper reports a reproducible lens fabrication technique using liquid mold with programmable curvature and off-the-shelf materials. The lens curvature is controlled during fabrication by tuning the curvature of an interface of two immiscible liquids [polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and glycerol]. The curvature control is implemented using a visual feedback system, which includes a software-based guiding system to produce lenses of desired curvature. The technique allows PDMS lens fabrication of a wide range of sizes and focal lengths, within 20 min. The fabrication of two lens diameters: 1 and 5 mm with focal lengths ranging between 1.2 and 11 mm are demonstrated. The lens surface and bulk quality check performed using X-ray microtomography and atomic force microscopy reveal that the lenses are suitable for optical imaging. Furthermore, a smartphone microscope with ˜1.4-μm resolution is developed using a self-assembly of a single high power fabricated lens and microaperture. The lenses have various potential applications, e.g., optofluidics, diagnostics, forensics, and surveillance.

A miniature tension sensor to measure surgical suture tension of deformable musculoskeletal tissues during joint motion.

PubMed

Kiriyama, Yoshimori; Matsumoto, Hideo; Toyama, Yoshiaki; Nagura, Takeo

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to develop a new suture tension sensor for musculoskeletal soft tissue that shows deformation or movements. The suture tension sensor was 10 mm in size, which was small enough to avoid conflicting with the adjacent sensor. Furthermore, the sensor had good linearity up to a tension of 50 N, which is equivalent to the breaking strength of a size 1 absorbable suture defined by the United States Pharmacopeia. The design and mechanism were analyzed using a finite element model prior to developing the actual sensor. Based on the analysis, adequate material was selected, and the output linearity was confirmed and compared with the simulated result. To evaluate practical application, the incision of the skin and capsule were sutured during simulated total knee arthroplasty. When conventional surgery and minimally invasive surgery were performed, suture tensions were compared. In minimally invasive surgery, the distal portion of the knee was dissected, and the proximal portion of the knee was dissected additionally in conventional surgery. In the skin suturing, the maximum tension was 4.4 N, and this tension was independent of the sensor location. In contrast, the sensor suturing the capsule in the distal portion had a tension of 4.4 N in minimally invasive surgery, while the proximal sensor had a tension of 44 N in conventional surgery. The suture tensions increased nonlinearly and were dependent on the knee flexion angle. Furthermore, the tension changes showed hysteresis. This miniature tension sensor may help establish the optimal suturing method with adequate tension to ensure wound healing and early recovery.

Polydimethylsiloxane-fabricated optical fiber sensor capable of measuring both large axial and shear strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yu; Wang, Ziyuan; Wen, Huaihai; Zhou, Zhi

2014-11-01

Fiber optic sensor (FOS) has received much attention in the field of Structure Health Monitoring (SHM) due to its advantages of low weight, small size, high sensitivity multiplexing ability, free of electromagnetic interference and long durability. However, in harsh environments, structures often undergo large strain where few traditional fiber optic sensors could survive. This paper report a novel material with features of light-transparent, chemically inert, thermally stable material Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) fabricated large axial/shearing strain sensor. The sensor was fabricated by directly coupling a conventional signal mode fiber into half cured PDMS material using a translation stage under the inspection of a microscope. Meanwhile, a laser diode and a photo detector were used in the fabrication process to make sure the sensor achieved minimum light loss. An experiment was conducted later to investigate the sensor's transmission characteristic in 1310nm infrared laser relating with the applied axial/shearing strain. The results show that the proposed sensor survived an axial strain of 6 7.79 x 106 μɛ ; a shear of 4 6.49 x 104 μɛ with good linearity and repetition. The experiment indicates that the proposed sensor can potentially be used as strain sensing elements in Structure Health Monitoring systems under earthquake or explosion.

Miniature Fixed Points as Temperature Standards for In Situ Calibration of Temperature Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, X. P.; Sun, J. P.; Xu, C. Y.; Wen, P.; Song, J.; Xu, M.; Gong, L. Y.; Ding, L.; Liu, Z. L.

2017-06-01

Miniature Ga and Ga-In alloy fixed points as temperature standards are developed at National Institute of Metrology, China for the in situ calibration of temperature sensors. A quasi-adiabatic vacuum measurement system is constructed to study the phase-change plateaus of the fixed points. The system comprises a high-stability bath, a quasi-adiabatic vacuum chamber and a temperature control and measurement system. The melting plateau of the Ga fixed point is longer than 2 h at 0.008 W. The standard deviation of the melting temperature of the Ga and Ga-In alloy fixed points is better than 2 mK. The results suggest that the melting temperature of the Ga or Ga-In alloy fixed points is linearly related with the heating power.

One novel type of miniaturization FBG rotation angle sensor with high measurement precision and temperature self-compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shanchao; Wang, Jing; Sui, Qingmei

2018-03-01

In order to achieve rotation angle measurement, one novel type of miniaturization fiber Bragg grating (FBG) rotation angle sensor with high measurement precision and temperature self-compensation is proposed and studied in this paper. The FBG rotation angle sensor mainly contains two core sensitivity elements (FBG1 and FBG2), triangular cantilever beam, and rotation angle transfer element. In theory, the proposed sensor can achieve temperature self-compensation by complementation of the two core sensitivity elements (FBG1 and FBG2), and it has a boundless angel measurement range with 2π rad period duo to the function of the rotation angle transfer element. Based on introducing the joint working processes, the theory calculation model of the FBG rotation angel sensor is established, and the calibration experiment on one prototype is also carried out to obtain its measurement performance. After experimental data analyses, the measurement precision of the FBG rotation angle sensor prototype is 0.2 ° with excellent linearity, and the temperature sensitivities of FBG1 and FBG2 are 10 pm/° and 10.1 pm/°, correspondingly. All these experimental results confirm that the FBG rotation angle sensor can achieve large-range angle measurement with high precision and temperature self-compensation.

Microfiber Optical Sensors: A Review

PubMed Central

Lou, Jingyi; Wang, Yipei; Tong, Limin

2014-01-01

With diameter close to or below the wavelength of guided light and high index contrast between the fiber core and the surrounding, an optical microfiber shows a variety of interesting waveguiding properties, including widely tailorable optical confinement, evanescent fields and waveguide dispersion. Among various microfiber applications, optical sensing has been attracting increasing research interest due to its possibilities of realizing miniaturized fiber optic sensors with small footprint, high sensitivity, fast response, high flexibility and low optical power consumption. Here we review recent progress in microfiber optical sensors regarding their fabrication, waveguide properties and sensing applications. Typical microfiber-based sensing structures, including biconical tapers, optical gratings, circular cavities, Mach-Zehnder interferometers and functionally coated/doped microfibers, are summarized. Categorized by sensing structures, microfiber optical sensors for refractive index, concentration, temperature, humidity, strain and current measurement in gas or liquid environments are reviewed. Finally, we conclude with an outlook for challenges and opportunities of microfiber optical sensors. PMID:24670720

A Fully Integrated Humidity Sensor System-on-Chip Fabricated by Micro-Stamping Technology

PubMed Central

Huang, Che-Wei; Huang, Yu-Jie; Lu, Shey-Shi; Lin, Chih-Ting

2012-01-01

A fully integrated humidity sensor chip was designed, implemented, and tested. Utilizing the micro-stamping technology, the pseudo-3D sensor system-on-chip (SSoC) architecture can be implemented by stacking sensing materials directly on the top of a CMOS-fabricated chip. The fabricated sensor system-on-chip (2.28 mm × 2.48 mm) integrated a humidity sensor, an interface circuit, a digital controller, and an On-Off Keying (OOK) wireless transceiver. With low power consumption, i.e., 750 μW without RF operation, the sensitivity of developed sensor chip was experimentally verified in the relative humidity (RH) range from 32% to 60%. The response time of the chip was also experimentally verified to be within 5 seconds from RH 36% to RH 64%. As a consequence, the implemented humidity SSoC paves the way toward the an ultra-small sensor system for various applications.

A new miniature hand-held solar-blind reagentless standoff chemical, biological, and explosives (CBE) sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hug, W. F.; Reid, R. D.; Bhartia, R.; Lane, A. L.

2008-04-01

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and suicide bombers are a major threat to many countries and their citizenry. The ability to detect trace levels of these threats with a miniature, hand-held, reagentless, standoff sensor represents a major improvement in the state of the art of CBE surface sensors. Photon Systems, Inc., in collaboration with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, recently demonstrated a new technology hand-held sensor for reagentless, close-range, standoff detection and identification of trace levels CBE materials on surfaces. This targeted ultraviolet CBE (TUCBE) sensor is the result of an Army Phase I STTR program. The resulting 5lb, 5W, flashlight-sized sensor can discriminate CBE from background materials using a combination of deep UV excited resonance Raman (RR) and laser induced native fluorescence (LINF) emissions resulting from excitation by a new technology deep UV laser. Detection and identification is accomplished in less than 1ms. Standoff excitation of suspicious packages, vehicles, persons, and other objects that may contain hazardous materials is accomplished using wavelengths below 250nm where Raman and native fluorescence emissions occupy distinctly different wavelength regions. This enables simultaneous detection of RR and LINF emissions with no interferences. The sensor employs fused RR/LINF chemometric methods to extract the identity of targeted materials from background clutter. Photon Systems has demonstrated detection and identification of 100ng/cm2 of explosives materials at a distance of 1 meter using a sensor with 3.8 cm optical aperture. Expansion of the optical aperture to 38 cm in a lantern-sized sensor will enable similar detection and identification of CBE materials at standoff distances of 10 meters. As a result of excitation and detection in the deep UV and the use of a gated detection system, the sensor is solar blind and can operate in full daylight conditions.

A Review of Wearable Sensor Systems for Monitoring Body Movements of Neonates

PubMed Central

Chen, Hongyu; Xue, Mengru; Mei, Zhenning; Bambang Oetomo, Sidarto; Chen, Wei

2016-01-01

Characteristics of physical movements are indicative of infants’ neuro-motor development and brain dysfunction. For instance, infant seizure, a clinical signal of brain dysfunction, could be identified and predicted by monitoring its physical movements. With the advance of wearable sensor technology, including the miniaturization of sensors, and the increasing broad application of micro- and nanotechnology, and smart fabrics in wearable sensor systems, it is now possible to collect, store, and process multimodal signal data of infant movements in a more efficient, more comfortable, and non-intrusive way. This review aims to depict the state-of-the-art of wearable sensor systems for infant movement monitoring. We also discuss its clinical significance and the aspect of system design. PMID:27983664

Optical Fiber-Tip Sensors Based on In-Situ µ-Printed Polymer Suspended-Microbeams.

PubMed

Yao, Mian; Ouyang, Xia; Wu, Jushuai; Zhang, A Ping; Tam, Hwa-Yaw; Wai, P K A

2018-06-05

Miniature optical fiber-tip sensors based on directly µ-printed polymer suspended-microbeams are presented. With an in-house optical 3D μ-printing technology, SU-8 suspended-microbeams are fabricated in situ to form Fabry⁻Pérot (FP) micro-interferometers on the end face of standard single-mode optical fiber. Optical reflection spectra of the fabricated FP micro-interferometers are measured and fast Fourier transform is applied to analyze the cavity of micro-interferometers. The applications of the optical fiber-tip sensors for refractive index (RI) sensing and pressure sensing, which showed 917.3 nm/RIU to RI change and 4.29 nm/MPa to pressure change, respectively, are demonstrated in the experiments. The sensors and their optical µ-printing method unveil a new strategy to integrate complicated microcomponents on optical fibers toward 'lab-on-fiber' devices and applications.

Experimental Performance of a Micromachined Heat Flux Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefanescu, S.; DeAnna, R. G.; Mehregany, M.

1998-01-01

Steady-state and frequency response calibration of a microfabricated heat-flux sensor have been completed. This sensor is batch fabricated using standard, micromachining techniques, allowing both miniaturization and the ability to create arrays of sensors and their corresponding interconnects. Both high-frequency and spatial response is desired, so the sensors are both thin and of small cross-sectional area. Thin-film, temperature-sensitive resistors are used as the active gauge elements. Two sensor configurations are investigated: (1) a Wheatstone-bridge using four resistors; and (2) a simple, two-resistor design. In each design, one resistor (or pair) is covered by a thin layer (5000 A) thermal barrier; the other resistor (or pair) is covered by a thick (5 microns) thermal barrier. The active area of a single resistor is 360 microns by 360 microns; the total gauge area is 1.5 mm square. The resistors are made of 2000 A-thick metal; and the entire gauge is fabricated on a 25 microns-thick flexible, polyimide substrate. Heat flux through the surface changes the temperature of the resistors and produces a corresponding change in resistance. Sensors were calibrated using two radiation heat sources: (1) a furnace for steady-state, and (2) a light and chopper for frequency response.

Miniature scientific-grade induction magnetometer for cubesats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pronenko, Vira

2017-04-01

One of the main areas of space research is the study and forecasting of space weather. The society is more and more depending nowadays on satellite technology and communications, so it is vital to understand the physical process in the solar-terrestrial system which may disturb them. Besides the solar radiation and Space Weather effects, the Earth's ionosphere is also modified by the ever increasing industrial activity. There have been also multiple reports relating VLF and ELF wave activity to atmospheric storms and geological processes, such as earthquakes and volcanic activity. For advancing in these fields, the AC magnetic field permanent monitoring is crucial. Using the cubesat technology would allow increasing the number of measuring points dramatically. It is necessary to mention that the cubesats use for scientific research requires the miniaturization of scientific sensors what is a serious problem because the reduction of their dimensions leads, as a rule, to the parameters degradation, especially of sensitivity threshold. Today, there is no basic model of a sensitive miniature induction magnetometer. Even the smallest one of the known - for the Bepi-Colombo mission to Mercury - is too big for cubesats. The goal of the present report is to introduce the new design of miniature three-component sensor for measurement of alternative vector magnetic fields - induction magnetometer (IM). The study directions were concentrated on the ways and possibilities to create the miniature magnetometer with best combination of parameters. For this a set of scientific and technological problems, mostly aimed at the sensor construction improvement, was solved. The most important parameter characterizing magnetometer quality is its own magnetic noise level (NL). The analysis of the NL influencing factors is made and the ways to decrease it are discussed in the report. Finally, the LEMI-151 IM was developed for the SEAM cubesat mission with optimal performances within the

Optical and Electronic NOx Sensors for Applications in Mechatronics

PubMed Central

Di Franco, Cinzia; Elia, Angela; Spagnolo, Vincenzo; Scamarcio, Gaetano; Lugarà, Pietro Mario; Ieva, Eliana; Cioffi, Nicola; Torsi, Luisa; Bruno, Giovanni; Losurdo, Maria; Garcia, Michael A.; Wolter, Scott D.; Brown, April; Ricco, Mario

2009-01-01

Current production and emerging NOx sensors based on optical and nanomaterials technologies are reviewed. In view of their potential applications in mechatronics, we compared the performance of: i) Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) based photoacoustic (PA) systems; ii) gold nanoparticles as catalytically active materials in field-effect transistor (FET) sensors, and iii) functionalized III-V semiconductor based devices. QCL-based PA sensors for NOx show a detection limit in the sub part-per-million range and are characterized by high selectivity and compact set-up. Electrochemically synthesized gold-nanoparticle FET sensors are able to monitor NOx in a concentration range from 50 to 200 parts per million and are suitable for miniaturization. Porphyrin-functionalized III-V semiconductor materials can be used for the fabrication of a reliable NOx sensor platform characterized by high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and strong surface state coupling. PMID:22412315

Highly sensitive, self-powered and wearable electronic skin based on pressure-sensitive nanofiber woven fabric sensor.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuman; He, Jianxin; Wang, Hongbo; Qi, Kun; Nan, Nan; You, Xiaolu; Shao, Weili; Wang, Lidan; Ding, Bin; Cui, Shizhong

2017-10-11

The wearable electronic skin with high sensitivity and self-power has shown increasing prospects for applications such as human health monitoring, robotic skin, and intelligent electronic products. In this work, we introduced and demonstrated a design of highly sensitive, self-powered, and wearable electronic skin based on a pressure-sensitive nanofiber woven fabric sensor fabricated by weaving PVDF electrospun yarns of nanofibers coated with PEDOT. Particularly, the nanofiber woven fabric sensor with multi-leveled hierarchical structure, which significantly induced the change in contact area under ultra-low load, showed combined superiority of high sensitivity (18.376 kPa -1 , at ~100 Pa), wide pressure range (0.002-10 kPa), fast response time (15 ms) and better durability (7500 cycles). More importantly, an open-circuit voltage signal of the PPNWF pressure sensor was obtained through applying periodic pressure of 10 kPa, and the output open-circuit voltage exhibited a distinct switching behavior to the applied pressure, indicating the wearable nanofiber woven fabric sensor could be self-powered under an applied pressure. Furthermore, we demonstrated the potential application of this wearable nanofiber woven fabric sensor in electronic skin for health monitoring, human motion detection, and muscle tremor detection.

A Novel Nanowire Assembly Process for the Fabrication of CO Sensor

PubMed Central

Cheng, Biyao; Yang, Shuming; Liu, Tao; Vazinishayan, Ali

2018-01-01

Nanowires have been widely studied due to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties; however, their practical applications are limited to the lack of an effective technique for controlled assembly. In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays were assembled via a combing process using a makeup brush and the nanodevice was fabricated. The current–voltage (I–V) and ultraviolet (UV) characteristics of the device indicate stable and repeatable electrical properties. The carbon monoxide (CO) sensing properties were tested at operating temperatures of 200, 300 and 400 °C. It was found that ZnO based sensor exhibited the highest sensitivity to CO at 300 °C due to the change of dominant oxygen species. Comparing with others result, the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor exhibits higher sensing performance. The sensing mechanism of the CO sensor is also discussed. PMID:29673203

A Novel Nanowire Assembly Process for the Fabrication of CO Sensor.

PubMed

Cheng, Biyao; Yang, Shuming; Liu, Tao; Vazinishayan, Ali

2018-04-17

Nanowires have been widely studied due to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties; however, their practical applications are limited to the lack of an effective technique for controlled assembly. In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays were assembled via a combing process using a makeup brush and the nanodevice was fabricated. The current–voltage (I–V) and ultraviolet (UV) characteristics of the device indicate stable and repeatable electrical properties. The carbon monoxide (CO) sensing properties were tested at operating temperatures of 200, 300 and 400 °C. It was found that ZnO based sensor exhibited the highest sensitivity to CO at 300 °C due to the change of dominant oxygen species. Comparing with others result, the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor exhibits higher sensing performance. The sensing mechanism of the CO sensor is also discussed.

Development of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors and Sensor Arrays for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Fralick, G.; Thomas, V.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, W. H.; Ward, B.; Makel, D.

2002-01-01

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring, fire detection, and environmental monitoring. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. However, due to issues of selectivity and cross-sensitivity, individual sensors are limited in the amount of information that they can provide in environments that contain multiple chemical species. Thus, sensor arrays are being developed to address detection needs in such multi-species environments. This paper discusses the needs of space applications as well as the point-contact sensor technology and sensor arrays being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, hydrazine, nitrogen oxides (NO,), carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed as well as arrays for leak, fire, and emissions detection. Demonstrations of the technology will also be discussed. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Miniature x-ray source

DOEpatents

Trebes, James E.; Bell, Perry M.; Robinson, Ronald B.

2000-01-01

A miniature x-ray source utilizing a hot filament cathode. The source has a millimeter scale size and is capable of producing broad spectrum x-ray emission over a wide range of x-ray energies. The miniature source consists of a compact vacuum tube assembly containing the hot filament cathode, an anode, a high voltage feedthru for delivering high voltage to the cathode, a getter for maintaining high vacuum, a connector for initial vacuum pump down and crimp-off, and a high voltage connection for attaching a compact high voltage cable to the high voltage feedthru. At least a portion of the vacuum tube wall is fabricated from highly x-ray transparent materials, such as sapphire, diamond, or boron nitride.

Optical sensor for fluoride determination in tea sample based on evanescent-wave interaction and fiber-optic integration.

PubMed

Xiong, Yan; Wu, Jiayi; Wang, Qing; Xu, Jing; Fang, Shenwen; Chen, Jie; Duan, Ming

2017-11-01

In this work, a miniaturized optical sensor was developed for fluoride determination in tea samples to evaluate their specific risks of fluorosis for public health based on evanescent-wave interaction. The sensor design was integrated on the optical fiber by utilizing the evanescent wave produced on the fiber surface to react with sensing reagents. According to the absorption change at 575nm, fluoride could be determined by colorimetric method and evaluated by Beer's law. With improved performances of small detection volume (1.2μL), fast analysis (0.41min), wide linear range (0.01-1.4mgL -1 ), low detection limit (3.5μgL -1 , 3σ) and excellent repeatability (2.34%), the sensor has been applied to fluoride determination in six different tea samples. Conventional spectrophotometry and ion chromatography were employed to validate the sensor's accuracy and potential application. Furthermore, this sensor fabrication provided a miniaturized colorimetric detection platform for other hazardous species monitoring based on evanescent wave interaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Miniature Long-life Space Cryocoolers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tward, E.

1993-01-01

TRW has designed, built, and tested a miniature integral Stirling cooler and a miniature pulse tube cooler intended for long-life space application. Both efficient, low-vibration coolers were developed for cooling IR sensors to temperatures as low as 50 K on lightsats. The vibrationally balanced nonwearing design Stirling cooler incorporates clearance seals maintained by flexure springs for both the compressor and the drive displacer. The design achieved its performance goal of 0.25 W at 65 K for an input power to the compressor of 12 W. The cooler recently passed launch vibration tests prior to its entry into an extended life test and its first scheduled flight in 1995. The vibrationally balanced, miniature pulse tube cooler intended for a 10-year long-life space application incorporates a flexure bearing compressor vibrationally balanced by a motor-controlled balancer and a completely passive pulse tube cold head.

Fabrication of miniature elastomer lenses with programmable liquid mold for smartphone microscopy: curing polydimethylsiloxane with in situ curvature control.

PubMed

Karunakaran, Bhuvaneshwari; Tharion, Joseph; Dhawangale, Arvind Ramrao; Paul, Debjani; Mukherji, Soumyo

2018-02-01

Miniature lenses can transform commercial imaging systems, e.g., smartphones and webcams, into powerful, low-cost, handheld microscopes. To date, the reproducible fabrication of polymer lenses is still a challenge as they require controlled dispensing of viscous liquid. This paper reports a reproducible lens fabrication technique using liquid mold with programmable curvature and off-the-shelf materials. The lens curvature is controlled during fabrication by tuning the curvature of an interface of two immiscible liquids [polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and glycerol]. The curvature control is implemented using a visual feedback system, which includes a software-based guiding system to produce lenses of desired curvature. The technique allows PDMS lens fabrication of a wide range of sizes and focal lengths, within 20 min. The fabrication of two lens diameters: 1 and 5 mm with focal lengths ranging between 1.2 and 11 mm are demonstrated. The lens surface and bulk quality check performed using X-ray microtomography and atomic force microscopy reveal that the lenses are suitable for optical imaging. Furthermore, a smartphone microscope with ∼1.4-μm resolution is developed using a self-assembly of a single high power fabricated lens and microaperture. The lenses have various potential applications, e.g., optofluidics, diagnostics, forensics, and surveillance. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Ultra-miniature wireless temperature sensor for thermal medicine applications

PubMed Central

Khairi, Ahmad; Hung, Shih-Chang; Paramesh, Jeyanandh; Fedder, Gary; Rabin, Yoed

2017-01-01

This study presents a prototype design of an ultra-miniature, wireless, battery-less, and implantable temperature-sensor, with applications to thermal medicine such as cryosurgery, hyperthermia, and thermal ablation. The design aims at a sensory device smaller than 1.5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in length, to enable minimally invasive deployment through a hypodermic needle. While the new device may be used for local temperature monitoring, simultaneous data collection from an array of such sensors can be used to reconstruct the 3D temperature field in the treated area, offering a unique capability in thermal medicine. The new sensory device consists of three major subsystems: a temperature-sensing core, a wireless data-communication unit, and a wireless power reception and management unit. Power is delivered wirelessly to the implant from an external source using an inductive link. To meet size requirements while enhancing reliability and minimizing cost, the implant is fully integrated in a regular foundry CMOS technology (0.15 μm in the current study), including the implant-side inductor of the power link. A temperature-sensing core that consists of a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) circuit has been designed and characterized. It employs a microwatt chopper stabilized op-amp and dynamic element-matched current sources to achieve high absolute accuracy. A second order sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is designed to convert the temperature reading to a digital code, which is transmitted by backscatter through the same antenna used for receiving power. A high-efficiency multi-stage differential CMOS rectifier has been designed to provide a DC supply to the sensing and communication subsystems. This paper focuses on the development of the all-CMOS temperature sensing core circuitry part of the device, and briefly reviews the wireless power delivery and communication subsystems. PMID:28989222

Ultra-miniature wireless temperature sensor for thermal medicine applications.

PubMed

Khairi, Ahmad; Hung, Shih-Chang; Paramesh, Jeyanandh; Fedder, Gary; Rabin, Yoed

2011-01-01

This study presents a prototype design of an ultra-miniature, wireless, battery-less, and implantable temperature-sensor, with applications to thermal medicine such as cryosurgery, hyperthermia, and thermal ablation. The design aims at a sensory device smaller than 1.5 mm in diameter and 3 mm in length, to enable minimally invasive deployment through a hypodermic needle. While the new device may be used for local temperature monitoring, simultaneous data collection from an array of such sensors can be used to reconstruct the 3D temperature field in the treated area, offering a unique capability in thermal medicine. The new sensory device consists of three major subsystems: a temperature-sensing core, a wireless data-communication unit, and a wireless power reception and management unit. Power is delivered wirelessly to the implant from an external source using an inductive link. To meet size requirements while enhancing reliability and minimizing cost, the implant is fully integrated in a regular foundry CMOS technology (0.15 μm in the current study), including the implant-side inductor of the power link. A temperature-sensing core that consists of a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) circuit has been designed and characterized. It employs a microwatt chopper stabilized op-amp and dynamic element-matched current sources to achieve high absolute accuracy. A second order sigma-delta (Σ-Δ) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is designed to convert the temperature reading to a digital code, which is transmitted by backscatter through the same antenna used for receiving power. A high-efficiency multi-stage differential CMOS rectifier has been designed to provide a DC supply to the sensing and communication subsystems. This paper focuses on the development of the all-CMOS temperature sensing core circuitry part of the device, and briefly reviews the wireless power delivery and communication subsystems.

Development and Application of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors For Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Fralick, G.; Thomas, V.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Sawayda, M. S.; Jin, A.; Hammond, J.; Makel, D.;

Development and testing of an electrochemical methane sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sekhar, Praveen K.; Kysar, Jesse; Brosha, Eric Lanich

In this article, the development of an electrochemical methane sensor is presented. The mixed potential based sensor is based on tin doped indium oxide (ITO) and platinum electrodes and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte. The sensor was fabricated using the inexpensive tape-cast method. The sensor responded to methane with a response time of 15 s. The staircase response to methane indicated a 44 mV sensor response to 100 ppm of methane. The sensor response indicated a log-linear relationship with the methane concentration. Upon 500 h of sensor testing, a 5% reduction in methane sensitivity was observed. The cross-sensitivity study on themore » sensor indicated minimal interference to NO, NO 2, and CO 2. To improve the sensitivity to methane, a signal conditioning method referred to as the pulsed discharge technique (PDT) was applied. Finally, a fourfold increase in methane sensitivity was observed when the sensor was subjected to PDT. Future studies include the miniaturization of the sensor with integrated heater design.« less

Development and testing of an electrochemical methane sensor

DOE PAGES

Sekhar, Praveen K.; Kysar, Jesse; Brosha, Eric Lanich; ...

2016-01-12

In this article, the development of an electrochemical methane sensor is presented. The mixed potential based sensor is based on tin doped indium oxide (ITO) and platinum electrodes and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte. The sensor was fabricated using the inexpensive tape-cast method. The sensor responded to methane with a response time of 15 s. The staircase response to methane indicated a 44 mV sensor response to 100 ppm of methane. The sensor response indicated a log-linear relationship with the methane concentration. Upon 500 h of sensor testing, a 5% reduction in methane sensitivity was observed. The cross-sensitivity study on themore » sensor indicated minimal interference to NO, NO 2, and CO 2. To improve the sensitivity to methane, a signal conditioning method referred to as the pulsed discharge technique (PDT) was applied. Finally, a fourfold increase in methane sensitivity was observed when the sensor was subjected to PDT. Future studies include the miniaturization of the sensor with integrated heater design.« less

A catheter-type flow sensor for measurement of aspirated- and inspired-air characteristics in the bronchial region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shikida, M.; Naito, J.; Yokota, T.; Kawabe, T.; Hayashi, Y.; Sato, K.

2009-10-01

We developed a novel catheter-type flow sensor for measuring the aspirated- and inspired-air characteristics trans-bronchially. An on-wall in-tube thermal flow sensor is mounted inside the tube, and it is used as a measurement tool in a bronchoscope. The external diameter of the tube is less than a few mm, and therefore, it can evaluate the flow characteristics in the small bronchial region. We newly developed a fabrication process to miniaturize it to less than 2.0 mm in the external diameter by using a heat shrinkable tube. A film sensor fabricated by photolithography was inserted into the tube by hand. By applying a heat shrinking process, the film was automatically mounted on the inner wall surface, and the outer size of the tube was miniaturized to almost half its original size. The final inner and outer diameters of the tube were 1.0 mm and 1.8 mm, respectively. The relationship between the input power of the sensor and the flow rate obeyed King's equation in both forward and reverse flow conditions. The sensor output dependence on ambient temperature was also studied, and the curve obtained at 39.2 °C was used as the calibration curve in animal experiments. The sensor characteristics under reciprocating flow were studied by using a ventilator, and we confirmed that the sensor was able to measure the reciprocating flow at 2.0 Hz. Finally, we successfully measured the aspirated- and inspired-air characteristics in the air passage of a rat.

Towards outperforming conventional sensor arrays with fabricated individual photonic vapour sensors inspired by Morpho butterflies

PubMed Central

Potyrailo, Radislav A.; Bonam, Ravi K.; Hartley, John G.; Starkey, Timothy A.; Vukusic, Peter; Vasudev, Milana; Bunning, Timothy; Naik, Rajesh R.; Tang, Zhexiong; Palacios, Manuel A.; Larsen, Michael; Le Tarte, Laurie A.; Grande, James C.; Zhong, Sheng; Deng, Tao

2015-01-01

Combining vapour sensors into arrays is an accepted compromise to mitigate poor selectivity of conventional sensors. Here we show individual nanofabricated sensors that not only selectively detect separate vapours in pristine conditions but also quantify these vapours in mixtures, and when blended with a variable moisture background. Our sensor design is inspired by the iridescent nanostructure and gradient surface chemistry of Morpho butterflies and involves physical and chemical design criteria. The physical design involves optical interference and diffraction on the fabricated periodic nanostructures and uses optical loss in the nanostructure to enhance the spectral diversity of reflectance. The chemical design uses spatially controlled nanostructure functionalization. Thus, while quantitation of analytes in the presence of variable backgrounds is challenging for most sensor arrays, we achieve this goal using individual multivariable sensors. These colorimetric sensors can be tuned for numerous vapour sensing scenarios in confined areas or as individual nodes for distributed monitoring. PMID:26324320

Fabrication of highly selective tungsten oxide ammonia sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Llobet, E.; Molas, G.; Molinas, P.

Tungsten oxide is shown to be a very promising material for the fabrication of highly selective ammonia sensors. Films of WO{sub 3} were deposited onto a silicon substrate by means of the drop-coating method. Then, the films were annealed in dry air at two different temperatures (300 and 400 C). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the composition of the films. Tungsten appeared both in WO{sub 2} and WO{sub 3} oxidation states, but the second state was clearly dominant. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the oxide was amorphous or nanocrystalline. The WO{sub 3}-based devices were sensitive to ammoniamore » vapors when operated between 250 and 350 C. The optimal operating temperature for the highest sensitivity to ammonia was 300 C. Furthermore, when the devices were operated at 300 C, their sensitivity to other reducing species such as ethanol, methane, toluene, and water vapor was significantly lower, and this resulted in a high selectivity to ammonia. A model for the sensing mechanisms of the fabricated sensors is proposed.« less

Facile fabrication of CNT-based chemical sensor operating at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheng, Jiadong; Zeng, Xian; Zhu, Qi; Yang, Zhaohui; Zhang, Xiaohua

2017-12-01

This paper describes a simple, low cost and effective route to fabricate CNT-based chemical sensors, which operate at room temperature. Firstly, the incorporation of silk fibroin in vertically aligned CNT arrays (CNTA) obtained through a thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method makes the direct removal of CNT arrays from substrates without any rigorous acid or sonication treatment feasible. Through a simple one-step in situ polymerization of anilines, the functionalization of CNT arrays with polyaniline (PANI) significantly improves the sensing performance of CNT-based chemical sensors in detecting ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) vapors. Chemically modified CNT arrays also show responses to organic vapors like menthol, ethyl acetate and acetone. Although the detection limits of chemically modified CNT-based chemical sensors are of the same orders of magnitudes reported in previous studies, these CNT-based chemical sensors show advantages of simplicity, low cost and energy efficiency in preparation and fabrication of devices. Additionally, a linear relationship between the relative sensitivity and concentration of analyte makes precise estimations on the concentrations of trace chemical vapors possible.

A sub-microwatt piezo-floating-gate sensor for long-term fatigue monitoring in biomechanical implants.

PubMed

Lajnef, Nizar; Chakrabartty, Shantanu; Elvin, Niell; Elvin, Alex

2006-01-01

In this paper we describe an implementation of a novel fatigue monitoring sensor based on integration of piezoelectric transduction with floating gate avalanche injection. The miniaturized sensor enables continuous battery-less monitoring and time-to-failure predictions of biomechanical implants. Measured results from a fabricated prototype in a 0.5 microm CMOS process indicate that the device can compute cumulative statistics of electrical signals generated by piezoelectric transducer, while consuming less that 1 microW of power. The ultra-low power operation makes the sensor attractive for integration with poly-vinylidene difluoride (PVDF) based transducers that have already proven to be biocompatible.

Research on miniature gas analysis systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angell, J. B.

1974-01-01

Technology for fabricating very small valves, whose function will be to introduce a small sample of the gas to be analyzed into the main carrier gas stream flowing through the chromatograph column is described. In addition, some analyses were made of the factors governing the resolution of gas chromatographs, particularly those with miniature columns. These analyses show how important the column lining thickness is in governing the ability of a miniature column to separate components of an unknown gas. A brief description of column lining factors is included. Preliminary work on a super small thermistor detector is included.

Miniaturized accelerometer made with ZnO nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Sangho; Kim, Jeong Woong; Kim, Hyun Chan; Yun, Youngmin; Kim, Jaehwan

2017-04-01

Miniaturized accelerometer is required in many applications, such as, robotics, haptic devices, gyroscopes, simulators and mobile devices. ZnO is an essential semiconductor material with wide direct band gap, thermal stability and piezoelectricity. Especially, well aligned ZnO nanowire is appropriate for piezoelectric applications since it can produce high electrical signal under mechanical load. To miniaturize accelerometer, an aligned ZnO nanowire is adopted to implement active piezoelectric layer of the accelerometer and copper is chosen for the head mass. To grow ZnO nanowire on the copper head mass, hydrothermal synthesis is conducted and the effect of ZnO nanowire length on the accelerometer performance is investigated. Refresh hydrothermal synthesis can increase the length of ZnO nanowire. The performance of the fabricated ZnO accelerometers is compared with a commercial accelerometer. Sensitivity and linearity of the fabricated accelerometers are investigated.

A thermal sensor and switch based on a plasma polymer/ZnO suspended nanobelt bimorph structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, -Hau, Jr.; Singamaneni, Srikanth; Ho, Chih H.; Lin, Yen-Hsi; McConney, Michael E.; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

2009-02-01

The combination of design and subsequent fabrication of organic/inorganic nanostructures creates an effective way to combine the favorable traits of both to achieve a desired device performance. We demonstrate a miniature electrical read-out, and a sensitive temperature sensor/switch, based on a ZnO nanobelt/plasma-polymerized benzonitrile bimorph structure. A new read-out technique based on the change in the electric current flowing through the bimorph and the contact pad has been employed, replacing the conventional cumbersome piezoresistive method or tedious optical alignment. The thermal sensor demonstrated here has great prospects for thermal switching and triggered detection owing to the relative ease in the fabrication of arrays and the direct electrical read-out.

Fabrication of diamond based sensors for use in extreme environments

DOE PAGES

Samudrala, Gopi K.; Moore, Samuel L.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

2015-04-23

Electrical and magnetic sensors can be lithographically fabricated on top of diamond substrates and encapsulated in a protective layer of chemical vapor deposited single crystalline diamond. This process when carried out on single crystal diamond anvils employed in high pressure research is termed as designer diamond anvil fabrication. These designer diamond anvils allow researchers to study electrical and magnetic properties of materials under extreme conditions without any possibility of damaging the sensing elements. We describe a novel method for the fabrication of designer diamond anvils with the use of maskless lithography and chemical vapor deposition in this paper. This methodmore » can be utilized to produce diamond based sensors which can function in extreme environments of high pressures, high and low temperatures, corrosive and high radiation conditions. Here, we demonstrate applicability of these diamonds under extreme environments by performing electrical resistance measurements during superconducting transition in rare earth doped iron-based compounds under high pressures to 12 GPa and low temperatures to 10 K.« less

Fabrication of diamond based sensors for use in extreme environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samudrala, Gopi K.; Moore, Samuel L.; Vohra, Yogesh K.

Electrical and magnetic sensors can be lithographically fabricated on top of diamond substrates and encapsulated in a protective layer of chemical vapor deposited single crystalline diamond. This process when carried out on single crystal diamond anvils employed in high pressure research is termed as designer diamond anvil fabrication. These designer diamond anvils allow researchers to study electrical and magnetic properties of materials under extreme conditions without any possibility of damaging the sensing elements. We describe a novel method for the fabrication of designer diamond anvils with the use of maskless lithography and chemical vapor deposition in this paper. This methodmore » can be utilized to produce diamond based sensors which can function in extreme environments of high pressures, high and low temperatures, corrosive and high radiation conditions. Here, we demonstrate applicability of these diamonds under extreme environments by performing electrical resistance measurements during superconducting transition in rare earth doped iron-based compounds under high pressures to 12 GPa and low temperatures to 10 K.« less

A ph sensor based on a flexible substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen-Ding

pH sensor is an essential component used in many chemical, food, and bio-material industries. Conventional glass electrodes have been used to construct pH sensors, however, have some disadvantages. Glass electrodes are easily affected by alkaline or HF solution, they require a high input impedance pH meter, they often exhibit a sluggish response. In some specific applications, it is also difficult to use glass electrodes for in vivo biomedical or food monitoring applications due to the difficulty of size miniaturization, planarization and polymerization based on current manufacturing technologies. In this work, we have demonstrated a novel flexible pH sensor based on low-cost sol-gel fabrication process of iridium oxide (IrOx) sensing film (IROF). A pair of flexible miniature IrOx/AgCl electrode generated the action potential from the solution by electrochemical mechanism to obtain the pH level of the reagent. The fabrication process including sol-gel, thermal oxidation, and the electro-plating process of the silver chloride (AgCl) reference electrode were reported in the work. The IrOx film was verified and characterized using electron dispersive analysis (EDAX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The flexible pH sensor's performance and characterization have been investigated with different testing parameters such as sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, repeatability, selectivity and temperature dependence. The flexible IrOx pH sensors exhibited promising sensing performance with a near-Nernstian response of sensitivity which is between --51.1mV/pH and --51.7mV/pH in different pH levels ranging from 1.5 to 12 at 25°C. Two applications including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis and food freshness wireless monitoring using our micro-flexible IrOx pH sensors were demonstrated. For the GERD diagnosing system, we embedded the micro flexible pH sensor on a 1.2cmx3.8cm of the capsule size of wireless sensor

Fabrication of a Flexible Amperometric Glucose Sensor Using Additive Processes

PubMed Central

Du, Xiaosong; Durgan, Christopher J.; Matthews, David J.; Motley, Joshua R.; Tan, Xuebin; Pholsena, Kovit; Árnadóttir, Líney; Castle, Jessica R.; Jacobs, Peter G.; Cargill, Robert S.; Ward, W. Kenneth; Conley, John F.; Herman, Gregory S.

2015-01-01

This study details the use of printing and other additive processes to fabricate a novel amperometric glucose sensor. The sensor was fabricated using a Au coated 12.7 μm thick polyimide substrate as a starting material, where micro-contact printing, electrochemical plating, chloridization, electrohydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing, and spin coating were used to pattern, deposit, chloridize, print, and coat functional materials, respectively. We have found that e-jet printing was effective for the deposition and patterning of glucose oxidase inks with lateral feature sizes between ~5 to 1000 μm in width, and that the glucose oxidase was still active after printing. The thickness of the permselective layer was optimized to obtain a linear response for glucose concentrations up to 32 mM and no response to acetaminophen, a common interfering compound, was observed. The use of such thin polyimide substrates allow wrapping of the sensors around catheters with high radius of curvature ~250 μm, where additive and microfabrication methods may allow significant cost reductions. PMID:26634186

Growth of single wall carbon nanotubes using PECVD technique: An efficient chemiresistor gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lone, Mohd Yaseen; Kumar, Avshish; Husain, Samina; Zulfequar, M.; Harsh; Husain, Mushahid

2017-03-01

In this work, the uniform and vertically aligned single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been grown on Iron (Fe) deposited Silicon (Si) substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique at very low temperature of 550 °C. The as-grown samples of SWCNTS were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and Raman spectrometer. SWCNT based chemiresistor gas sensing device was fabricated by making the proper gold contacts on the as-grown SWCNTs. The electrical conductance and sensor response of grown SWCNTs have been investigated. The fabricated SWCNT sensor was exposed to ammonia (NH3) gas at 200 ppm in a self assembled apparatus. The sensor response was measured at room temperature which was discussed in terms of adsorption of NH3 gas molecules on the surface of SWCNTs. The achieved results are used to develope a miniaturized gas sensor device for monitoring and control of environment pollutants.

Fabrication of nitric oxide-releasing polyurethane glucose sensor membranes

PubMed Central

Koh, Ahyeon; Riccio, Daniel A.; Sun, Bin; Carpenter, Alexis W.; Nichols, Scott P.; Schoenfisch, Mark H.

2011-01-01

Despite clear evidence that polymeric nitric oxide (NO) release coatings reduce the foreign body response (FBR) and may thus improve the analytical performance of in vivo continuous glucose monitoring devices when used as sensor membranes, the compatibility of the NO release chemistry with that required for enzymatic glucose sensing remains unclear. Herein, we describe the fabrication and characterization of NO-releasing polyurethane sensor membranes using NO donor-modified silica vehicles embedded within the polymer. In addition to demonstrating tunable NO release as a function of the NO donor silica scaffold and polymer compositions and concentrations, we describe the impact of the NO release vehicle and its release kinetics on glucose sensor performance. PMID:21795038

A Miniature Magnetic-Force-Based Three-Axis AC Magnetic Sensor with Piezoelectric/Vibrational Energy-Harvesting Functions.

PubMed

Hung, Chiao-Fang; Yeh, Po-Chen; Chung, Tien-Kan

2017-02-08

In this paper, we demonstrate a miniature magnetic-force-based, three-axis, AC magnetic sensor with piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. For magnetic sensing, the sensor employs a magnetic-mechanical-piezoelectric configuration (which uses magnetic force and torque, a compact, single, mechanical mechanism, and the piezoelectric effect) to convert x -axis and y -axis in-plane and z -axis magnetic fields into piezoelectric voltage outputs. Under the x -axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 0.2-3.2 gauss) and the z -axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 0.2-3.2 gauss), the voltage output with the sensitivity of the sensor are 1.13-26.15 mV with 8.79 mV/gauss and 1.31-8.92 mV with 2.63 mV/gauss, respectively. In addition, through this configuration, the sensor can harness ambient vibrational energy, i.e., possessing piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. Under x -axis vibration (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 3.5 g) and z -axis vibration (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 3.8 g), the root-mean-square voltage output with power output of the sensor is 439 mV with 0.333 μW and 138 mV with 0.051 μW, respectively. These results show that the sensor, using this configuration, successfully achieves three-axis magnetic field sensing and three-axis vibration energy-harvesting. Due to these features, the three-axis AC magnetic sensor could be an important design reference in order to develop future three-axis AC magnetic sensors, which possess energy-harvesting functions, for practical industrial applications, such as intelligent vehicle/traffic monitoring, processes monitoring, security systems, and so on.

Cost-effective MEMS piezoresistive cantilever-based sensor fabrication for gait movement analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadon, Salem; Anuar, A. F. M.; Wahab, Yufridin

2017-03-01

The conventional photolithography of crystalline silicon technique is limited to two-dimensional and structure scaling. It's also requiring a lot of time and chemical involves for the whole process. These problems can be overcome by using laser micromachining technique, that capable to produce three-dimensional structure and simultaneously avoiding the photo mask needs. In this paper, we reported on the RapidX-250 Excimer laser micromachining with 248 nm KrF to create in-time mask design and assisting in the fabrication process of piezo-resistive micro cantilever structures. Firstly, laser micromachining parameters have been investigated in order to fabricate the acceleration sensor to analyzing human gait movement. Preliminary result shows that the fabricated sensor able to define the movement difference of human motion regarding the electrical characteristic of piezo-resistor.

Controlled assembly of organic whispering-gallery-mode microlasers as highly sensitive chemical vapor sensors.

PubMed

Gao, Miaomiao; Wei, Cong; Lin, Xianqing; Liu, Yuan; Hu, Fengqin; Zhao, Yong Sheng

2017-03-09

We demonstrate the fabrication of organic high Q active whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators from π-conjugated polymer by a controlled emulsion-solvent-evaporation method, which can simultaneously provide optical gain and act as an effective resonant cavity. By measuring the shift of their lasing modes on exposure to organic vapor, we successfully monitored the slight concentration variation in the chemical gas. These microlaser sensors demonstrated high detection sensitivity and good signal repeatability under continuous chemical gas treatments. The results offer an effective strategy to design miniaturized optical sensors.

Fabrication and characterization of artificial hair cell sensor based on MWCNT-PDMS composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chi Yeon; Lee, Hyun Sup; Cho, Yo Han; Joh, Cheeyoung; Choi, Pyung; Park, Seong Jin

2011-06-01

The aim of this work is to design and fabricate a flow sensor using an artificial hair cell (AHC) inspired by biological hair cells of fish. The sensor consists of a single cilium structure with high aspect ratio and a mechanoreceptor using force sensitive resistor (FSR). The cilium structure is designed for capturing a drag force with direction due to flow field around the sensor and the mechanoreceptor is designed for sensing the drag force with direction from the cilium structure and converting it into an electric signal. The mechanoreceptor has a symmetric four electrodes to sense the drag force and its direction. To fabricate the single cilium structure with high aspect ratio, we have proposed a new design concept using a separated micro mold system (SMS) fabricated by the LIGA process. For a successful replication of the cilium structure, we used the hot embossing process with the help of a double-sided mold system. We used a composite of multiwall carbon nanotube and polydimethylsiloxane (MWCNT-PDMS). The performance of the mechanoreceptors was measured by a computer-controlled nanoindenter. We carried out several experiments with the sensor in the different flow rate and direction using the experimental test apparatus. To calibrate the sensor and calculate the velocity with direction based the signal from the sensor, we analyzed the coupled phenomena between flow field and the cilium structure to calculate the deflection of the cilium structure and the drag force applying to the cilium structure due to the flow field around sensor.

Dynamics, Control, and Fabrication of Micro Embedded Heaters and Sensors for Micro SMA Active Endoscopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aphanuphong, Sutha

This research investigates design and control of an active catheter for minimally invasive medical procedures. Microfabrication techniques are developed and several prototypes were constructed. The understanding and analysis results from each design iteration are utilized to improve the overall design and the performance of each revision. An innovative co-fabrication method is explored to simplify the fabrication process and also improve the quality, repeatability, and reliability of the active catheter. This co-fabrication method enables a unique compact integrated heater and sensor film to be directly constructed on a shape memory alloy (SMA) sheet and to be utilized as an outline mask to pattern a micro SMA actuator. There are two functions integrated in the sensor film: heat sources to actuate the micro SMA actuator and sensors to provide temperature and strain of the active catheter to closed-loop control algorithms. Three main aspects are explored in this dissertation: thermal dynamics in the MicroFlex (muF) film and its effect on the sensor capabilities; non-minimum phase behavior and its effect on control performance, and film micro fabrication design and its effect on thermal dynamics. The sensor film developed from this understanding is able to deliver excellent heating and sensing performance with a simple design.

Batch Fabrication of Ultrasensitive Carbon Nanotube Hydrogen Sensors with Sub-ppm Detection Limit.

PubMed

Xiao, Mengmeng; Liang, Shibo; Han, Jie; Zhong, Donglai; Liu, Jingxia; Zhang, Zhiyong; Peng, Lianmao

2018-04-27

Carbon nanotube (CNT) has been considered as an ideal channel material for building highly sensitive gas sensors. However, the reported H 2 sensors based on CNT always suffered from the low sensitivity or low production. We developed the technology to massively fabricate ultra-highly sensitive H 2 sensors based on solution derived CNT network through comprehensive optimization of the CNT material, device structure, and fabrication process. In the H 2 sensors, high semiconducting purity solution-derived CNT film sorted by poly[9-(1-octylonoyl)-9 H-carbazole-2,7-diyl](PCz) is used as the main channel, which is decorated with Pd nanoparticles as functionalization for capturing H 2 . Meanwhile, Ti contacts are used to form a Schottky barrier for enhancing transferred charge-induced resistance change, and then a response of resistance change by 3 orders of magnitude is achieved at room temperature under the concentration of ∼311 ppm with a very fast response time of approximately 7 s and a detection limit of 890 ppb, which is the highest response to date for CNT H 2 sensors and the very first time to show the sub-ppm detection for H 2 at room temperature. Furthermore, the detection limit concentration can be improved to 89 ppb at 100 °C. The batch fabrication of CNT film H 2 sensors with ultra-high sensitivity and high uniformity is ready to promote CNT devices to application for the first time in some specialized field.

Fabrication of microfluidic integrated biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Tijjani; Dhahi, Th S.; Mohammed, Mohammed; Hashim, U.; Noriman, N. Z.; Dahham, Omar S.

2017-09-01

An event of miniaturizing for sensor systems to carry out biological diagnostics are gaining wade spread acceptance. The system may contain several different sensor units for the detection of specific analyte, the analyte to be detected might be any kind of biological molecules (DNA, mRNA or proteins) or chemical substances. In most cases, the detection is based on receptor-ligand binding like DNA hybridization or antibody-antigen interaction, achieving this on a nanostructure. DNA or protein must be attached to certain locations within the structure. Critical for this is to have a robust binding chemistry to the surface in the microstructure. Here we successfully designed and fabricated microfluidics element for passive fluid delivery into polysilicon Nanowire sensing domain, we further demonstrated a very simple and effective way of integrating the two devices to give full functionalities of laboratory on a single chip. The sensing element was successfully surface modified and tested on real biomedical clinical sample for evaluation and validation.

Design Principles for Rapid Prototyping Forces Sensors using 3D Printing.

PubMed

Kesner, Samuel B; Howe, Robert D

2011-07-21

Force sensors provide critical information for robot manipulators, manufacturing processes, and haptic interfaces. Commercial force sensors, however, are generally not adapted to specific system requirements, resulting in sensors with excess size, cost, and fragility. To overcome these issues, 3D printers can be used to create components for the quick and inexpensive development of force sensors. Limitations of this rapid prototyping technology, however, require specialized design principles. In this paper, we discuss techniques for rapidly developing simple force sensors, including selecting and attaching metal flexures, using inexpensive and simple displacement transducers, and 3D printing features to aid in assembly. These design methods are illustrated through the design and fabrication of a miniature force sensor for the tip of a robotic catheter system. The resulting force sensor prototype can measure forces with an accuracy of as low as 2% of the 10 N measurement range.

Fabrication of fiber-optic localized surface plasmon resonance sensor and its application to detect antibody-antigen reaction of interferon-gamma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Hyeon-Ho; Erdene, Norov; Lee, Seung-Ki; Jeong, Dae-Hong; Park, Jae-Hyoung

2011-12-01

A fiber-optic localized surface plasmon (FO LSPR) sensor was fabricated by gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) immobilized on the end-face of an optical fiber. When Au NPs were formed on the end-face of an optical fiber by chemical reaction, Au NPs aggregation occurred and the Au NPs were immobilized in various forms such as monomers, dimers, trimers, etc. The component ratio of the Au NPs on the end-face of the fabricated FO LSPR sensor was slightly changed whenever the sensors were fabricated in the same condition. Including this phenomenon, the FO LSPR sensor was fabricated with high sensitivity by controlling the density of Au NPs. Also, the fabricated sensors were measured for the resonance intensity for the different optical systems and analyzed for the effect on sensitivity. Finally, for application as a biosensor, the sensor was used for detecting the antibody-antigen reaction of interferon-gamma.

Development of solid tunable optics for ultra-miniature imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yongchao, Zou

This thesis focuses on the optimal design, fabrication and testing of solid tunable optics and exploring their applications in miniature imaging systems. It starts with the numerical modelling of such lenses, followed by the optimum design method and alignment tolerance analysis. A miniature solid tunable lens driven by a piezo actuator is then developed. To solve the problem of limited maximum optical power and tuning range in conventional lens designs, a novel multi-element solid tunable lens is proposed and developed. Inspired by the Alvarez principle, a novel miniature solid tunable dual-focus lens, which is designed using freeform surfaces and driven by one micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) rotary actuator, is demonstrated. To explore the applications of these miniature solid tunable lenses, a miniature adjustable-focus endoscope and one compact adjustable-focus camera module are developed. The adjustable-focus capability of these two miniature imaging systems is fully proved by electrically focusing targets placed at different positions.

Micromachined electron tunneling infrared sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, T. W.; Kaiser, W. J.; Podosek, J. A.; Rockstad, H. K.; Reynolds, J. K.

1993-01-01

The development of an improved Golay cell is reported. This new sensor is constructed entirely from micromachined silicon components. A silicon oxynitride (SiO(x)N(y)) membrane is deflected by the thermal expansion of a small volume of trapped gas. To detect the motion of the membrane, an electron tunneling transducer is used. This sensor detects electrons which tunnel through the classically forbidden barrier between a tip and a surface; the electron current is exponentially dependent on the separation between the tip and the surface. The sensitivity of tunneling transducers constructed was typically better than 10(exp -3) A/square root of Hz. Through use of the electron tunneling transducer, the scaling laws which have prevented the miniaturization of the Golay cell are avoided. This detector potentially offers low cost fabrication, compatibility with silicon readout electronics, and operation without cooling. Most importantly, this detector may offer better sensitivity than any other uncooled infrared sensor, with the exception of the original Golay cell.

A temperature-compensated optical fiber force sensor for minimally invasive surgeries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Z.; Xu, W.; Broderick, N.; Chen, H.

2015-12-01

Force sensing in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a chronic problem since it has an intensive magnetic resonance (MR) operation environment, which causes a high influence to traditional electronic force sensors. Optical sensor is a promising choice in this area because it is immune to MR influence. However, the changing temperature introduces a lot of noise signals to them, which is the main obstacle for optical sensing applications in MIS. This paper proposes a miniature temperature-compensated optical force sensor by using Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) principle. It can be integrated into medical tools' tips and the temperature noise is decreased by using a reference FPI temperature sensor. An injection needle with embedded temperature-compensated FPI force sensor has been fabricated and tested. And the comparison between temperature-force simulation results and the temperature-force experiment results has been carried out.

A Miniature Magnetic-Force-Based Three-Axis AC Magnetic Sensor with Piezoelectric/Vibrational Energy-Harvesting Functions

PubMed Central

Hung, Chiao-Fang; Yeh, Po-Chen; Chung, Tien-Kan

2017-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a miniature magnetic-force-based, three-axis, AC magnetic sensor with piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. For magnetic sensing, the sensor employs a magnetic–mechanical–piezoelectric configuration (which uses magnetic force and torque, a compact, single, mechanical mechanism, and the piezoelectric effect) to convert x-axis and y-axis in-plane and z-axis magnetic fields into piezoelectric voltage outputs. Under the x-axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 0.2–3.2 gauss) and the z-axis magnetic field (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 0.2–3.2 gauss), the voltage output with the sensitivity of the sensor are 1.13–26.15 mV with 8.79 mV/gauss and 1.31–8.92 mV with 2.63 mV/gauss, respectively. In addition, through this configuration, the sensor can harness ambient vibrational energy, i.e., possessing piezoelectric/vibrational energy-harvesting functions. Under x-axis vibration (sine-wave, 100 Hz, 3.5 g) and z-axis vibration (sine-wave, 142 Hz, 3.8 g), the root-mean-square voltage output with power output of the sensor is 439 mV with 0.333 μW and 138 mV with 0.051 μW, respectively. These results show that the sensor, using this configuration, successfully achieves three-axis magnetic field sensing and three-axis vibration energy-harvesting. Due to these features, the three-axis AC magnetic sensor could be an important design reference in order to develop future three-axis AC magnetic sensors, which possess energy-harvesting functions, for practical industrial applications, such as intelligent vehicle/traffic monitoring, processes monitoring, security systems, and so on. PMID:28208693

Multifrequency Ultra-High Resolution Miniature Scanning Microscope Using Microchannel And Solid-State Sensor Technologies And Method For Scanning Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yu (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A miniature, ultra-high resolution, and color scanning microscope using microchannel and solid-state technology that does not require focus adjustment. One embodiment includes a source of collimated radiant energy for illuminating a sample, a plurality of narrow angle filters comprising a microchannel structure to permit the passage of only unscattered radiant energy through the microchannels with some portion of the radiant energy entering the microchannels from the sample, a solid-state sensor array attached to the microchannel structure, the microchannels being aligned with an element of the solid-state sensor array, that portion of the radiant energy entering the microchannels parallel to the microchannel walls travels to the sensor element generating an electrical signal from which an image is reconstructed by an external device, and a moving element for movement of the microchannel structure relative to the sample. Discloses a method for scanning samples whereby the sensor array elements trace parallel paths that are arbitrarily close to the parallel paths traced by other elements of the array.

Miniature Housings for Electronics With Standard Interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, David E.; Smith, Dennis A.; Alhorn, Dean C.

2006-01-01

A family of general-purpose miniature housings has been designed to contain diverse sensors, actuators, and drive circuits plus associated digital electronic readout and control circuits. The circuits contained in the housings communicate with the external world via standard RS-485 interfaces.

Miniaturized biological and electrochemical fuel cells: challenges and applications.

PubMed

Yang, Jie; Ghobadian, Sasan; Goodrich, Payton J; Montazami, Reza; Hashemi, Nastaran

2013-09-14

This paper discusses the fundamentals and developments of miniaturized fuel cells, both biological and electrochemical. An overview of microfluidic fuel cells, miniaturized microbial fuel cells, enzymatic biofuel cells, and implanted biofuel cells in an attempt to provide green energy and to power implanted microdevices is provided. Also, the challenges and applications of each type of fuel cell are discussed in detail. Most recent developments in fuel cell technologies such as novel catalysts, compact designs, and fabrication methods are reviewed.

SMARBot: a modular miniature mobile robot platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Yan; Johnson, Kerry; Simms, Brian; Conforth, Matthew

2008-04-01

Miniature robots have many advantages over their larger counterparts, such as low cost, low power, and easy to build a large scale team for complex tasks. Heterogeneous multi miniature robots could provide powerful situation awareness capability due to different locomotion capabilities and sensor information. However, it would be expensive and time consuming to develop specific embedded system for different type of robots. In this paper, we propose a generic modular embedded system architecture called SMARbot (Stevens Modular Autonomous Robot), which consists of a set of hardware and software modules that can be configured to construct various types of robot systems. These modules include a high performance microprocessor, a reconfigurable hardware component, wireless communication, and diverse sensor and actuator interfaces. The design of all the modules in electrical subsystem, the selection criteria for module components, and the real-time operating system are described. Some proofs of concept experimental results are also presented.

Optical and Electronic NO(x) Sensors for Applications in Mechatronics.

PubMed

Di Franco, Cinzia; Elia, Angela; Spagnolo, Vincenzo; Scamarcio, Gaetano; Lugarà, Pietro Mario; Ieva, Eliana; Cioffi, Nicola; Torsi, Luisa; Bruno, Giovanni; Losurdo, Maria; Garcia, Michael A; Wolter, Scott D; Brown, April; Ricco, Mario

2009-01-01

Current production and emerging NO(x) sensors based on optical and nanomaterials technologies are reviewed. In view of their potential applications in mechatronics, we compared the performance of: i) Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) based photoacoustic (PA) systems; ii) gold nanoparticles as catalytically active materials in field-effect transistor (FET) sensors, and iii) functionalized III-V semiconductor based devices. QCL-based PA sensors for NO(x) show a detection limit in the sub part-per-million range and are characterized by high selectivity and compact set-up. Electrochemically synthesized gold-nanoparticle FET sensors are able to monitor NO(x) in a concentration range from 50 to 200 parts per million and are suitable for miniaturization. Porphyrin-functionalized III-V semiconductor materials can be used for the fabrication of a reliable NO(x) sensor platform characterized by high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and strong surface state coupling.

Miniature biotelemeter gives multichannel wideband biomedical data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carraway, J. B.

1972-01-01

A miniature biotelemeter was developed for sensing and transmitting multiple channels of biomedical data over a radio link. The design of this miniature, 10-channel, wideband (5 kHz/channel), pulse amplitude modulation/ frequency modulation biotelemeter takes advantage of modern device technology (e.g., integrated circuit operational amplifiers, complementary symmetry/metal oxide semiconductor logic, and solid state switches) and hybrid packaging techniques. The telemeter is being used to monitor 10 channels of neuron firings from specific regions of the brain in rats implanted with chronic electrodes. Design, fabrication, and testing of an engineering model biotelemeter are described.

Design, fabrication and testing of an optical temperature sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morey, W. W.; Glenn, W. H.; Decker, R. O.; Mcclurg, W. C.

1980-01-01

The laboratory breadboard optical temperature sensor based on the temperature dependent absorptive characteristics of a rare earth (europium) doped optical fiber. The principles of operation, materials characterization, fiber and optical component design, design and fabrication of an electrooptic interface unit, signal processing, and initial test results are discussed. Initial tests indicated that, after a brief warmup period, the output of the sensor was stable to approximately 1 C at room temperature or approximately + or - 0.3 percent of point (K). This exceeds the goal of 1 percent of point. Recommendations are presented for further performance improvement.

Multivariable passive RFID vapor sensors: roll-to-roll fabrication on a flexible substrate.

PubMed

Potyrailo, Radislav A; Burns, Andrew; Surman, Cheryl; Lee, D J; McGinniss, Edward

2012-06-21

We demonstrate roll-to-roll (R2R) fabrication of highly selective, battery-free radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymeric substrate. Selectivity of our developed RFID sensors is provided by measurements of their resonance impedance spectra, followed by the multivariate analysis of spectral features, and correlation of these spectral features to the concentrations of vapors of interest. The multivariate analysis of spectral features also provides the ability for the rejection of ambient interferences. As a demonstration of our R2R fabrication process, we employed polyetherurethane (PEUT) as a "classic" sensing material, extruded this sensing material as 25, 75, and 125-μm thick films, and thermally laminated the films onto RFID inlays, rapidly producing approximately 5000 vapor sensors. We further tested these RFID vapor sensors for their response selectivity toward several model vapors such as toluene, acetone, and ethanol as well as water vapor as an abundant interferent. Our RFID sensing concept features 16-bit resolution provided by the sensor reader, granting a highly desired independence from costly proprietary RFID memory chips with a low-resolution analog input. Future steps are being planned for field-testing of these sensors in numerous conditions.

Microwave Backscatter-Based Wireless Temperature Sensor Fabricated by an Alumina-Backed Au Slot Radiation Patch.

PubMed

Lu, Fei; Wang, Haixing; Guo, Yanjie; Tan, Qiulin; Zhang, Wendong; Xiong, Jijun

2018-01-16

A wireless and passive temperature sensor operating up to 800 °C is proposed. The sensor is based on microwave backscatter RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. A thin-film planar structure and simple working principle make the sensor easy to operate under high temperature. In this paper, the proposed high temperature sensor was designed, fabricated, and characterized. Here the 99% alumina ceramic with a dimension of 40 mm × 40 mm × 1 mm was prepared in micromechanics for fabrication of the sensor substrate. The metallization of the Au slot patch was realized in magnetron sputtering with a slot width of 2 mm and a slot length of 32 mm. The measured resonant frequency of the sensor at 25 °C is 2.31 GHz. It was concluded that the resonant frequency decreases with the increase in the temperature in range of 25-800 °C. It was shown that the average sensor sensitivity is 101.94 kHz/°C.

Advanced Packaging Technology Used in Fabricating a High-Temperature Silicon Carbide Pressure Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beheim, Glenn M.

2003-01-01

The development of new aircraft engines requires the measurement of pressures in hot areas such as the combustor and the final stages of the compressor. The needs of the aircraft engine industry are not fully met by commercially available high-temperature pressure sensors, which are fabricated using silicon. Kulite Semiconductor Products and the NASA Glenn Research Center have been working together to develop silicon carbide (SiC) pressure sensors for use at high temperatures. At temperatures above 850 F, silicon begins to lose its nearly ideal elastic properties, so the output of a silicon pressure sensor will drift. SiC, however, maintains its nearly ideal mechanical properties to extremely high temperatures. Given a suitable sensor material, a key to the development of a practical high-temperature pressure sensor is the package. A SiC pressure sensor capable of operating at 930 F was fabricated using a newly developed package. The durability of this sensor was demonstrated in an on-engine test. The SiC pressure sensor uses a SiC diaphragm, which is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching. SiC strain gauges on the surface of the diaphragm sense the pressure difference across the diaphragm. Conventionally, the SiC chip is mounted to the package with the strain gauges outward, which exposes the sensitive metal contacts on the chip to the hostile measurement environment. In the new Kulite leadless package, the SiC chip is flipped over so that the metal contacts are protected from oxidation by a hermetic seal around the perimeter of the chip. In the leadless package, a conductive glass provides the electrical connection between the pins of the package and the chip, which eliminates the fragile gold wires used previously. The durability of the leadless SiC pressure sensor was demonstrated when two 930 F sensors were tested in the combustor of a Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series engine. Since the gas temperatures in these locations reach 1200 to 1300 F, the sensors were

Noise-exploitation and adaptation in neuromorphic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindo, Thamira; Chakrabartty, Shantanu

2012-04-01

Even though current micro-nano fabrication technology has reached integration levels where ultra-sensitive sensors can be fabricated, the sensing performance (resolution per joule) of synthetic systems are still orders of magnitude inferior to those observed in neurobiology. For example, the filiform hairs in crickets operate at fundamental limits of noise; auditory sensors in a parasitoid fly can overcome fundamental limitations to precisely localize ultra-faint acoustic signatures. Even though many of these biological marvels have served as inspiration for different types of neuromorphic sensors, the main focus these designs have been to faithfully replicate the biological functionalities, without considering the constructive role of "noise". In man-made sensors device and sensor noise are typically considered as a nuisance, where as in neurobiology "noise" has been shown to be a computational aid that enables biology to sense and operate at fundamental limits of energy efficiency and performance. In this paper, we describe some of the important noise-exploitation and adaptation principles observed in neurobiology and how they can be systematically used for designing neuromorphic sensors. Our focus will be on two types of noise-exploitation principles, namely, (a) stochastic resonance; and (b) noise-shaping, which are unified within our previously reported framework called Σ▵ learning. As a case-study, we describe the application of Σ▵ learning for the design of a miniature acoustic source localizer whose performance matches that of its biological counterpart(Ormia Ochracea).

A Two-Axis Direct Fluid Shear Stress Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adcock, Edward E.; Scott, Michael A.; Bajikar, Sateesh S.

2010-01-01

This innovation is a miniature or micro sized semiconductor sensor design that provides two axis direct non-intrusive measurement of skin friction or wall shear stress in fluid flow. The sensor is fabricated by micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology, enabling small size and low cost reproductions. The sensors have been fabricated by utilizing MEMS fabrication processes to bond a sensing element wafer to a fluid coupling wafer. This layering technique provides for an out of plane dimension that is on the same order of length as the inplane dimensions. The sensor design has the following characteristics: a shear force collecting plate with dimensions that can be tailored to various application specific requirements such as spatial resolution, temporal resolution and shear force range and resolution. This plate is located coplanar to both the sensor body and flow boundary, and is connected to a dual axis gimbal structure by a connecting column or lever arm. The dual axis gimbal structure has torsional hinges with embedded piezoresistive torsional strain gauges which provide a voltage output that is correlated to the applied shear stress (and excitation current) on force collection plate that is located on the flow boundary surface (hence the transduction method). This combination of design elements create a force concentration and resolution structure that enables the generation of a large stress on the strain gauge from the small shear stress on the flow boundary wall. This design as well as the use of back side electrical contacts establishes a non-intrusive method to quantitatively measure the shear force vector on aerodynamic bodies.

Thermoelectric microdevice fabricated by a MEMS-like electrochemical process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, G. Jeffrey; Lim, James R.; Huang, Chen-Kuo; Fleurial, Jean-Pierre

2003-01-01

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are the basis of many rapidly growing technologies, because they combine miniature sensors and actuators with communications and electronics at low cost. Commercial MEMS fabrication processes are limited to silicon-based materials or two-dimensional structures. Here we show an inexpensive, electrochemical technique to build MEMS-like structures that contain several different metals and semiconductors with three-dimensional bridging structures. We demonstrate this technique by building a working microthermoelectric device. Using repeated exposure and development of multiple photoresist layers, several different metals and thermoelectric materials are fabricated in a three-dimensional structure. A device containing 126 n-type and p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3 thermoelectric elements, 20 microm tall and 60 microm in diameter with bridging metal interconnects, was fabricated and cooling demonstrated. Such a device should be of technological importance for precise thermal control when operating as a cooler, and for portable power when operating as a micro power generator.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Nanocoax-Based Electrochemical Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizal, Binod; Archibald, Michelle M.; Naughton, Jeffrey R.; Connolly, Timothy; Shepard, Stephen C.; Burns, Michael J.; Chiles, Thomas C.; Naughton, Michael J.

2014-03-01

We used an imprint lithography process to fabricate three dimensional electrochemical sensors comprising arrays of vertically-oriented coaxial electrodes, with the coax cores and shields serving as working and counter electrodes, respectively, and with nanoscale separation gaps.[2] Arrays of devices with different electrode gaps (coax annuli) were prepared, yielding increasing sensitivity with decreasing annulus thickness. A coax-based sensor with a 100 nm annulus was found to have sensitivity 100 times greater than that of a conventional planar sensor control, which had millimeter-scale electrode gap spacing. We suggest that this enhancement is due to an increase in the diffusion of molecules between electrodes, which improves the current per unit surface area compared to the planar device. Supported by NIH (National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases).

A novel miniaturized PCR multi-reactor array fabricated using flip-chip bonding techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Zhi-Qing; Chen, Xiang; Jin, Qing-Hui; Yang, Meng-Su; Zhao, Jian-Long

2005-08-01

This paper describes a novel miniaturized multi-chamber array capable of high throughput polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The structure of the proposed device is verified by using finite element analysis (FEA) to optimize the thermal performance, and then implemented on a glass-silicon substrate using a standard MEMS process and post-processing. Thermal analysis simulation and verification of each reactor cell is equipped with integrated Pt temperature sensors and heaters at the bottom of the reaction chamber for real-time accurate temperature sensing and control. The micro-chambers are thermally separated from each other, and can be controlled independently. The multi-chip array was packaged on a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate using a conductive polymer flip-chip bonding technique, which enables effective heat dissipation and suppresses thermal crosstalk between the chambers. The designed system has successfully demonstrated a temperature fluctuation of ±0.5 °C during thermal multiplexing of up to 2 × 2 chambers, a full speed of 30 min for 30 cycle PCR, as well as the capability of controlling each chamber digitally and independently.

Wet etching technique for fabrication of a high-quality plastic optical fiber sensor.

PubMed

Zhao, Mingfu; Dai, Lang; Zhong, Nianbing; Wang, Zhengkun; Chen, Ming; Li, Bingxin; Luo, Binbin; Tang, Bin; Shi, Shenghui; Song, Tao; Zou, Xue

2017-11-01

In this study, a simple wet etching technique is developed by employing aqueous solutions of acetic acid and ultrasonic irradiation for the fabrication of a high-quality plastic optical fiber (POF) sensor. The effects of acetic acid concentration and temperature and ultrasonic power on the etching rate and surface morphology of the etched POFs are investigated. The transmission spectrum and sensitivity of the etched POF sensors are evaluated using glucose solutions. We discovered that the POF sensors, which are fabricated using an aqueous solution of acetic acid with a concentration of 80 vol. % under an ultrasonic power of 130 W and temperature of 25°C, exhibit good light transmission and a high sensitivity of 9.10  [(RIU)(g/L)] -1 in the glucose solutions.

Fabrication and Characterization of a CMOS-MEMS Humidity Sensor.

PubMed

Dennis, John-Ojur; Ahmed, Abdelaziz-Yousif; Khir, Mohd-Haris

2015-07-10

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Microelectromechanical System (CMOS-MEMS) device with embedded microheater operated at relatively elevated temperatures (40 °C to 80 °C) for the purpose of relative humidity measurement. The sensing principle is based on the change in amplitude of the device due to adsorption or desorption of humidity on the active material layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles deposited on the moving plate, which results in changes in the mass of the device. The sensor has been designed and fabricated through a standard 0.35 µm CMOS process technology and post-CMOS micromachining technique has been successfully implemented to release the MEMS structures. The sensor is operated in the dynamic mode using electrothermal actuation and the output signal measured using a piezoresistive (PZR) sensor connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The output voltage of the humidity sensor increases from 0.585 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity increases from 35% RH to 95% RH. The output voltage is found to be linear from 0.585 mV to 3.250 mV as the humidity increased from 35% RH to 60% RH, with sensitivity of 0.107 mV/% RH; and again linear from 3.250 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity level increases from 60% RH to 95% RH, with higher sensitivity of 0.781 mV/% RH. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the humidity sensor increases linearly from 0.102 mV/% RH to 0.501 mV/% RH with increase in the temperature from 40 °C to 80 °C and a maximum hysteresis of 0.87% RH is found at a relative humidity of 80%. The sensitivity is also frequency dependent, increasing from 0.500 mV/% RH at 2 Hz to reach a maximum value of 1.634 mV/% RH at a frequency of 12 Hz, then decreasing to 1.110 mV/% RH at a frequency of 20 Hz. Finally, the CMOS-MEMS humidity sensor showed comparable response, recovery, and repeatability of measurements in three cycles as compared to a standard sensor that directly

Fabrication and Characterization of a CMOS-MEMS Humidity Sensor

PubMed Central

Dennis, John-Ojur; Ahmed, Abdelaziz-Yousif; Khir, Mohd-Haris

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Microelectromechanical System (CMOS-MEMS) device with embedded microheater operated at relatively elevated temperatures (40 °C to 80 °C) for the purpose of relative humidity measurement. The sensing principle is based on the change in amplitude of the device due to adsorption or desorption of humidity on the active material layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles deposited on the moving plate, which results in changes in the mass of the device. The sensor has been designed and fabricated through a standard 0.35 µm CMOS process technology and post-CMOS micromachining technique has been successfully implemented to release the MEMS structures. The sensor is operated in the dynamic mode using electrothermal actuation and the output signal measured using a piezoresistive (PZR) sensor connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The output voltage of the humidity sensor increases from 0.585 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity increases from 35% RH to 95% RH. The output voltage is found to be linear from 0.585 mV to 3.250 mV as the humidity increased from 35% RH to 60% RH, with sensitivity of 0.107 mV/% RH; and again linear from 3.250 mV to 30.580 mV as the humidity level increases from 60% RH to 95% RH, with higher sensitivity of 0.781 mV/% RH. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the humidity sensor increases linearly from 0.102 mV/% RH to 0.501 mV/% RH with increase in the temperature from 40 °C to 80 °C and a maximum hysteresis of 0.87% RH is found at a relative humidity of 80%. The sensitivity is also frequency dependent, increasing from 0.500 mV/% RH at 2 Hz to reach a maximum value of 1.634 mV/% RH at a frequency of 12 Hz, then decreasing to 1.110 mV/% RH at a frequency of 20 Hz. Finally, the CMOS-MEMS humidity sensor showed comparable response, recovery, and repeatability of measurements in three cycles as compared to a standard sensor that directly

Fabrication of PDMS architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, Tijjani; Hashim, U.

2017-03-01

The study report novel, yet simple and flexible fabrication method for micro channel patterning PDMS thin mold on glass surfaces, the method allows microstructures with critical dimensions to be formed using PDMS. Micro channel production is a two-step process. First, soft photolithography methods are implemented to fabricate a reusable mold. The mold is then used to create the micro channel, which consists of SU8, PDMS and glass. The micro channel design was performed using AutoCAD and the fabrication begins by creating a replicable mold. The mold is created on a glass slide. by spin-coating speed between 500 to 1250rpm with an acceleration of 100 rpm/s for 100 and 15 second ramp up and down speed respectively. Channel flow rate based on concentration were measured by analyzing the recorded flow profiles which was collected from the high powered microscope at. 80µ, 70µm, 50µm for inlet channel 1, 2, 3 respectively the channel flow were compared for flow efficiency at different concentrations and Re. Thus, the simplicity of device structure and fabrication makes it feasible to miniaturize it for the development of point-of-care kits, facilitating its use in both clinical and non-clinical environments. With its simple geometric structure and potential for mass commercial fabrication, the device can be developed to become a portable photo detection sensor that can be use for both environmental and diagnostic application.

Fabrication of smart chemical sensors based on transition-doped-semiconductor nanostructure materials with µ-chips.

PubMed

Rahman, Mohammed M; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Asiri, Abdullah M

2014-01-01

Transition metal doped semiconductor nanostructure materials (Sb2O3 doped ZnO microflowers, MFs) are deposited onto tiny µ-chip (surface area, ∼0.02217 cm(2)) to fabricate a smart chemical sensor for toxic ethanol in phosphate buffer solution (0.1 M PBS). The fabricated chemi-sensor is also exhibited higher sensitivity, large-dynamic concentration ranges, long-term stability, and improved electrochemical performances towards ethanol. The calibration plot is linear (r(2) = 0.9989) over the large ethanol concentration ranges (0.17 mM to 0.85 M). The sensitivity and detection limit is ∼5.845 µAcm(-2)mM(-1) and ∼0.11±0.02 mM (signal-to-noise ratio, at a SNR of 3) respectively. Here, doped MFs are prepared by a wet-chemical process using reducing agents in alkaline medium, which characterized by UV/vis., FT-IR, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) etc. The fabricated ethanol chemical sensor using Sb2O3-ZnO MFs is simple, reliable, low-sample volume (<70.0 µL), easy of integration, high sensitivity, and excellent stability for the fabrication of efficient I-V sensors on μ-chips.

Fabrication of Smart Chemical Sensors Based on Transition-Doped-Semiconductor Nanostructure Materials with µ-Chips

PubMed Central

Rahman, Mohammed M.; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Asiri, Abdullah M.

2014-01-01

Transition metal doped semiconductor nanostructure materials (Sb2O3 doped ZnO microflowers, MFs) are deposited onto tiny µ-chip (surface area, ∼0.02217 cm2) to fabricate a smart chemical sensor for toxic ethanol in phosphate buffer solution (0.1 M PBS). The fabricated chemi-sensor is also exhibited higher sensitivity, large-dynamic concentration ranges, long-term stability, and improved electrochemical performances towards ethanol. The calibration plot is linear (r2 = 0.9989) over the large ethanol concentration ranges (0.17 mM to 0.85 M). The sensitivity and detection limit is ∼5.845 µAcm−2mM−1 and ∼0.11±0.02 mM (signal-to-noise ratio, at a SNR of 3) respectively. Here, doped MFs are prepared by a wet-chemical process using reducing agents in alkaline medium, which characterized by UV/vis., FT-IR, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) etc. The fabricated ethanol chemical sensor using Sb2O3-ZnO MFs is simple, reliable, low-sample volume (<70.0 µL), easy of integration, high sensitivity, and excellent stability for the fabrication of efficient I–V sensors on μ-chips. PMID:24454785

High-throughput fabrication and screening improves gold nanoparticle chemiresistor sensor performance.

PubMed

Hubble, Lee J; Cooper, James S; Sosa-Pintos, Andrea; Kiiveri, Harri; Chow, Edith; Webster, Melissa S; Wieczorek, Lech; Raguse, Burkhard

2015-02-09

Chemiresistor sensor arrays are a promising technology to replace current laboratory-based analysis instrumentation, with the advantage of facile integration into portable, low-cost devices for in-field use. To increase the performance of chemiresistor sensor arrays a high-throughput fabrication and screening methodology was developed to assess different organothiol-functionalized gold nanoparticle chemiresistors. This high-throughput fabrication and testing methodology was implemented to screen a library consisting of 132 different organothiol compounds as capping agents for functionalized gold nanoparticle chemiresistor sensors. The methodology utilized an automated liquid handling workstation for the in situ functionalization of gold nanoparticle films and subsequent automated analyte testing of sensor arrays using a flow-injection analysis system. To test the methodology we focused on the discrimination and quantitation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and naphthalene (BTEXN) mixtures in water at low microgram per liter concentration levels. The high-throughput methodology identified a sensor array configuration consisting of a subset of organothiol-functionalized chemiresistors which in combination with random forests analysis was able to predict individual analyte concentrations with overall root-mean-square errors ranging between 8-17 μg/L for mixtures of BTEXN in water at the 100 μg/L concentration. The ability to use a simple sensor array system to quantitate BTEXN mixtures in water at the low μg/L concentration range has direct and significant implications to future environmental monitoring and reporting strategies. In addition, these results demonstrate the advantages of high-throughput screening to improve the performance of gold nanoparticle based chemiresistors for both new and existing applications.

Miniaturized multiwavelength digital holography sensor for extensive in-machine tool measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyler, Tobias; Fratz, Markus; Beckmann, Tobias; Bertz, Alexander; Carl, Daniel

2017-06-01

In this paper we present a miniaturized digital holographic sensor (HoloCut) for operation inside a machine tool. With state-of-the-art 3D measurement systems, short-range structures such as tool marks cannot be resolved inside a machine tool chamber. Up to now, measurements had to be conducted outside the machine tool and thus processing data are generated offline. The sensor presented here uses digital multiwavelength holography to get 3D-shape-information of the machined sample. By using three wavelengths, we get a large artificial wavelength with a large unambiguous measurement range of 0.5mm and achieve micron repeatability even in the presence of laser speckles on rough surfaces. In addition, a digital refocusing algorithm based on phase noise is implemented to extend the measurement range beyond the limits of the artificial wavelength and geometrical depth-of-focus. With complex wave field propagation, the focus plane can be shifted after the camera images have been taken and a sharp image with extended depth of focus is constructed consequently. With 20mm x 20mm field of view the sensor enables measurement of both macro- and micro-structure (such as tool marks) with an axial resolution of 1 µm, lateral resolution of 7 µm and consequently allows processing data to be generated online which in turn qualifies it as a machine tool control. To make HoloCut compact enough for operation inside a machining center, the beams are arranged in two planes: The beams are split into reference beam and object beam in the bottom plane and combined onto the camera in the top plane later on. Using a mechanical standard interface according to DIN 69893 and having a very compact size of 235mm x 140mm x 215mm (WxHxD) and a weight of 7.5 kg, HoloCut can be easily integrated into different machine tools and extends no more in height than a typical processing tool.

Miniaturized and Wireless Optical Neurotransmitter Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Dopamine in the Brain

PubMed Central

Kim, Min H.; Yoon, Hargsoon; Choi, Sang H.; Zhao, Fei; Kim, Jongsung; Song, Kyo D.; Lee, Uhn

2016-01-01

Real-time monitoring of extracellular neurotransmitter concentration offers great benefits for diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders and diseases. This paper presents the study design and results of a miniaturized and wireless optical neurotransmitter sensor (MWONS) for real-time monitoring of brain dopamine concentration. MWONS is based on fluorescent sensing principles and comprises a microspectrometer unit, a microcontroller for data acquisition, and a Bluetooth wireless network for real-time monitoring. MWONS has a custom-designed application software that controls the operation parameters for excitation light sources, data acquisition, and signal processing. MWONS successfully demonstrated a measurement capability with a limit of detection down to a 100 nanomole dopamine concentration, and high selectivity to ascorbic acid (90:1) and uric acid (36:1). PMID:27834927

Miniaturized and Wireless Optical Neurotransmitter Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Dopamine in the Brain.

PubMed

Kim, Min H; Yoon, Hargsoon; Choi, Sang H; Zhao, Fei; Kim, Jongsung; Song, Kyo D; Lee, Uhn

2016-11-10

Real-time monitoring of extracellular neurotransmitter concentration offers great benefits for diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders and diseases. This paper presents the study design and results of a miniaturized and wireless optical neurotransmitter sensor (MWONS) for real-time monitoring of brain dopamine concentration. MWONS is based on fluorescent sensing principles and comprises a microspectrometer unit, a microcontroller for data acquisition, and a Bluetooth wireless network for real-time monitoring. MWONS has a custom-designed application software that controls the operation parameters for excitation light sources, data acquisition, and signal processing. MWONS successfully demonstrated a measurement capability with a limit of detection down to a 100 nanomole dopamine concentration, and high selectivity to ascorbic acid (90:1) and uric acid (36:1).

Fabrication Methods and Performance of Low-Permeability Microfluidic Components for a Miniaturized Wearable Drug Delivery System

PubMed Central

Mescher, Mark J.; Swan, Erin E. Leary; Fiering, Jason; Holmboe, Maria E.; Sewell, William F.; Kujawa, Sharon G.; McKenna, Michael J.; Borenstein, Jeffrey T.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we describe low-permeability components of a microfluidic drug delivery system fabricated with versatile micromilling and lamination techniques. The fabrication process uses laminate sheets which are machined using XY milling tables commonly used in the printed-circuit industry. This adaptable platform for polymer microfluidics readily accommodates integration with silicon-based sensors, printed-circuit, and surface-mount technologies. We have used these methods to build components used in a wearable liquid-drug delivery system for in vivo studies. The design, fabrication, and performance of membrane-based fluidic capacitors and manual screw valves provide detailed examples of the capability and limitations of the fabrication method. We demonstrate fluidic capacitances ranging from 0.015 to 0.15 μL/kPa, screw valves with on/off flow ratios greater than 38 000, and a 45× reduction in the aqueous fluid loss rate to the ambient due to permeation through a silicone diaphragm layer. PMID:20852729

On the development of co-axial miniature pulse tube coolers for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Liang, J. T.; Zhu, W. Q.; Cai, J. H.; Ju, Y. L.

2002-05-01

Cryocoolers for cooling infrared sensors in space applications require high reliability, long lifetime, low power and minimum weight. In this paper we report work on a miniature pulse tube cooler specifically designed for such applications. A series of engineering model co-axial miniature pulse tube coolers with a flexure bearing linear compressor of 1 cc swept volume have been designed and fabricated in our laboratory. A theoretical model is established based on the analyses of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic behaviors of oscillatory flows in regenerator, for performance prediction, optimization and as a rough guide in the early stages of system design. An experimental apparatus, including a hot wire anemometer, has been set up to study the flow resistance of regenerators under oscillatory flow conditions. The co-axial, multi-bypass, and symmetric nozzle structure has been used in the coolers. We will present here the performance of two sizes of coolers with 9 mm and 8 mm diameter of cold fingers. The 9 mm cooler currently provides 500 mW net cooling power at 80 K with input power of 47 W, and the 8 mm cooler, provides 450 mW at 80 K with 51 W input power with a 65% efficient compressor. The cold fingers of our co-axial pulse tube coolers have the similar size of miniature Stirling coolers and are the only one that could meet the geometry specifications of the Standard Advance Dewar Assembly (SADA) for thermal imaging systems in most military applications.

A miniature integrated multimodal sensor for measuring pH, EC and temperature for precision agriculture.

PubMed

Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

2012-01-01

Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si(3)N(4) membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

A Miniature Integrated Multimodal Sensor for Measuring pH, EC and Temperature for Precision Agriculture

PubMed Central

Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

2012-01-01

Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si3N4 membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk. PMID:22969403

Miniaturization as a key factor to the development and application of advanced metrology systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furlong, Cosme; Dobrev, Ivo; Harrington, Ellery; Hefti, Peter; Khaleghi, Morteza

2012-10-01

Recent technological advances of miniaturization engineering are enabling the realization of components and systems with unprecedented capabilities. Such capabilities, which are significantly beneficial to scientific and engineering applications, are impacting the development and the application of optical metrology systems for investigations under complex boundary, loading, and operating conditions. In this paper, and overview of metrology systems that we are developing is presented. Systems are being developed and applied to high-speed and high-resolution measurements of shape and deformations under actual operating conditions for such applications as sustainability, health, medical diagnosis, security, and urban infrastructure. Systems take advantage of recent developments in light sources and modulators, detectors, microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors and actuators, kinematic positioners, rapid prototyping fabrication technologies, as well as software engineering.

Zinc Oxide-Based Self-Powered Potentiometric Chemical Sensors for Biomolecules and Metal Ions.

PubMed

Israr-Qadir, Muhammad; Jamil-Rana, Sadaf; Nur, Omer; Willander, Magnus

2017-07-19

Advances in the miniaturization and portability of the chemical sensing devices have always been hindered by the external power supply problem, which has focused new interest in the fabrication of self-powered sensing devices for disease diagnosis and the monitoring of analytes. This review describes the fabrication of ZnO nanomaterial-based sensors synthesized on different conducting substrates for extracellular detection, and the use of a sharp borosilicate glass capillary (diameter, d = 700 nm) to grow ZnO nanostructures for intracellular detection purposes in individual human and frog cells. The electrocatalytic activity and fast electron transfer properties of the ZnO materials provide the necessary energy to operate as well as a quick sensing device output response, where the role of the nanomorphology utilized for the fabrication of the sensor is crucial for the production of the operational energy. Simplicity, design, cost, sensitivity, selectivity and a quick and stable response are the most important features of a reliable sensor for routine applications. The review details the extra- and intra-cellular applications of the biosensors for the detection and monitoring of different metallic ions present in biological matrices, along with the biomolecules glucose and cholesterol.

Zinc Oxide-Based Self-Powered Potentiometric Chemical Sensors for Biomolecules and Metal Ions

PubMed Central

Israr-Qadir, Muhammad; Jamil-Rana, Sadaf; Nur, Omer; Willander, Magnus

2017-01-01

Advances in the miniaturization and portability of the chemical sensing devices have always been hindered by the external power supply problem, which has focused new interest in the fabrication of self-powered sensing devices for disease diagnosis and the monitoring of analytes. This review describes the fabrication of ZnO nanomaterial-based sensors synthesized on different conducting substrates for extracellular detection, and the use of a sharp borosilicate glass capillary (diameter, d = 700 nm) to grow ZnO nanostructures for intracellular detection purposes in individual human and frog cells. The electrocatalytic activity and fast electron transfer properties of the ZnO materials provide the necessary energy to operate as well as a quick sensing device output response, where the role of the nanomorphology utilized for the fabrication of the sensor is crucial for the production of the operational energy. Simplicity, design, cost, sensitivity, selectivity and a quick and stable response are the most important features of a reliable sensor for routine applications. The review details the extra- and intra-cellular applications of the biosensors for the detection and monitoring of different metallic ions present in biological matrices, along with the biomolecules glucose and cholesterol. PMID:28753916

Analysis, design, fabrication and testing of an optical tip clearance sensor. [turbocompressor blade tips

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poppel, G. L.; Marple, D. T. F.; Kingsley, J. D.

1981-01-01

Analyses and the design, fabrication, and testing of an optical tip clearance sensor with intended application in aircraft propulsion control systems are reported. The design of a sensor test rig, evaluation of optical sensor components at elevated temperatures, sensor design principles, sensor test results at room temperature, and estimations of sensor accuracy at temperatures of an aircraft engine environment are discussed. Room temperature testing indicated possible measurement accuracies of less than 12.7 microns (0.5 mils). Ways to improve performance at engine operating temperatures are recommended. The potential of this tip clearance sensor is assessed.

Structure and Fabrication of a Microscale Flow-Rate/Skin Friction Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandrasekharan, Vijay (Inventor); Sells, Jeremy (Inventor); Sheplak, Mark (Inventor); Arnold, David P. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A floating element shear sensor and method for fabricating the same are provided. According to an embodiment, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based capacitive floating element shear stress sensor is provided that can achieve time-resolved turbulence measurement. In one embodiment, a differential capacitive transduction scheme is used for shear stress measurement. The floating element structure for the differential capacitive transduction scheme incorporates inter digitated comb fingers forming differential capacitors, which provide electrical output proportional to the floating element deflection.

Fabrication of Ultrasensitive Transition Edge Sensor Bolometric Detectors for HIRMES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Ari-David; Brekosky, Regis; Franz, David; Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Kutyrev, Alexander; Mikula, Vilem; Miller, Timothy; Moseley, S. Harvey; Oxborrow, Joseph; Rostem, Karwan;

Miniature Incandescent Lamps as Fiber-Optic Light Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuma, Margaret; Collura, Joe; Helvajian, Henry; Pocha, Michael; Meyer, Glenn; McConaghy, Charles F.; Olsen, Barry L.

2008-01-01

Miniature incandescent lamps of a special type have been invented to satisfy a need for compact, rapid-response, rugged, broadband, power-efficient, fiber-optic-coupled light sources for diverse purposes that could include calibrating spectrometers, interrogating optical sensors, spot illumination, and spot heating.

A Low Noise CMOS Readout Based on a Polymer-Coated SAW Array for Miniature Electronic Nose

PubMed Central

Wu, Cheng-Chun; Liu, Szu-Chieh; Chiu, Shih-Wen; Tang, Kea-Tiong

2016-01-01

An electronic nose (E-Nose) is one of the applications for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. In this paper, we present a low-noise complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) based on an SAW sensor array for achieving a miniature E-Nose. The center frequency of the SAW sensors was measured to be approximately 114 MHz. Because of interference between the sensors, we designed a low-noise CMOS frequency readout circuit to enable the SAW sensor to obtain frequency variation. The proposed circuit was fabricated in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS process technology. The total chip size was nearly 1203 × 1203 μm2. The chip was operated at a supply voltage of 1 V for a digital circuit and 1.8 V for an analog circuit. The least measurable difference between frequencies was 4 Hz. The detection limit of the system, when estimated using methanol and ethanol, was 0.1 ppm. Their linearity was in the range of 0.1 to 26,000 ppm. The power consumption levels of the analog and digital circuits were 1.742 mW and 761 μW, respectively. PMID:27792131

A Low Noise CMOS Readout Based on a Polymer-Coated SAW Array for Miniature Electronic Nose.

PubMed

Wu, Cheng-Chun; Liu, Szu-Chieh; Chiu, Shih-Wen; Tang, Kea-Tiong

2016-10-25

An electronic nose (E-Nose) is one of the applications for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. In this paper, we present a low-noise complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) based on an SAW sensor array for achieving a miniature E-Nose. The center frequency of the SAW sensors was measured to be approximately 114 MHz. Because of interference between the sensors, we designed a low-noise CMOS frequency readout circuit to enable the SAW sensor to obtain frequency variation. The proposed circuit was fabricated in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS process technology. The total chip size was nearly 1203 × 1203 μm². The chip was operated at a supply voltage of 1 V for a digital circuit and 1.8 V for an analog circuit. The least measurable difference between frequencies was 4 Hz. The detection limit of the system, when estimated using methanol and ethanol, was 0.1 ppm. Their linearity was in the range of 0.1 to 26,000 ppm. The power consumption levels of the analog and digital circuits were 1.742 mW and 761 μW, respectively.

Design of a multi-axis implantable MEMS sensor for intraosseous bone stress monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfaro, Fernando; Weiss, Lee; Campbell, Phil; Miller, Mark; Fedder, Gary K.

2009-08-01

The capability to assess the biomechanical properties of living bone is important for basic research as well as the clinical management of skeletal trauma and disease. Even though radiodensitometric imaging is commonly used to infer bone quality, bone strength does not necessarily correlate well with these non-invasive measurements. This paper reports on the design, fabrication and initial testing of an implantable ultra-miniature multi-axis sensor for directly measuring bone stresses at a micro-scale. The device, which is fabricated with CMOS-MEMS processes, is intended to be permanently implanted within open fractures, or embedded in bone grafts, or placed on implants at the interfaces between bone and prosthetics. The stress sensor comprises an array of piezoresistive pixels to detect a stress tensor at the interfacial area between the MEMS chip and bone, with a resolution to 100 Pa, in 1 s averaging. The sensor system design and manufacture is also compatible with the integration of wireless RF telemetry, for power and data retrieval, all within a 3 mm × 3 mm × 0.3 mm footprint. The piezoresistive elements are integrated within a textured surface to enhance sensor integration with bone. Finite element analysis led to a sensor design for normal and shear stress detection. A wired sensor was fabricated in the Jazz 0.35 µm BiCMOS process and then embedded in mock bone material to characterize its response to tensile and bending loads up to 250 kPa.

Nanoink bridge-induced capillary pen printing for chemical sensors.

PubMed

Kahng, Seong-Joong; Cerwyn, Chiew; Dincau, Brian M; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Novosselov, Igor V; Anantram, M P; Chung, Jae-Hyun

2018-08-17

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are used as a key component for chemical sensors. For miniature scale design, a continuous printing method is preferred for electrical conductance without damaging the substrate. In this paper, a non-contact capillary pen printing method is presented by the formation of a nanoink bridge between the nib of a capillary pen and a polyethylene terephthalate film. A critical parameter for stable printing is the advancing contact angle at the bridge meniscus, which is a function of substrate temperature and printing speed. The printed pattern including dots, lines, and films of SWCNTs are characterized by morphology, optical transparency, and electrical properties. Gas and pH sensors fabricated using the non-contact printing method are demonstrated as applications.

Oxazine-based sensor for contaminant detection, fabrication method therefor, and uses thereof

DOEpatents

Nnanna, Agbai Agwu; Jalal, Ahmed Hasnian

2014-05-27

A sensor, a method for its fabrication, and a method for its use to detect contaminants, for example, ammonia, in stagnant and dynamic fluid media, especially liquid media. The sensor is an opto-chemical sensor that includes a polymer optical fiber, a sensing layer comprising oxazine 170 perchlorate on the polymer optical fiber, and a membrane layer on the sensing layer. The membrane layer is gas permeable and not permeable to the fluid in the fluid system, and moisture is entrapped by and between the sensing and membrane layers.

Flexible wire-shaped strain sensor from cotton thread for human health and motion detection.

PubMed

Li, Yuan-Qing; Huang, Pei; Zhu, Wei-Bin; Fu, Shao-Yun; Hu, Ning; Liao, Kin

2017-03-21

In this work, a wire-shaped flexible strain sensor was fabricated by encapsulating conductive carbon thread (CT) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. The key strain sensitive material, CT, was prepared by pyrolysing cotton thread in N 2 atmosphere. The CT/PDMS composite wire shows a typical piezo-resistive behavior with high strain sensitivity. The gauge factors (GF) calculated at low strain of 0-4% and high strain of 8-10% are 8.7 and 18.5, respectively, which are much higher than that of the traditional metallic strain sensor (GF around 2). The wire-shaped CT/PDMS composite sensor shows excellent response to cyclic tensile loading within the strain range of 0-10%, the frequency range of 0.01-10 Hz, to up to 2000 cycles. The potential of the wire senor as wearable strain sensor is demonstrated by the finger motion and blood pulse monitoring. Featured by the low costs of cotton wire and PDMS resin, the simple structure and fabrication technique, as well as high performance with miniaturized size, the wire-shaped sensor based on CT/PDMS composite is believed to have a great potential for application in wearable electronics for human health and motion monitoring.

Miniaturized implantable sensors for in vivo localized temperature measurements in mice during cold exposure.

PubMed

Padovani, R; Lehnert, T; Cettour-Rose, P; Doenlen, R; Auwerx, J; Gijs, M A M

2016-02-01

We report on in vivo temperature measurements performed in mice at two specific sites of interest in the animal body over a period of several hours. In particular, the aim of this work was to monitor mouse metabolism during cold exposure, and to record possible temperature differences between the body temperature measured in the abdomen and the temperature of the brown adipose tissue (BAT) situated in the interscapular area. This approach is of biological interest as it may help unravelling the question whether biochemical activation of BAT is associated with local increase in metabolic heat production. For that purpose, miniaturized thermistor sensors have been accurately calibrated and implanted in the BAT and in the abdominal tissue of mice. After 1 week of recovery from surgery, mice were exposed to cold (6 °C) for a maximum duration of 6 h and the temperature was acquired continuously from the two sensors. Control measurements with a conventional rectal probe confirmed good performance of both sensors. Moreover, two different mouse phenotypes could be identified, distinguishable in terms of their metabolic resistance to cold exposure. This difference was analyzed from the thermal point of view by computational simulations. Our simple physical model of the mouse body allowed to reproduce the global evolution of hypothermia and also to explain qualitatively the temperature difference between abdomen and BAT locations. While with our approach, we have demonstrated the importance and feasibility of localized temperature measurements on mice, further optimization of this technique may help better identify local metabolism variations.

A portable gas sensor based on cataluminescence.

PubMed

Kang, C; Tang, F; Liu, Y; Wu, Y; Wang, X

2013-01-01

We describe a portable gas sensor based on cataluminescence. Miniaturization of the gas sensor was achieved by using a miniature photomultiplier tube, a miniature gas pump and a simple light seal. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) was considered as the evaluation criteria for the design and testing of the sensor. The main source of noise was from thermal background. Optimal working temperature and flow rate were determined experimentally from the viewpoint of improvement in SNR. A series of parameters related to analytical performance was estimated. The limitation of detection of the sensor was 7 ppm (SNR = 3) for ethanol and 10 ppm (SNR = 3) for hydrogen sulphide. Zirconia and barium carbonate were respectively selected as nano-sized catalysts for ethanol and hydrogen sulphide. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fabrication and characterization of aerosol-jet printed strain sensors for multifunctional composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Da; Liu, Tao; Zhang, Mei; Liang, Richard; Wang, Ben

2012-11-01

Traditional multifunctional composite structures are produced by embedding parasitic parts, such as foil sensors, optical fibers and bulky connectors. As a result, the mechanical properties of the composites, especially the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), could be largely undermined. In the present study, we demonstrated an innovative aerosol-jet printing technology for printing electronics inside composite structures without degrading the mechanical properties. Using the maskless fine feature deposition (below 10 μm) characteristics of this printing technology and a pre-cure protocol, strain sensors were successfully printed onto carbon fiber prepregs to enable fabricating composites with intrinsic sensing capabilities. The degree of pre-cure of the carbon fiber prepreg on which strain sensors were printed was demonstrated to be critical. Without pre-curing, the printed strain sensors were unable to remain intact due to the resin flow during curing. The resin flow-induced sensor deformation can be overcome by introducing 10% degree of cure of the prepreg. In this condition, the fabricated composites with printed strain sensors showed almost no mechanical degradation (short beam shearing ILSS) as compared to the control samples. Also, the failure modes examined by optical microscopy showed no difference. The resistance change of the printed strain sensors in the composite structures were measured under a cyclic loading and proved to be a reliable mean strain gauge factor of 2.2 ± 0.06, which is comparable to commercial foil metal strain gauge.

Fabrications and Performance of Wireless LC Pressure Sensors through LTCC Technology.

PubMed

Lin, Lin; Ma, Mingsheng; Zhang, Faqiang; Liu, Feng; Liu, Zhifu; Li, Yongxiang

2018-01-25

This paper presents a kind of passive wireless pressure sensor comprised of a planar spiral inductor and a cavity parallel plate capacitor fabricated through low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. The LTCC material with a low Young's modulus of ~65 GPa prepared by our laboratory was used to obtain high sensitivity. A three-step lamination process was applied to construct a high quality cavity structure without using any sacrificial materials. The effects of the thickness of the sensing membranes on the sensitivity and detection range of the pressure sensors were investigated. The sensor with a 148 μm sensing membrane showed the highest sensitivity of 3.76 kHz/kPa, and the sensor with a 432 μm sensing membrane presented a high detection limit of 2660 kPa. The tunable sensitivity and detection limit of the wireless pressure sensors can meet the requirements of different scenes.

Wireless implantable passive strain sensor: design, fabrication and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umbrecht, F.; Wägli, P.; Dechand, S.; Gattiker, F.; Neuenschwander, J.; Sennhauser, U.; Hierold, Ch

2010-08-01

This work presents a new passive sensor concept for monitoring the deformation of orthopedic implants. The novel sensing principle of the WIPSS (wireless implantable passive strain sensor) is based on a hydro-mechanical amplification effect. The WIPSS is entirely made from biocompatible PMMA and consists of a microchannel attached to a reservoir, which is filled with an incompressible fluid. As the reservoir is exposed to strain, its volume changes and consequently the fill level inside the microchannel varies. The wireless detection of the microchannel's strain-dependent fill level is based on ultrasound. The WIPSS' sensing principle is proved by finite-element simulations and the reservoir's design is optimized toward maximum volume change, in order to achieve high sensitivity. A fabrication process for WIPSS sensor devices entirely made from PMMA is presented. The obtained measurement results confirmed the sensor's functionality and showed very good agreement with the obtained results of the conducted FE simulations regarding the sensor's sensitivity. A strain resolution of 1.7 ± 0.2 × 10-5 was achieved. Further, the determination of the cross-sensitivity to temperature and strains applied out of the sensing direction is presented. The response to dynamic inputs (0.1-5 Hz) has been measured and showed decreasing sensor output with increasing frequency. Test structures of the sensor device allow the application of a signal bandwidth up to 1 Hz. Therefore, the proposed sensor concept of the WIPSS presents a promising new sensor system for static in vivo strain monitoring of orthopedic implants. In combination with the developed ultrasound-based read-out method, this new sensor system offers the potential of wireless sensor read-out with medical ultrasound scanners, which are commercially available.

Fabrication of a highly sensitive penicillin sensor based on charge transfer techniques.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Ro; Rahman, M M; Sawada, Kazuaki; Ishida, Makoto

2009-03-15

A highly sensitive penicillin biosensor based on a charge-transfer technique (CTTPS) has been fabricated and demonstrated in this paper. CTTPS comprised a charge accumulation technique for penicilloic acid and H(+) ions perception system. With the proposed CTTPS, it is possible to amplify the sensing signals without external amplifier by using the charge accumulation cycles. The fabricated CTTPS exhibits excellent performance for penicillin detection and exhibit a high-sensitivity (47.852 mV/mM), high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), large span (1445 mV), wide linear range (0-25 mM), fast response time (<3s), and very good reproducibility. A very lower detection limit of about 0.01 mM was observed from the proposed sensor. Under optimum conditions, the proposed CTTPS outstripped the performance of the widely used ISFET penicillin sensor and exhibited almost eight times greater sensitivity as compared to ISFET (6.56 mV/mM). The sensor system is implemented for the measurement of the penicillin concentration in penicillin fermentation broth.

Porous silver nanosheets: a novel sensing material for nanoscale and microscale airflow sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzbanrad, Ehsan; Zhao, Boxin; Zhou, Norman Y.

2015-11-01

Fabrication of nanoscale and microscale machines and devices is one of the goals of nanotechnology. For this purpose, different materials, methods, and devices should be developed. Among them, various types of miniaturized sensors are required to build the nanoscale and microscale systems. In this research, we introduce a new nanoscale sensing material, silver nanosheets, for applications such as nanoscale and microscale gas flow sensors. The silver nanosheets were synthesized through the reduction of silver ions by ascorbic acid in the presence of poly(methacrylic acid) as a capping agent, followed by the growth of silver in the shape of hexagonal and triangular nanoplates, and self-assembly and nanojoining of these structural blocks. At the end of this process, the synthesized nanosheets were floated on the solution. Then, their electrical and thermal stability was demonstrated at 120 °C, and their atmospheric corrosion resistance was clarified at the same temperature range by thermogravimetric analysis. We employed the silver nanosheets in fabricating airflow sensors by scooping out the nanosheets by means of a sensor substrate, drying them at room temperature, and then annealing them at 300 °C for one hour. The fabricated sensors were tested for their ability to measure airflow in the range of 1 to 5 ml min-1, which resulted in a linear response to the airflow with a response and recovery time around 2 s. Moreover, continuous dynamic testing demonstrated that the response of the sensors was stable and hence the sensors can be used for a long time without detectable drift in their response.

Passive signal processing for a miniature Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor with a multimode laser-diode source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezbiri, A.; Tatam, R. P.

1995-09-01

A passive signal-processing technique for addressing a miniature low-finesse fiber Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor with a multimode laser diode is reported. Two modes of a multimode laser diode separated by 3 nm are used to obtain quadrature outputs from an \\similar 20 - mu m cavity. Wavelength-division demultiplexing combined with digital signal processing is used to recover the measurand-induced phase change. The technique is demonstrated for the measurement of vibration. The signal-to-noise ratio is \\similar 70 dB at 500 Hz for \\similar pi /2 rad displacement of the mirror, which results in a minimum detectable signal of \\similar 200 mu rad H z-1/2 . A quantitative discussion of miscalibration and systematic errors is presented.

Wafer-scale micro-optics fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voelkel, Reinhard

2012-07-01

Micro-optics is an indispensable key enabling technology for many products and applications today. Probably the most prestigious examples are the diffractive light shaping elements used in high-end DUV lithography steppers. Highly-efficient refractive and diffractive micro-optical elements are used for precise beam and pupil shaping. Micro-optics had a major impact on the reduction of aberrations and diffraction effects in projection lithography, allowing a resolution enhancement from 250 nm to 45 nm within the past decade. Micro-optics also plays a decisive role in medical devices (endoscopes, ophthalmology), in all laser-based devices and fiber communication networks, bringing high-speed internet to our homes. Even our modern smart phones contain a variety of micro-optical elements. For example, LED flash light shaping elements, the secondary camera, ambient light and proximity sensors. Wherever light is involved, micro-optics offers the chance to further miniaturize a device, to improve its performance, or to reduce manufacturing and packaging costs. Wafer-scale micro-optics fabrication is based on technology established by the semiconductor industry. Thousands of components are fabricated in parallel on a wafer. This review paper recapitulates major steps and inventions in wafer-scale micro-optics technology. The state-of-the-art of fabrication, testing and packaging technology is summarized.

Thin film metallic sensors in an alternating magnetic field for magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussein, Z. A.; Boekelheide, Z.

In magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia in an alternating magnetic field for cancer therapy, it is important to monitor the temperature in situ. This can be done optically or electrically, but electronic measurements can be problematic because conducting parts heat up in a changing magnetic field. Microfabricated thin film sensors may be advantageous because eddy current heating is a function of size, and are promising for further miniaturization of sensors and fabrication of arrays of sensors. Thin films could also be used for in situ magnetic field sensors or for strain sensors. For a proof of concept, we fabricated a metallic thin film resistive thermometer by photolithographically patterning a 500Å Au/100Å Cr thin film on a glass substrate. Measurements were taken in a solenoidal coil supplying 0.04 T (rms) at 235 kHz with the sensor parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. In the parallel orientation, the resistive thermometer mirrored the background heating from the coil, while in the perpendicular orientation self-heating was observed due to eddy current heating of the conducting elements by Faraday's law. This suggests that metallic thin film sensors can be used in an alternating magnetic field, parallel to the field, with no significant self-heating.

Method and system for assembling miniaturized devices

DOEpatents

Montesanti, Richard C.; Klingmann, Jeffrey L.; Seugling, Richard M.

2013-03-12

An apparatus for assembling a miniaturized device includes a manipulator system including six manipulators operable to position and orient components of the miniaturized device with submicron precision and micron-level accuracy. The manipulator system includes a first plurality of motorized axes, a second plurality of manual axes, and force and torque and sensors. Each of the six manipulators includes at least one translation stage, at least one rotation stage, tooling attached to the at least one translation stage or the at least one rotation stage, and an attachment mechanism disposed at a distal end of the tooling and operable to attach at least a portion of the miniaturized device to the tooling. The apparatus also includes an optical coordinate-measuring machine (OCMM) including a machine-vision system, a laser-based distance-measuring probe, and a touch probe. The apparatus also includes an operator control system coupled to the manipulator system and the OCMM.

Miniature Sensors for Airborne Particulate Matter

EPA Science Inventory

Our group is working to design a small,lightweight, low-cost real-time particulate matter(PM) sensor to enable better monitoring of PMconcentrations in air, with the goal of informingpolicymakers and regulators to provide betterpublic health. The sensor reads the massconcentratio...

Highly sensitive selectively coated photonic crystal fiber-based plasmonic sensor.

PubMed

Rifat, Ahmmed A; Haider, Firoz; Ahmed, Rajib; Mahdiraji, Ghafour Amouzad; Mahamd Adikan, F R; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E

2018-02-15

Highly sensitive and miniaturized sensors are highly desirable for real-time analyte/sample detection. In this Letter, we propose a highly sensitive plasmonic sensing scheme with the miniaturized photonic crystal fiber (PCF) attributes. A large cavity is introduced in the first ring of the PCFs for the efficient field excitation of the surface plasmon polariton mode and proficient infiltration of the sensing elements. Due to the irregular air-hole diameter in the first ring, the cavity exhibits the birefringence behavior which enhances the sensing performance. The novel plasmonic material gold has been used considering the chemical stability in an aqueous environment. The guiding properties and the effects of the sensing performance with different parameters have been investigated by the finite element method, and the proposed PCFs have been fabricated using the stack-and-draw fiber drawing method. The proposed sensor performance was investigated based on the wavelength and amplitude sensing techniques and shows the maximum sensitivities of 11,000 nm/RIU and 1,420  RIU -1 , respectively. It also shows the maximum sensor resolutions of 9.1×10 -6 and 7×10 -6   RIU for the wavelength and amplitude sensing schemes, respectively, and the maximum figure of merits of 407. Furthermore, the proposed sensor is able to detect the analyte refractive indices in the range of 1.33-1.42; as a result, it will find the possible applications in the medical diagnostics, biomolecules, organic chemical, and chemical analyte detection.

Complementary Split-Ring Resonator-Loaded Microfluidic Ethanol Chemical Sensor.

PubMed

Salim, Ahmed; Lim, Sungjoon

2016-10-28

In this paper, a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-loaded patch is proposed as a microfluidic ethanol chemical sensor. The primary objective of this chemical sensor is to detect ethanol's concentration. First, two tightly coupled concentric CSRRs loaded on a patch are realized on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5870 substrate, and then a microfluidic channel engraved on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is integrated for ethanol chemical sensor applications. The resonant frequency of the structure before loading the microfluidic channel is 4.72 GHz. After loading the microfluidic channel, the 550 MHz shift in the resonant frequency is ascribed to the dielectric perturbation phenomenon when the ethanol concentration is varied from 0% to 100%. In order to assess the sensitivity range of our proposed sensor, various concentrations of ethanol are tested and analyzed. Our proposed sensor exhibits repeatability and successfully detects 10% ethanol as verified by the measurement set-up. It has created headway to a miniaturized, non-contact, low-cost, reliable, reusable, and easily fabricated design using extremely small liquid volumes.

Complementary Split-Ring Resonator-Loaded Microfluidic Ethanol Chemical Sensor

PubMed Central

Salim, Ahmed; Lim, Sungjoon

2016-01-01

In this paper, a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-loaded patch is proposed as a microfluidic ethanol chemical sensor. The primary objective of this chemical sensor is to detect ethanol’s concentration. First, two tightly coupled concentric CSRRs loaded on a patch are realized on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5870 substrate, and then a microfluidic channel engraved on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is integrated for ethanol chemical sensor applications. The resonant frequency of the structure before loading the microfluidic channel is 4.72 GHz. After loading the microfluidic channel, the 550 MHz shift in the resonant frequency is ascribed to the dielectric perturbation phenomenon when the ethanol concentration is varied from 0% to 100%. In order to assess the sensitivity range of our proposed sensor, various concentrations of ethanol are tested and analyzed. Our proposed sensor exhibits repeatability and successfully detects 10% ethanol as verified by the measurement set-up. It has created headway to a miniaturized, non-contact, low-cost, reliable, reusable, and easily fabricated design using extremely small liquid volumes. PMID:27801842

Fabrication of Extremely Short Length Fiber Bragg Gratings for Sensor Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Meng-Chou; Rogowski, Robert S.; Tedjojuwono, Ken K.

2002-01-01

A new technique and a physical model for writing extremely short length Bragg gratings in optical fibers have been developed. The model describes the effects of diffraction on the spatial spectra and therefore, the wavelength spectra of the Bragg gratings. Using an interferometric technique and a variable aperture, short gratings of various lengths and center wavelengths were written in optical fibers. By selecting the related parameters, the Bragg gratings with typical length of several hundred microns and bandwidth of several nanometers can be obtained. These short gratings can be apodized with selected diffraction patterns and hence their broadband spectra have a well-defined bell shape. They are suitable for use as miniaturized distributed strain sensors, which have broad applications to aerospace research and industry as well.

A Review of Artificial Lateral Line in Sensor Fabrication and Bionic Applications for Robot Fish.

PubMed

Liu, Guijie; Wang, Anyi; Wang, Xinbao; Liu, Peng

2016-01-01

Lateral line is a system of sense organs that can aid fishes to maneuver in a dark environment. Artificial lateral line (ALL) imitates the structure of lateral line in fishes and provides invaluable means for underwater-sensing technology and robot fish control. This paper reviews ALL, including sensor fabrication and applications to robot fish. The biophysics of lateral line are first introduced to enhance the understanding of lateral line structure and function. The design and fabrication of an ALL sensor on the basis of various sensing principles are then presented. ALL systems are collections of sensors that include carrier and control circuit. Their structure and hydrodynamic detection are reviewed. Finally, further research trends and existing problems of ALL are discussed.

A Review of Artificial Lateral Line in Sensor Fabrication and Bionic Applications for Robot Fish

PubMed Central

Wang, Anyi; Wang, Xinbao; Liu, Peng

2016-01-01

Lateral line is a system of sense organs that can aid fishes to maneuver in a dark environment. Artificial lateral line (ALL) imitates the structure of lateral line in fishes and provides invaluable means for underwater-sensing technology and robot fish control. This paper reviews ALL, including sensor fabrication and applications to robot fish. The biophysics of lateral line are first introduced to enhance the understanding of lateral line structure and function. The design and fabrication of an ALL sensor on the basis of various sensing principles are then presented. ALL systems are collections of sensors that include carrier and control circuit. Their structure and hydrodynamic detection are reviewed. Finally, further research trends and existing problems of ALL are discussed. PMID:28115825

Novel fabrication of flexible graphene-based chemical sensors with heaters using soft lithographic patterning method.

PubMed

Jung, Min Wook; Myung, Sung; Song, Wooseok; Kang, Min-A; Kim, Sung Ho; Yang, Cheol-Soo; Lee, Sun Sook; Lim, Jongsun; Park, Chong-Yun; Lee, Jeong-O; An, Ki-Seok

2014-08-27

We have fabricated graphene-based chemical sensors with flexible heaters for the highly sensitive detection of specific gases. We believe that increasing the temperature of the graphene surface significantly enhanced the electrical signal change of the graphene-based channel, and reduced the recovery time needed to obtain a normal state of equilibrium. In addition, a simple and efficient soft lithographic patterning process was developed via surface energy modification for advanced, graphene-based flexible devices, such as gas sensors. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the high sensitivity of NO2 gas sensors based on graphene nanosheets. These devices were fabricated using a simple soft-lithographic patterning method, where flexible graphene heaters adjacent to the channel of sensing graphene were utilized to control graphene temperature.

Design and Fabrication of Full Wheatstone-Bridge-Based Angular GMR Sensors.

PubMed

Yan, Shaohua; Cao, Zhiqiang; Guo, Zongxia; Zheng, Zhenyi; Cao, Anni; Qi, Yue; Leng, Qunwen; Zhao, Weisheng

2018-06-05

Since the discovery of the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect, GMR sensors have gained much attention in last decades due to their high sensitivity, small size, and low cost. The full Wheatstone-bridge-based GMR sensor is most useful in terms of the application point of view. However, its manufacturing process is usually complex. In this paper, we present an efficient and concise approach to fabricate a full Wheatstone-bridge-based angular GMR sensor by depositing one GMR film stack, utilizing simple patterned processes, and a concise post-annealing procedure based on a special layout. The angular GMR sensor is of good linear performance and achieves a sensitivity of 0.112 mV/V/Oe at the annealing temperature of 260 °C in the magnetic field range from -50 to +50 Oe. This work provides a design and method for GMR-sensor manufacturing that is easy for implementation and suitable for mass production.

Miniature thermoacoustic cryocooler driven by a vertical comb-drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Zhili; Fowler, Mark; Hammer, Jay A.; Whitley, Michael R.; Brown, David

2003-01-01

In this paper, we propose a novel miniature MEMS based thermoacoustic cryo-cooler for thermal management of cryogenic electronic devices. The basic idea is to exploit a new way to realize a highly-reliable miniature cryo-cooler, which would allow integration of a cryogenic cooling system directly into a cryogenic electronic device. A vertical comb-drive is proposed as the means to provide an acoustic source through a driving plate to a resonant tube. By exciting a standing wave within the resonant tube, a temperature difference develops across the stack in the tube, thereby enabling heat exchange between two heat exchangers. The use of gray scale technology to fabricate tapered resonant tube provides a way to improve the efficiency of the cooling system, compared with a simple cylinder configuration. Furthermore, a tapered tube leads to extremely strong standing waves with relatively pure waveforms and reduces possible harmonics. The working principle of this device is described here. The fabrication of this device is considered, which is compatible with current MEMS fabrication technology. Finally, the theoretical analysis of key components of this cryo-cooler is presented.

Polydimethylsiloxane pressure sensors for force analysis in tension band wiring of the olecranon.

PubMed

Zens, Martin; Goldschmidtboeing, Frank; Wagner, Ferdinand; Reising, Kilian; Südkamp, Norbert P; Woias, Peter

2016-11-14

Several different surgical techniques are used in the treatment of olecranon fractures. Tension band wiring is one of the most preferred options by surgeons worldwide. The concept of this technique is to transform a tensile force into a compression force that adjoins two surfaces of a fractured bone. Currently, little is known about the resulting compression force within a fracture. Sensor devices are needed that directly transduce the compression force into a measurement quality. This allows the comparison of different surgical techniques. Ideally the sensor devices ought to be placed in the gap between the fractured segments. The design, development and characterization of miniaturized pressure sensors fabricated entirely from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for a placement within a fracture is presented. The pressure sensors presented in this work are tested, calibrated and used in an experimental in vitro study. The pressure sensors are highly sensitive with an accuracy of approximately 3 kPa. A flexible fabrication process for various possible applications is described. The first in vitro study shows that using a single-twist or double-twist technique in tension band wiring of the olecranon has no significant effect on the resulting compression forces. The in vitro study shows the feasibility of the proposed measurement technique and the results of a first exemplary study.

Small Magnetic Sensors for Space Applications

PubMed Central

Díaz-Michelena, Marina

2009-01-01

Small magnetic sensors are widely used integrated in vehicles, mobile phones, medical devices, etc for navigation, speed, position and angular sensing. These magnetic sensors are potential candidates for space sector applications in which mass, volume and power savings are important issues. This work covers the magnetic technologies available in the marketplace and the steps towards their implementation in space applications, the actual trend of miniaturization the front-end technologies, and the convergence of the mature and miniaturized magnetic sensor to the space sector through the small satellite concept. PMID:22574012

Design optimization and fabrication of a novel structural piezoresistive pressure sensor for micro-pressure measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuang; Cordovilla, Francisco; Ocaña, José L.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a novel structural piezoresistive pressure sensor with a four-beams-bossed-membrane (FBBM) structure that consisted of four short beams and a central mass to measure micro-pressure. The proposed structure can alleviate the contradiction between sensitivity and linearity to realize the micro measurement with high accuracy. In this study, the design, fabrication and test of the sensor are involved. By utilizing the finite element analysis (FEA) to analyze the stress distribution of sensitive elements and subsequently deducing the relationships between structural dimensions and mechanical performance, the optimization process makes the sensor achieve a higher sensitivity and a lower pressure nonlinearity. Based on the deduced equations, a series of optimized FBBM structure dimensions are ultimately determined. The designed sensor is fabricated on a silicon wafer by using traditional MEMS bulk-micromachining and anodic bonding technology. Experimental results show that the sensor achieves the sensitivity of 4.65 mV/V/kPa and pressure nonlinearity of 0.25% FSS in the operating range of 0-5 kPa at room temperature, indicating that this novel structure sensor can be applied in measuring the absolute micro pressure lower than 5 kPa.

Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Aerospace Fire Detection Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Gary W.; Neudeck, Philip G.; Fralick, Gustave; Thomas, Valarie; Makel, D.; Liu, C. C.; Ward, B.; Wu, Q. H.

2001-01-01

The detection of fires on-board commercial aircraft is extremely important for safety reasons. Although dependable fire detection equipment presently exists within the cabin, detection of fire within the cargo hold has been less reliable and susceptible to false alarms. A second, independent method of fire detection to complement the conventional smoke detection techniques, such as the measurement of chemical species indicative of a fire, will help reduce false alarms and improve aircraft safety. Although many chemical species are indicative of a fire, two species of particular interest are CO and CO2. This paper discusses microfabricated chemical sensor development tailored to meet the needs of fire safety applications. This development is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. The individual sensor being developed and their level of maturity will be presented.

Advanced Fibre Bragg Grating and Microfibre Bragg Grating Fabrication Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Kit Man

Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) have become a very important technology for communication systems and fibre optic sensing. Typically, FBGs are less than 10-mm long and are fabricated using fused silica uniform phase masks which become more expensive for longer length or non-uniform pitch. Generally, interference UV laser beams are employed to make long or complex FBGs, and this technique introduces critical precision and control issues. In this work, we demonstrate an advanced FBG fabrication system that enables the writing of long and complex gratings in optical fibres with virtually any apodisation profile, local phase and Bragg wavelength using a novel optical design in which the incident angles of two UV beams onto an optical fibre can be adjusted simultaneously by moving just one optical component, instead of two optics employed in earlier configurations, to vary the grating pitch. The key advantage of the grating fabrication system is that complex gratings can be fabricated by controlling the linear movements of two translation stages. In addition to the study of advanced grating fabrication technique, we also focus on the inscription of FBGs written in optical fibres with a cladding diameter of several ten's of microns. Fabrication of microfibres was investigated using a sophisticated tapering method. We also proposed a simple but practical technique to filter out the higher order modes reflected from the FBG written in microfibres via a linear taper region while the fundamental mode re-couples to the core. By using this technique, reflection from the microfibre Bragg grating (MFBG) can be effectively single mode, simplifying the demultiplexing and demodulation processes. MFBG exhibits high sensitivity to contact force and an MFBG-based force sensor was also constructed and tested to investigate their suitability for use as an invasive surgery device. Performance of the contact force sensor packaged in a conforming elastomer material compares favourably to one

Progress in miniaturization of a multichannel optical fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopatin, Craig M.; Mahmood, Shah; Mendoza, Edgar; Moslehi, Behzad; Black, Richard; Chau, Kelvin; Oblea, Levy

2007-07-01

An effort to develop a miniaturized multichannel optical fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator was initiated in 2006 under the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The goal was to develop an interrogator that would be sufficiently small and light to be incorporated into a health monitoring system for use on tactical missiles. Two companies, Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) and Redondo Optics, were funded in Phase I, and this paper describes the prototype interrogators that were developed. The two companies took very different approaches: IFOS focused on developing a unit that would have a high channel count and high resolution, using off-the-shelf components, while Redondo Optics chose to develop a unit that would be very small and lightweight, using custom designed integrated optical chips. It is believed that both approaches will result in interrogators that will be significantly small, lighter, and possibly even more precise than what is currently commercially available. This paper will also briefly describe some of the sensing concepts that may be used to interrogate the health of the solid rocket motors used in many missile systems. The sponsor of this program was NAVAIR PMA 280.

Novel miniaturized sensors for potentiometric batch and flow-injection analysis (FIA) of perchlorate in fireworks and propellants.

PubMed

Almeer, Saeed H M A; Zogby, Ibrahim A; Hassan, Saad S M

2014-11-01

Three planar miniaturized perchlorate membrane sensors (3×5 mm(2)) are prepared using a flexible Kaptan substrate coated with nitron-perchlorate (NT-ClO4) [sensor 1], methylene blue-perchlorate (MB-ClO4) [sensor II] and indium-porphyrin (In-Por) [sensor III] as electroactive materials in PVC membranes plasticized with 2-NPPE. Sensors I, II and III display near-Nernstian response for 1.0×10(-5)-1.0×10(-2), 3.1×10(-5)-1.0×10(-2) and 3.1×10(-6)-1.0×10(-2) mol L(-1) ClO4(-) with lower detection limits of 6.1×10(-6), 6.9×10(-6) and 1.2×10(-6) mol L(-1), and anionic calibration slopes of 50.9±0.4, 48.4±0.4 and 57.7±0.3 mV decade(-1), respectively. Methods for determining perchlorate using these sensors offer many attractive advantages including simplicity, flexibility, cost effectiveness, wide linear dynamic response range (0.1-1000 ppm), low detection limit (<1.2×10(-6) mol L(-1)≡0.1 ppm), small sample test volume (100 μL), safety, short response time (<20 s), long life span (~8 weeks), and extended wide working pH range (4.5-8.0). The sensors show high selectivity in the presence of some inorganic ions (e.g., PO4(3-), SO4(2-), S2O3(2-), NO2(-), NO3(-), N3(-), CN(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-)) and automation feasibility. Indium-porphyrin based membrane sensor (sensor III) is used as a detector in a wall-jet flow injection set-up to enable accurate flow injection analysis (FIA) of perchlorate in some fireworks without interferences from the associated reducing agents (sulfur and charcoal), binders (dextrin, lactose), coloring agents (calcium, strontium, copper, iron, sodium), color brighten (linseed oil) and regulators (aluminum flakes) which are commonly used in the formulations. The sensor is also used for perchlorate assessment in some propellant powders. The results fairly agree with data obtained by ion-chromatography. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design, Fabrication, Processing, and Testing of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Chemical Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-12-01

sensor ...... .......................... 118 71. Resonating bridge parameter curves ...... ......................... 119 72. Low frequency oscillations...131 82. Heater V-I curve .. .. .. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... 132 83. Frequency response of heated chemoresistor...devices, including devices that may be pre-stressed due to fabrication procedures (i.e. curve out of the plane after being released)? Due to their

Development of heat flux sensors for turbine airfoils and combustor liners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, W. H.

1983-10-01

The design of durable turbine airfoils that use a minimum amount of cooling air requires knowledge of the heat loads on the airfoils during engine operation. Measurement of these heat loads will permit the verification or modification of the analytical models used in the design process and will improve the ability to predict and confirm the thermal performance of turbine airfoil designs. Heat flux sensors for turbine blades and vanes must be compatible with the cast nickel-base and cobalt-base materials used in their fabrication and will need to operate in a hostile environment with regard to temperature, pressure and thermal cycling. There is also a need to miniaturize the sensors to obtain measurements without perturbing the heat flows that are to be measured.

Mixed-Potential NO x and NH 3 Sensors Fabricated by Commercial Manufacturing Methods [Mixed-Potential Sensors NO x and NH 3 Fabricated by Commercial Manufacturing Methods

DOE PAGES

Kreller, Cortney R.; Spernjak, Dusan; Li, Wenxia; ...

2014-08-12

Meeting EPA Tier 3 emissions reduction requirements while simultaneously increasing fuel economy to meet new CAFE standards will require optimization of advanced combustion strategies and emissions control technologies. There is an immediate need for suitable exhaust gas sensor technologies to monitor internal combustion engine tailpipe emissions and to control and maintain efficient operation of the engine and exhaust after treatment systems. NH 3, NO x, and HC sensors could enable onboard diagnostics and combustion control in lean-burn engines, analogous to the role of O 2 sensors in stoichiometric burn engines. Commercial manufacturing methods have been used to fabricate self-heated mixed-potentialmore » sensors in a planar automotive configuration. By altering materials composition and operating conditions, we are able to obtain sensitivity/selectivity to each NH 3, NO x and HCs. In addition, these devices exhibit stable performance over months of testing as a result of the stable morphology of the electrode/electrolyte/gas three-phase interface.« less

A miniature electronic nose system based on an MWNT-polymer microsensor array and a low-power signal-processing chip.

PubMed

Chiu, Shih-Wen; Wu, Hsiang-Chiu; Chou, Ting-I; Chen, Hsin; Tang, Kea-Tiong

2014-06-01

This article introduces a power-efficient, miniature electronic nose (e-nose) system. The e-nose system primarily comprises two self-developed chips, a multiple-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-polymer based microsensor array, and a low-power signal-processing chip. The microsensor array was fabricated on a silicon wafer by using standard photolithography technology. The microsensor array comprised eight interdigitated electrodes surrounded by SU-8 "walls," which restrained the material-solvent liquid in a defined area of 650 × 760 μm(2). To achieve a reliable sensor-manufacturing process, we used a two-layer deposition method, coating the MWNTs and polymer film as the first and second layers, respectively. The low-power signal-processing chip included array data acquisition circuits and a signal-processing core. The MWNT-polymer microsensor array can directly connect with array data acquisition circuits, which comprise sensor interface circuitry and an analog-to-digital converter; the signal-processing core consists of memory and a microprocessor. The core executes the program, classifying the odor data received from the array data acquisition circuits. The low-power signal-processing chip was designed and fabricated using the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 0.18-μm 1P6M standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process. The chip consumes only 1.05 mW of power at supply voltages of 1 and 1.8 V for the array data acquisition circuits and the signal-processing core, respectively. The miniature e-nose system, which used a microsensor array, a low-power signal-processing chip, and an embedded k-nearest-neighbor-based pattern recognition algorithm, was developed as a prototype that successfully recognized the complex odors of tincture, sorghum wine, sake, whisky, and vodka.

Fabrication of bimetallic microfluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors on paper by screen printing.

PubMed

Qu, Lu-Lu; Song, Qi-Xia; Li, Yuan-Ting; Peng, Mao-Pan; Li, Da-Wei; Chen, Li-Xia; Fossey, John S; Long, Yi-Tao

2013-08-20

Au-Ag bimetallic microfluidic, dumbbell-shaped, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors were fabricated on cellulose paper by screen printing. These printed sensors rely on a sample droplet injection zone, and a SERS detection zone at either end of the dumbbell motif, fabricated by printing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) successively with microscale precision. The microfluidic channel was patterned using an insulating ink to connect these two zones and form a hydrophobic circuit. Owing to capillary action of paper in the millimeter-sized channels, the sensor could enable self-filtering of fluids to remove suspended particles within wastewater without pumping. This sensor also allows sensitive SERS detection, due to advantageous combination of the strong surface enhancement of Ag NPs and excellent chemical stability of Au NPs. The SERS performance of the sensors was investigated by employing the probe rhodamine 6G, a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.1×10(-13)M and an enhancement factor of 8.6×10(6) could be achieved. Moreover, the dumbbell-shaped bimetallic sensors exhibited good stability with SERS performance being maintained over 14 weeks in air, and high reproducibility with less than 15% variation in spot-to-spot SERS intensity. Using these dumbbell-shaped bimetallic sensors, substituted aromatic pollutants in wastewater samples could be quantitatively analyzed, which demonstrated their excellent capability for rapid trace pollutant detection in wastewater samples in the field without pre-separation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and Evaluation of a Micro(Bio)Sensor Array Chip for Multiple Parallel Measurements of Important Cell Biomarkers

PubMed Central

Pemberton, Roy M.; Cox, Timothy; Tuffin, Rachel; Drago, Guido A.; Griffiths, John; Pittson, Robin; Johnson, Graham; Xu, Jinsheng; Sage, Ian C.; Davies, Rhodri; Jackson, Simon K.; Kenna, Gerry; Luxton, Richard; Hart, John P.

2014-01-01

This report describes the design and development of an integrated electrochemical cell culture monitoring system, based on enzyme-biosensors and chemical sensors, for monitoring indicators of mammalian cell metabolic status. MEMS technology was used to fabricate a microwell-format silicon platform including a thermometer, onto which chemical sensors (pH, O2) and screen-printed biosensors (glucose, lactate), were grafted/deposited. Microwells were formed over the fabricated sensors to give 5-well sensor strips which were interfaced with a multipotentiostat via a bespoke connector box interface. The operation of each sensor/biosensor type was examined individually, and examples of operating devices in five microwells in parallel, in either potentiometric (pH sensing) or amperometric (glucose biosensing) mode are shown. The performance characteristics of the sensors/biosensors indicate that the system could readily be applied to cell culture/toxicity studies. PMID:25360580

Microfabricated Air-Microfluidic Sensor for Personal Monitoring of Airborne Particulate Matter: Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Results

EPA Science Inventory

We present the design and fabrication of a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) air-microfluidic particulate matter (PM) sensor, and show experimental results obtained from exposing the sensor to concentrations of tobacco smoke and diesel exhaust, two commonly occurring P...

Real-time detection, classification, and quantification of apneic episodes using miniature surface motion sensors in rats.

PubMed

Waisman, Dan; Lev-Tov, Lior; Levy, Carmit; Faingersh, Anna; Colman Klotzman, Ifat; Bibi, Haim; Rotschild, Avi; Landesberg, Amir

2015-07-01

Real-time detection and classification of apneic episodes remain significant challenges. This study explores the applicability of a novel method of monitoring the respiratory effort and dynamics for rapid detection and classification of apneic episodes. Obstructive apnea (OA) and hypopnea/central apnea (CA) were induced in nine tracheostomized rats, by short-lived airway obstruction and administration of succinylcholine, respectively. Esophageal pressure (EP), EtCO2, arterial O2 saturation (SpO2), heart rate, and blood pressure were monitored. Respiratory dynamics were monitored utilizing three miniature motion sensors placed on the chest and epigastrium. Three indices were derived from these sensors: amplitude of the tidal chest wall displacement (TDi), breath time length (BTL), that included inspiration and rapid expiration phases, and amplitude time integral (ATI), the integral of breath amplitude over time. OA induced a progressive 6.42 ± 3.48-fold increase in EP from baseline, which paralleled a 3.04 ± 1.19-fold increase in TDi (P < 0.0012), a 1.39 ± 0.22-fold increase in BTL (P < 0.0002), and a 3.32 ± 1.40-fold rise in the ATI (P < 0.024). During central hypopneic/apneic episodes, each sensor revealed a gradual decrease in TDi, which culminated in absence of breathing attempts. Noninvasive monitoring of chest wall dynamics enables detection and classification of central and obstructive apneic episodes, which tightly correlates with the EP.

Disposable Fluidic Actuators for Miniature In-Vivo Surgical Robotics.

PubMed

Pourghodrat, Abolfazl; Nelson, Carl A

2017-03-01

Fusion of robotics and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has created new opportunities to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Surgical robotics is advancing from externally actuated systems to miniature in-vivo robotics. However, with miniaturization of electric-motor-driven surgical robots, there comes a trade-off between the size of the robot and its capability. Slow actuation, low load capacity, sterilization difficulties, leaking electricity and transferring produced heat to tissues, and high cost are among the key limitations of the use of electric motors in in-vivo applications. Fluid power in the form of hydraulics or pneumatics has a long history in driving many industrial devices and could be exploited to circumvent these limitations. High power density and good compatibility with the in-vivo environment are the key advantages of fluid power over electric motors when it comes to in-vivo applications. However, fabrication of hydraulic/pneumatic actuators within the desired size and pressure range required for in-vivo surgical robotic applications poses new challenges. Sealing these types of miniature actuators at operating pressures requires obtaining very fine surface finishes which is difficult and costly. The research described here presents design, fabrication, and testing of a hydraulic/pneumatic double-acting cylinder, a limited-motion vane motor, and a balloon-actuated laparoscopic grasper. These actuators are small, seal-less, easy to fabricate, disposable, and inexpensive, thus ideal for single-use in-vivo applications. To demonstrate the ability of these actuators to drive robotic joints, they were modified and integrated in a robotic arm. The design and testing of this surgical robotic arm are presented to validate the concept of fluid-power actuators for in-vivo applications.

Disposable Fluidic Actuators for Miniature In-Vivo Surgical Robotics

PubMed Central

Pourghodrat, Abolfazl; Nelson, Carl A.

2017-01-01

Fusion of robotics and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has created new opportunities to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Surgical robotics is advancing from externally actuated systems to miniature in-vivo robotics. However, with miniaturization of electric-motor-driven surgical robots, there comes a trade-off between the size of the robot and its capability. Slow actuation, low load capacity, sterilization difficulties, leaking electricity and transferring produced heat to tissues, and high cost are among the key limitations of the use of electric motors in in-vivo applications. Fluid power in the form of hydraulics or pneumatics has a long history in driving many industrial devices and could be exploited to circumvent these limitations. High power density and good compatibility with the in-vivo environment are the key advantages of fluid power over electric motors when it comes to in-vivo applications. However, fabrication of hydraulic/pneumatic actuators within the desired size and pressure range required for in-vivo surgical robotic applications poses new challenges. Sealing these types of miniature actuators at operating pressures requires obtaining very fine surface finishes which is difficult and costly. The research described here presents design, fabrication, and testing of a hydraulic/pneumatic double-acting cylinder, a limited-motion vane motor, and a balloon-actuated laparoscopic grasper. These actuators are small, seal-less, easy to fabricate, disposable, and inexpensive, thus ideal for single-use in-vivo applications. To demonstrate the ability of these actuators to drive robotic joints, they were modified and integrated in a robotic arm. The design and testing of this surgical robotic arm are presented to validate the concept of fluid-power actuators for in-vivo applications. PMID:28070227

Fabric-based Pressure Sensor Array for Decubitus Ulcer Monitoring

PubMed Central

Chung, Philip; Rowe, Allison; Etemadi, Mozziyar; Lee, Hanmin; Roy, Shuvo

2015-01-01

Decubitus ulcers occur in an estimated 2.5 million Americans each year at an annual cost of $11 billion to the U.S. health system. Current screening and prevention techniques for assessing risk for decubitus ulcer formation and repositioning patients every 1–2 hours are labor-intensive and can be subjective. We propose use of a Bluetooth-enabled fabric-based pressure sensor array as a simple tool to objectively assess and continuously monitor decubitus ulcer risk. PMID:24111232

Easy-to-Fabricate and High-Sensitivity LSPR Type Specific Protein Detection Sensor Using AAO Nano-Pore Size Control

PubMed Central

Kim, Sae-Wan; Lee, Jae-Sung; Lee, Sang-Won; Kang, Byoung-Ho; Kwon, Jin-Beom; Kim, Ok-Sik; Kim, Ju-Seong; Kim, Eung-Soo; Kwon, Dae-Hyuk; Kang, Shin-Won

2017-01-01

In this study, we developed a pore size/pore area-controlled optical biosensor-based anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanostructure. As the pore size of AAO increases, the unit cell of AAO increases, which also increases the non-pore area to which the antibody binds. The increase in the number of antibodies immobilized on the surface of the AAO enables effective detection of trace amounts of antigen, because increased antigen-antibody bonding results in a larger surface refractive index change. High sensitivity was thus achieved through amplification of the interference wave of two vertically-incident reflected waves through the localized surface plasmon resonance phenomenon. The sensitivity of the fabricated sensor was evaluated by measuring the change in wavelength with the change in the refractive index of the device surface, and sensitivity was increased with increasing pore-size and non-pore area. The sensitivity of the fabricated sensor was improved and up to 11.8 ag/mL serum amyloid A1 antigen was detected. In addition, the selectivity of the fabricated sensor was confirmed through a reaction with a heterogeneous substance, C-reactive protein antigen. By using hard anodization during fabrication of the AAO, the fabrication time of the device was reduced and the AAO chip was fabricated quickly and easily. PMID:28406469

A Spectral Reconstruction Algorithm of Miniature Spectrometer Based on Sparse Optimization and Dictionary Learning.

PubMed

Zhang, Shang; Dong, Yuhan; Fu, Hongyan; Huang, Shao-Lun; Zhang, Lin

2018-02-22

The miniaturization of spectrometer can broaden the application area of spectrometry, which has huge academic and industrial value. Among various miniaturization approaches, filter-based miniaturization is a promising implementation by utilizing broadband filters with distinct transmission functions. Mathematically, filter-based spectral reconstruction can be modeled as solving a system of linear equations. In this paper, we propose an algorithm of spectral reconstruction based on sparse optimization and dictionary learning. To verify the feasibility of the reconstruction algorithm, we design and implement a simple prototype of a filter-based miniature spectrometer. The experimental results demonstrate that sparse optimization is well applicable to spectral reconstruction whether the spectra are directly sparse or not. As for the non-directly sparse spectra, their sparsity can be enhanced by dictionary learning. In conclusion, the proposed approach has a bright application prospect in fabricating a practical miniature spectrometer.

Autonomous stair-climbing with miniature jumping robots.

PubMed

Stoeter, Sascha A; Papanikolopoulos, Nikolaos

2005-04-01

The problem of vision-guided control of miniature mobile robots is investigated. Untethered mobile robots with small physical dimensions of around 10 cm or less do not permit powerful onboard computers because of size and power constraints. These challenges have, in the past, reduced the functionality of such devices to that of a complex remote control vehicle with fancy sensors. With the help of a computationally more powerful entity such as a larger companion robot, the control loop can be closed. Using the miniature robot's video transmission or that of an observer to localize it in the world, control commands can be computed and relayed to the inept robot. The result is a system that exhibits autonomous capabilities. The framework presented here solves the problem of climbing stairs with the miniature Scout robot. The robot's unique locomotion mode, the jump, is employed to hop one step at a time. Methods for externally tracking the Scout are developed. A large number of real-world experiments are conducted and the results discussed.

Scalable Low-Cost Fabrication of Disposable Paper Sensors for DNA Detection

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Controlled integration of features that enhance the analytical performance of a sensor chip is a challenging task in the development of paper sensors. A critical issue in the fabrication of low-cost biosensor chips is the activation of the device surface in a reliable and controllable manner compatible with large-scale production. Here, we report stable, well-adherent, and repeatable site-selective deposition of bioreactive amine functionalities and biorepellant polyethylene glycol-like (PEG) functionalities on paper sensors by aerosol-assisted, atmospheric-pressure, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. This approach requires only 20 s of deposition time, compared to previous reports on cellulose functionalization, which takes hours. A detailed analysis of the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and its sensitivity to the local electronic structure of the carbon and nitrogen functionalities. σ*, π*, and Rydberg transitions in C and N K-edges are presented. Application of the plasma-processed paper sensors in DNA detection is also demonstrated. PMID:25423585

Scalable Low-Cost Fabrication of Disposable Paper Sensors for DNA Detection

DOE PAGES

Gandhiraman, Ram P.; Nordlund, Dennis; Jayan, Vivek; ...

2014-11-25

Controlled integration of features that enhance the analytical performance of a sensor chip is a challenging task in the development of paper sensors. A critical issue in the fabrication of low-cost biosensor chips is the activation of the device surface in a reliable and controllable manner compatible with large-scale production. Here, we report stable, well-adherent, and repeatable site-selective deposition of bioreactive amine functionalities and biorepellant polyethylene glycol-like (PEG) functionalities on paper sensors by aerosol-assisted, atmospheric-pressure, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. This approach requires only 20 s of deposition time, compared to previous reports on cellulose functionalization, which takes hours. We presentmore » a detailed analysis of the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and its sensitivity to the local electronic structure of the carbon and nitrogen functionalities. σ*, π*, and Rydberg transitions in C and N K-edges. Lastly, application of the plasma-processed paper sensors in DNA detection is also demonstrated.« less

Miniaturized LTCC elliptic-function lowpass filters with side stopbands

DOE PAGES

Hsieh, Lung -Hwa; Dai, Steve Xunhu

2015-05-28

A compact, high-selectivity, and wide stopband lowpass filter is highly demanded in wireless communication systems to suppress adjacent harmonics and unwanted signals. In this letter, a new miniaturized lowpass filter with elliptic-function frequency response is introduced. The filter is fabricated in multilayer low temperature cofired ceramics. The size of the miniaturized filter is 5.5 × 3.9 × 1.72 mm3. As a result, the measured insertion loss of the filter is better than 0.37 dB from DC to 1.28 GHz and the measured stopband of the filter is great than 22 dB from 2.3 to 7.5 GHz.

Design Optimization and Fabrication of a Novel Structural SOI Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor with High Accuracy

PubMed Central

Li, Chuang; Cordovilla, Francisco; Jagdheesh, R.

2018-01-01

This paper presents a novel structural piezoresistive pressure sensor with four-grooved membrane combined with rood beam to measure low pressure. In this investigation, the design, optimization, fabrication, and measurements of the sensor are involved. By analyzing the stress distribution and deflection of sensitive elements using finite element method, a novel structure featuring high concentrated stress profile (HCSP) and locally stiffened membrane (LSM) is built. Curve fittings of the mechanical stress and deflection based on FEM simulation results are performed to establish the relationship between mechanical performance and structure dimension. A combination of FEM and curve fitting method is carried out to determine the structural dimensions. The optimized sensor chip is fabricated on a SOI wafer by traditional MEMS bulk-micromachining and anodic bonding technology. When the applied pressure is 1 psi, the sensor achieves a sensitivity of 30.9 mV/V/psi, a pressure nonlinearity of 0.21% FSS and an accuracy of 0.30%, and thereby the contradiction between sensitivity and linearity is alleviated. In terms of size, accuracy and high temperature characteristic, the proposed sensor is a proper choice for measuring pressure of less than 1 psi. PMID:29393916

Miniature, Single Channel, Memory-Based, High-G Acceleration Recorder (Millipen)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rohwer, Tedd A.

1999-06-02

The Instrumentation and Telemetry Departments at Sandia National Laboratories have been instrumenting earth penetrators for over thirty years. Recorded acceleration data is used to quantify penetrator performance. Penetrator testing has become more difficult as desired impact velocities have increased. This results in the need for small-scale test vehicles and miniature instrumentation. A miniature recorder will allow penetrator diameters to significantly decrease, opening the window of testable parameters. Full-scale test vehicles will also benefit from miniature recorders by using a less intrusive system to instrument internal arming, fusing, and firing components. This single channel concept is the latest design in anmore » ongoing effort to miniaturize the size and reduce the power requirement of acceleration instrumentation. A micro-controller/memory based system provides the data acquisition, signal conditioning, power regulation, and data storage. This architecture allows the recorder, including both sensor and electronics, to occupy a volume of less than 1.5 cubic inches, draw less than 200mW of power, and record 15kHz data up to 40,000 gs. This paper will describe the development and operation of this miniature acceleration recorder.« less

Small, fast, and tough: Shrinking down integrated elastomer transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosset, Samuel; Shea, Herbert R.

2016-09-01

We review recent progress in miniaturized dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), sensors, and energy harvesters. We focus primarily on configurations where the large strain, high compliance, stretchability, and high level of integration offered by dielectric elastomer transducers provide significant advantages over other mm or μm-scale transduction technologies. We first present the most active application areas, including: tunable optics, soft robotics, haptics, micro fluidics, biomedical devices, and stretchable sensors. We then discuss the fabrication challenges related to miniaturization, such as thin membrane fabrication, precise patterning of compliant electrodes, and reliable batch fabrication of multilayer devices. We finally address the impact of miniaturization on strain, force, and driving voltage, as well as the important effect of boundary conditions on the performance of mm-scale DEAs.

Miniaturized spectrometer for stand-off chemical detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henning, Patrick F.; Chadha, Suneet; Damren, Richard; Rowe, Rebecca C.; Stevenson, Chuck; Curtiss, Lawrence E.; DiGiuseppe, Thomas G.

2002-02-01

Advanced autonomous detection of both chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals has long been of major military concern and is becoming an increasingly realistic need. Foster-Miller has successfully designed and demonstrated a high spectral throughput monolithic wedge spectrometer capable of providing early, stand-off detection of chemical threats. Recent breakthrough innovations in IR source technologies, high D* multispectral array detectors, and IR waveguide materials has allowed for the development of a robust, miniature, monolithic infrared spectrometer. Foster-Miller recently demonstrated a high resolution spectrometer operating in the 8 to 12 micron region for chemical agent detection. Results will be presented demonstrating the feasibility of adapting the wedge spectrometer to operate as an upward looking ground sensor for stand-off chemical detection. Our miniaturized spectrometer forms the basis for deploying low cost, lightweight sensors which may be used for reconnaissance missions or delivered to remote locations for unattended operation. The ability of perform passive stand-off infrared chemical agent and chemical emissions detection with a low cost, compact device that can operate autonomously in remote environments has broad applications in both the military and commercial marketplace.

Chemical sensors fabricated by a photonic integrated circuit foundry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stievater, Todd H.; Koo, Kee; Tyndall, Nathan F.; Holmstrom, Scott A.; Kozak, Dmitry A.; Goetz, Peter G.; McGill, R. Andrew; Pruessner, Marcel W.

2018-02-01

We describe the detection of trace concentrations of chemical agents using waveguide-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in a photonic integrated circuit fabricated by AIM Photonics. The photonic integrated circuit is based on a five-centimeter long silicon nitride waveguide with a trench etched in the top cladding to allow access to the evanescent field of the propagating mode by analyte molecules. This waveguide transducer is coated with a sorbent polymer to enhance detection sensitivity and placed between low-loss edge couplers. The photonic integrated circuit is laid-out using the AIM Photonics Process Design Kit and fabricated on a Multi-Project Wafer. We detect chemical warfare agent simulants at sub parts-per-million levels in times of less than a minute. We also discuss anticipated improvements in the level of integration for photonic chemical sensors, as well as existing challenges.

Reliable before-fabrication forecasting of normal and touch mode MEMS capacitive pressure sensor: modeling and simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jindal, Sumit Kumar; Mahajan, Ankush; Raghuwanshi, Sanjeev Kumar

2017-10-01

An analytical model and numerical simulation for the performance of MEMS capacitive pressure sensors in both normal and touch modes is required for expected behavior of the sensor prior to their fabrication. Obtaining such information should be based on a complete analysis of performance parameters such as deflection of diaphragm, change of capacitance when the diaphragm deflects, and sensitivity of the sensor. In the literature, limited work has been carried out on the above-stated issue; moreover, due to approximation factors of polynomials, a tolerance error cannot be overseen. Reliable before-fabrication forecasting requires exact mathematical calculation of the parameters involved. A second-order polynomial equation is calculated mathematically for key performance parameters of both modes. This eliminates the approximation factor, and an exact result can be studied, maintaining high accuracy. The elimination of approximation factors and an approach of exact results are based on a new design parameter (δ) that we propose. The design parameter gives an initial hint to the designers on how the sensor will behave once it is fabricated. The complete work is aided by extensive mathematical detailing of all the parameters involved. Next, we verified our claims using MATLAB® simulation. Since MATLAB® effectively provides the simulation theory for the design approach, more complicated finite element method is not used.

Large-aperture MOEMS Fabry-Perot interferometer for miniaturized spectral imagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissanen, Anna; Langner, Andreas; Viherkanto, Kai; Mannila, Rami

2015-02-01

VTT's optical MEMS Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) are tunable optical filters, which enable miniaturization of spectral imagers into small, mass producible hand-held sensors with versatile optical measurement capabilities. FPI technology has also created a basis for various hyperspectral imaging instruments, ranging from nanosatellites, environmental sensing and precision agriculture with UAVs to instruments for skin cancer detection. Until now, these application demonstrations have been mostly realized with piezo-actuated FPIs fabricated by non-monolithical assembly method, suitable for achieving very large optical apertures and with capacity to small-to-medium volumes; however large-volume production of MEMS manufacturing supports the potential for emerging spectral imaging applications also in large-volume applications, such as in consumer/mobile products. Previously reported optical apertures of MEMS FPIs in the visible range have been up to 2 mm in size; this paper presents the design, successful fabrication and characterization of MEMS FPIs for central wavelengths of λ = 500 nm and λ = 650 nm with optical apertures up to 4 mm in diameter. The mirror membranes of the FPI structures consist of ALD (atomic layer deposited) TiO2-Al2O3 λ/4- thin film Bragg reflectors, with the air gap formed by sacrificial polymer etching in O2 plasma. The entire fabrication process is conducted below 150 °C, which makes it possible to monolithically integrate the filter structures on other ICdevices such as detectors. The realized MEMS devices are aimed for nanosatellite space application as breadboard hyperspectral imager demonstrators.

Simple fabrication process for 2D ZnO nanowalls and their potential application as a methane sensor.

PubMed

Chen, Tse-Pu; Chang, Sheng-Po; Hung, Fei-Yi; Chang, Shoou-Jinn; Hu, Zhan-Shuo; Chen, Kuan-Jen

2013-03-20

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanowalls were prepared on a glass substrate by a low-temperature thermal evaporation method, in which the fabrication process did not use a metal catalyst or the pre-deposition of a ZnO seed layer on the substrate. The nanowalls were characterized for their surface morphology, and the structural and optical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL). The fabricated ZnO nanowalls have many advantages, such as low growth temperature and good crystal quality, while being fast, low cost, and easy to fabricate. Methane sensor measurements of the ZnO nanowalls show a high sensitivity to methane gas, and rapid response and recovery times. These unique characteristics are attributed to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the ZnO nanowalls. Thus, the ZnO nanowall methane sensor is a potential gas sensor candidate owing to its good performance.

Simple Fabrication Process for 2D ZnO Nanowalls and Their Potential Application as a Methane Sensor

PubMed Central

Chen, Tse-Pu; Chang, Sheng-Po; Hung, Fei-Yi; Chang, Shoou-Jinn; Hu, Zhan-Shuo; Chen, Kuan-Jen

2013-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanowalls were prepared on a glass substrate by a low-temperature thermal evaporation method, in which the fabrication process did not use a metal catalyst or the pre-deposition of a ZnO seed layer on the substrate. The nanowalls were characterized for their surface morphology, and the structural and optical properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL). The fabricated ZnO nanowalls have many advantages, such as low growth temperature and good crystal quality, while being fast, low cost, and easy to fabricate. Methane sensor measurements of the ZnO nanowalls show a high sensitivity to methane gas, and rapid response and recovery times. These unique characteristics are attributed to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the ZnO nanowalls. Thus, the ZnO nanowall methane sensor is a potential gas sensor candidate owing to its good performance. PMID:23519350

Fabrication Quality Analysis of a Fiber Optic Refractive Index Sensor Created by CO2 Laser Machining

PubMed Central

Chen, Chien-Hsing; Yeh, Bo-Kuan; Tang, Jaw-Luen; Wu, Wei-Te

2013-01-01

This study investigates the CO2 laser-stripped partial cladding of silica-based optic fibers with a core diameter of 400 μm, which enables them to sense the refractive index of the surrounding environment. However, inappropriate treatments during the machining process can generate a number of defects in the optic fiber sensors. Therefore, the quality of optic fiber sensors fabricated using CO2 laser machining must be analyzed. The results show that analysis of the fiber core size after machining can provide preliminary defect detection, and qualitative analysis of the optical transmission defects can be used to identify imperfections that are difficult to observe through size analysis. To more precisely and quantitatively detect fabrication defects, we included a tensile test and numerical aperture measurements in this study. After a series of quality inspections, we proposed improvements to the existing CO2 laser machining parameters, namely, a vertical scanning pathway, 4 W of power, and a feed rate of 9.45 cm/s. Using these improved parameters, we created optical fiber sensors with a core diameter of approximately 400 μm, no obvious optical transmission defects, a numerical aperture of 0.52 ± 0.019, a 0.886 Weibull modulus, and a 1.186 Weibull-shaped parameter. Finally, we used the optical fiber sensor fabricated using the improved parameters to measure the refractive indices of various solutions. The results show that a refractive-index resolution of 1.8 × 10−4 RIU (linear fitting R2 = 0.954) was achieved for sucrose solutions with refractive indices ranging between 1.333 and 1.383. We also adopted the particle plasmon resonance sensing scheme using the fabricated optical fibers. The results provided additional information, specifically, a superior sensor resolution of 5.73 × 10−5 RIU, and greater linearity at R2 = 0.999. PMID:23535636

Fabrication of amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistor-driven flexible thermal and pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Ick-Joon; Jeong, Chan-Yong; Cho, In-Tak; Lee, Jong-Ho; Cho, Eou-Sik; Kwon, Sang Jik; Kim, Bosul; Cheong, Woo-Seok; Song, Sang-Hun; Kwon, Hyuck-In

2012-10-01

In this work, we present the results concerning the use of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) as a driving transistor of the flexible thermal and pressure sensors which are applicable to artificial skin systems. Although the a-IGZO TFT has been attracting much attention as a driving transistor of the next-generation flat panel displays, no study has been performed about the application of this new device to the driving transistor of the flexible sensors yet. The proposed thermal sensor pixel is composed of the series-connected a-IGZO TFT and ZnO-based thermistor fabricated on a polished metal foil, and the ZnO-based thermistor is replaced by the pressure sensitive rubber in the pressure sensor pixel. In both sensor pixels, the a-IGZO TFT acts as the driving transistor and the temperature/pressure-dependent resistance of the ZnO-based thermistor/pressure-sensitive rubber mainly determines the magnitude of the output currents. The fabricated a-IGZO TFT-driven flexible thermal sensor shows around a seven times increase in the output current as the temperature increases from 20 °C to 100 °C, and the a-IGZO TFT-driven flexible pressure sensors also exhibit high sensitivity under various pressure environments.

Scalable fabrication of carbon-based MEMS/NEMS and their applications: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shulan; Shi, Tielin; Zhan, Xiaobin; Xi, Shuang; Long, Hu; Gong, Bo; Li, Junjie; Cheng, Siyi; Huang, Yuanyuan; Tang, Zirong

2015-11-01

The carbon-based micro/nano electromechanical system (MEMS/NEMS) technique provides a powerful approach to large-scale manufacture of high-aspect-ratio carbon structures for wafer-level processing. The fabricated three-dimensional (3D) carbon structures have the advantages of excellent electrical and electrochemical properties, and superior biocompatibility. In order to improve their performance for applications in micro energy storage devices and microsensors, an increase in the footprint surface area is of great importance. Various approaches have been proposed for fabricating large surface area carbon-based structures, including the integration of nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, nanowires, nanofilms and nanowrinkles onto 3D structures, which has been proved to be effective and productive. Moreover, by etching the 3D photoresist microstructures through oxygen plasma or modifying the photoresist with specific materials which can be etched in the following pyrolysis process, micro/nano hierarchical carbon structures have been fabricated. These improved structures show excellent performance in various applications, especially in the fields of biological sensors, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and energy storage devices such as micro-supercapacitors and fuel cells. With the rapid development of microelectronic devices, the carbon-based MEMS/NEMS technique could make more aggressive moves into microelectronics, sensors, miniaturized power systems, etc. In this review, the recent advances in the fabrication of micro/nano hierarchical carbon-based structures are introduced and the technical challenges and future outlook of the carbon-based MEMS/NEMS techniques are also analyzed.

Simple and Fast Method for Fabrication of Endoscopic Implantable Sensor Arrays

PubMed Central

Tahirbegi, I. Bogachan; Alvira, Margarita; Mir, Mònica; Samitier, Josep

2014-01-01

Here we have developed a simple method for the fabrication of disposable implantable all-solid-state ion-selective electrodes (ISE) in an array format without using complex fabrication equipment or clean room facilities. The electrodes were designed in a needle shape instead of planar electrodes for a full contact with the tissue. The needle-shape platform comprises 12 metallic pins which were functionalized with conductive inks and ISE membranes. The modified microelectrodes were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and optical interferometry. The surface area and roughness factor of each microelectrode were determined and reproducible values were obtained for all the microelectrodes on the array. In this work, the microelectrodes were modified with membranes for the detection of pH and nitrate ions to prove the reliability of the fabricated sensor array platform adapted to an endoscope. PMID:24971473

Simple and fast method for fabrication of endoscopic implantable sensor arrays.

PubMed

Tahirbegi, I Bogachan; Alvira, Margarita; Mir, Mònica; Samitier, Josep

2014-06-26

Here we have developed a simple method for the fabrication of disposable implantable all-solid-state ion-selective electrodes (ISE) in an array format without using complex fabrication equipment or clean room facilities. The electrodes were designed in a needle shape instead of planar electrodes for a full contact with the tissue. The needle-shape platform comprises 12 metallic pins which were functionalized with conductive inks and ISE membranes. The modified microelectrodes were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and optical interferometry. The surface area and roughness factor of each microelectrode were determined and reproducible values were obtained for all the microelectrodes on the array. In this work, the microelectrodes were modified with membranes for the detection of pH and nitrate ions to prove the reliability of the fabricated sensor array platform adapted to an endoscope.

Design, fabrication, and characterization of Fresnel lens array with spatial filtering for passive infrared motion sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cirino, Giuseppe A.; Barcellos, Robson; Morato, Spero P.; Bereczki, Allan; Neto, Luiz G.

2006-09-01

A cubic-phase distribution is applied in the design, fabrication and characterization of inexpensive Fresnel lens arrays for passive infrared motion sensors. The resulting lens array produces a point spread function (PSF) capable of distinguish the presence of humans from pets by the employment of the so-called wavefront coding method. The cubic phase distribution used in the design can also reduce the optical aberrations present in the system. This aberration control allows a high tolerance in the fabrication of the lenses and in the alignment errors of the sensor. In order to proof the principle, a lens was manufactured on amorphous hydrogenated carbon thin film, by well-known micro fabrication process steps. The optical results demonstrates that the optical power falling onto the detector surface is attenuated for targets that present a mass that is horizontally distributed in space (e.g. pets) while the optical power is enhanced for targets that present a mass vertically distributed in space (e.g. humans). Then a mould on steel was fabricated by laser engraving, allowing large-scale production of the lens array in polymeric material. A polymeric lens was injected and its optical transmittance was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry technique, which has shown an adequate optical transmittance in the 8-14 μm wavelength range. Finally the performance of the sensor was measured in a climate-controlled test laboratory constructed for this purpose. The results show that the sensor operates normally with a human target, with a 12 meter detection zone and within an angle of 100 degrees. On the other hand, when a small pet runs through a total of 22 different trajectories no sensor trips are observed. The novelty of this work is the fact that the so-called pet immunity function was implemented in a purely optical filtering. As a result, this approach allows the reduction of some hardware parts as well as decreasing the software complexity, once the

Fabrication of micromachined ceramic thin-film-type pressure sensors for overpressure tolerance and its characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Gwiy-Sang; Kim, Jae-Min

2004-04-01

This paper describes the fabrication process and characteristics of ceramic thin-film pressure sensors based on Ta-N strain gauges for harsh environment applications. The Ta-N thin-film strain gauges are sputter-deposited on a thermally oxidized micromachined Si diaphragm with buried cavities for overpressure tolerance. The proposed device takes advantage of the good mechanical properties of single-crystalline Si as a diaphragm fabricated by SDB and electrochemical etch-stop technology, and in order to extend the temperature range, it has relatively higher resistance, stability and gauge factor of Ta-N thin-films more than other gauges. The fabricated pressure sensor presents a low temperature coefficient of resistance, high-sensitivity, low nonlinearity and excellent temperature stability. The sensitivity is 1.21-1.097 mV/V×kgf/cm2 in temperature ranges of 25-200°C and a maximum non-linearity is 0.43 %FS.

Development, Fabrication, and Characterization of Hydrogel Based Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors with Perforated Diaphragms

PubMed Central

Orthner, M.P.; Buetefisch, Sebastian; Magda, J.; Rieth, L.W.; Solzbacher, F.

2010-01-01

Hydrogels have been demonstrated to swell in response to a number of external stimuli including pH, CO2, glucose, and ionic strength making them useful for detection of metabolic analytes. To measure hydrogel swelling pressure, we have fabricated and tested novel perforated diaphragm piezoresistive pressure sensor arrays that couple the pressure sensing diaphragm with a perforated semi-permeable membrane. The 2×2 arrays measure approximately 3 × 5 mm2 and consist of four square sensing diaphragms with widths of 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 mm used to measure full scale pressures of 50, 25, and 5 kPa, respectively. An optimized geometry of micro pores was etched in silicon diaphragm to allow analyte diffusion into the sensor cavity where the hydrogel material is located. The 14-step front side wafer process was carried out by a commercial foundry service (MSF, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany) and diaphragm pores were created using combination of potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). Sensor characterization was performed (without the use of hydrogels) using a custom bulge testing apparatus that simultaneously measured deflection, pressure, and electrical output. Test results are used to quantify the sensor sensitivity and demonstrate proof-of-concept. Simulations showed that the sensitivity was slightly improved for the perforated diaphragm designs while empirical electrical characterization showed that the perforated diaphragm sensors were slightly less sensitive than solid diaphragm sensors. This discrepancy is believed to be due to the influence of compressive stress found within passivation layers and poor etching uniformity. The new perforated diaphragm sensors were fully functional with sensitivities ranging from 23 to 252 μV/V-kPa (FSO= 5 to 80mV), and show a higher nonlinearity at elevated pressures than identical sensors with solid diaphragms. Sensors (1.5×1.5 mm2) with perforated diaphragms (pores=40 μm) have a nonlinearity of

A Spectral Reconstruction Algorithm of Miniature Spectrometer Based on Sparse Optimization and Dictionary Learning

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shang; Fu, Hongyan; Huang, Shao-Lun; Zhang, Lin

2018-01-01

The miniaturization of spectrometer can broaden the application area of spectrometry, which has huge academic and industrial value. Among various miniaturization approaches, filter-based miniaturization is a promising implementation by utilizing broadband filters with distinct transmission functions. Mathematically, filter-based spectral reconstruction can be modeled as solving a system of linear equations. In this paper, we propose an algorithm of spectral reconstruction based on sparse optimization and dictionary learning. To verify the feasibility of the reconstruction algorithm, we design and implement a simple prototype of a filter-based miniature spectrometer. The experimental results demonstrate that sparse optimization is well applicable to spectral reconstruction whether the spectra are directly sparse or not. As for the non-directly sparse spectra, their sparsity can be enhanced by dictionary learning. In conclusion, the proposed approach has a bright application prospect in fabricating a practical miniature spectrometer. PMID:29470406

From Biological Cilia to Artificial Flow Sensors: Biomimetic Soft Polymer Nanosensors with High Sensing Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asadnia, Mohsen; Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Karavitaki, K. Domenica; Warkiani, Majid Ebrahimi; Miao, Jianmin; Corey, David P.; Triantafyllou, Michael

2016-09-01

We report the development of a new class of miniature all-polymer flow sensors that closely mimic the intricate morphology of the mechanosensory ciliary bundles in biological hair cells. An artificial ciliary bundle is achieved by fabricating bundled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-pillars with graded heights and electrospinning polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric nanofiber tip links. The piezoelectric nature of a single nanofiber tip link is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheology and nanoindentation experiments are used to ensure that the viscous properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel are close to the biological cupula. A dome-shaped HA hydrogel cupula that encapsulates the artificial hair cell bundle is formed through precision drop-casting and swelling processes. Fluid drag force actuates the hydrogel cupula and deflects the micro-pillar bundle, stretching the nanofibers and generating electric charges. Functioning with principles analogous to the hair bundles, the sensors achieve a sensitivity and threshold detection limit of 300 mV/(m/s) and 8 μm/s, respectively. These self-powered, sensitive, flexible, biocompatibale and miniaturized sensors can find extensive applications in navigation and maneuvering of underwater robots, artificial hearing systems, biomedical and microfluidic devices.

From Biological Cilia to Artificial Flow Sensors: Biomimetic Soft Polymer Nanosensors with High Sensing Performance.

PubMed

Asadnia, Mohsen; Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Karavitaki, K Domenica; Warkiani, Majid Ebrahimi; Miao, Jianmin; Corey, David P; Triantafyllou, Michael

2016-09-13

We report the development of a new class of miniature all-polymer flow sensors that closely mimic the intricate morphology of the mechanosensory ciliary bundles in biological hair cells. An artificial ciliary bundle is achieved by fabricating bundled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-pillars with graded heights and electrospinning polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric nanofiber tip links. The piezoelectric nature of a single nanofiber tip link is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheology and nanoindentation experiments are used to ensure that the viscous properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel are close to the biological cupula. A dome-shaped HA hydrogel cupula that encapsulates the artificial hair cell bundle is formed through precision drop-casting and swelling processes. Fluid drag force actuates the hydrogel cupula and deflects the micro-pillar bundle, stretching the nanofibers and generating electric charges. Functioning with principles analogous to the hair bundles, the sensors achieve a sensitivity and threshold detection limit of 300 mV/(m/s) and 8 μm/s, respectively. These self-powered, sensitive, flexible, biocompatibale and miniaturized sensors can find extensive applications in navigation and maneuvering of underwater robots, artificial hearing systems, biomedical and microfluidic devices.

From Biological Cilia to Artificial Flow Sensors: Biomimetic Soft Polymer Nanosensors with High Sensing Performance

PubMed Central

Asadnia, Mohsen; Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash; Karavitaki, K. Domenica; Warkiani, Majid Ebrahimi; Miao, Jianmin; Corey, David P.; Triantafyllou, Michael

2016-01-01

We report the development of a new class of miniature all-polymer flow sensors that closely mimic the intricate morphology of the mechanosensory ciliary bundles in biological hair cells. An artificial ciliary bundle is achieved by fabricating bundled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-pillars with graded heights and electrospinning polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric nanofiber tip links. The piezoelectric nature of a single nanofiber tip link is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheology and nanoindentation experiments are used to ensure that the viscous properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel are close to the biological cupula. A dome-shaped HA hydrogel cupula that encapsulates the artificial hair cell bundle is formed through precision drop-casting and swelling processes. Fluid drag force actuates the hydrogel cupula and deflects the micro-pillar bundle, stretching the nanofibers and generating electric charges. Functioning with principles analogous to the hair bundles, the sensors achieve a sensitivity and threshold detection limit of 300 mV/(m/s) and 8 μm/s, respectively. These self-powered, sensitive, flexible, biocompatibale and miniaturized sensors can find extensive applications in navigation and maneuvering of underwater robots, artificial hearing systems, biomedical and microfluidic devices. PMID:27622466

An Universal packaging technique for low-drift implantable pressure sensors.

PubMed

Kim, Albert; Powell, Charles R; Ziaie, Babak

2016-04-01

Monitoring bodily pressures provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information. In particular, long-term measurement through implantable sensors is highly desirable in situations where percutaneous access can be complicated or dangerous (e.g., intracranial pressure in hydrocephalic patients). In spite of decades of progress in the fabrication of miniature solid-state pressure sensors, sensor drift has so far severely limited their application in implantable systems. In this paper, we report on a universal packaging technique for reducing the sensor drift. The described method isolates the pressure sensor from a major source of drift, i.e., contact with the aqueous surrounding environment, by encasing the sensor in a silicone-filled medical-grade polyurethane balloon. In-vitro soak tests for 100 days using commercial micromachined piezoresistive pressure sensors demonstrate a stable operation with the output remaining within 1.8 cmH2O (1.3 mmHg) of a reference pressure transducer. Under similar test conditions, a non-isolated sensor fluctuates between 10 and 20 cmH2O (7.4-14.7 mmHg) of the reference, without ever settling to a stable operation regime. Implantation in Ossabow pigs demonstrate the robustness of the package and its in-vivo efficacy in reducing the baseline drift.

Microsupercapacitors as miniaturized energy-storage components for on-chip electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyeremateng, Nana Amponsah; Brousse, Thierry; Pech, David

2017-01-01

The push towards miniaturized electronics calls for the development of miniaturized energy-storage components that can enable sustained, autonomous operation of electronic devices for applications such as wearable gadgets and wireless sensor networks. Microsupercapacitors have been targeted as a viable route for this purpose, because, though storing less energy than microbatteries, they can be charged and discharged much more rapidly and have an almost unlimited lifetime. In this Review, we discuss the progress and the prospects of integrated miniaturized supercapacitors. In particular, we discuss their power performances and emphasize the need of a three-dimensional design to boost their energy-storage capacity. This is obtainable, for example, through self-supported nanostructured electrodes. We also critically evaluate the performance metrics currently used in the literature to characterize microsupercapacitors and offer general guidelines to benchmark performances towards prospective applications.

Microsupercapacitors as miniaturized energy-storage components for on-chip electronics.

PubMed

Kyeremateng, Nana Amponsah; Brousse, Thierry; Pech, David

2017-01-01

The push towards miniaturized electronics calls for the development of miniaturized energy-storage components that can enable sustained, autonomous operation of electronic devices for applications such as wearable gadgets and wireless sensor networks. Microsupercapacitors have been targeted as a viable route for this purpose, because, though storing less energy than microbatteries, they can be charged and discharged much more rapidly and have an almost unlimited lifetime. In this Review, we discuss the progress and the prospects of integrated miniaturized supercapacitors. In particular, we discuss their power performances and emphasize the need of a three-dimensional design to boost their energy-storage capacity. This is obtainable, for example, through self-supported nanostructured electrodes. We also critically evaluate the performance metrics currently used in the literature to characterize microsupercapacitors and offer general guidelines to benchmark performances towards prospective applications.

Miniaturized LEDs for flat-panel displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radauscher, Erich J.; Meitl, Matthew; Prevatte, Carl; Bonafede, Salvatore; Rotzoll, Robert; Gomez, David; Moore, Tanya; Raymond, Brook; Cok, Ronald; Fecioru, Alin; Trindade, António Jose; Fisher, Brent; Goodwin, Scott; Hines, Paul; Melnik, George; Barnhill, Sam; Bower, Christopher A.

2017-02-01

Inorganic light emitting diodes (LEDs) serve as bright pixel-level emitters in displays, from indoor/outdoor video walls with pixel sizes ranging from one to thirty millimeters to micro displays with more than one thousand pixels per inch. Pixel sizes that fall between those ranges, roughly 50 to 500 microns, are some of the most commercially significant ones, including flat panel displays used in smart phones, tablets, and televisions. Flat panel displays that use inorganic LEDs as pixel level emitters (μILED displays) can offer levels of brightness, transparency, and functionality that are difficult to achieve with other flat panel technologies. Cost-effective production of μILED displays requires techniques for precisely arranging sparse arrays of extremely miniaturized devices on a panel substrate, such as transfer printing with an elastomer stamp. Here we present lab-scale demonstrations of transfer printed μILED displays and the processes used to make them. Demonstrations include passive matrix μILED displays that use conventional off-the shelf drive ASICs and active matrix μILED displays that use miniaturized pixel-level control circuits from CMOS wafers. We present a discussion of key considerations in the design and fabrication of highly miniaturized emitters for μILED displays.

A fabric wrist patch sensor for continuous and comprehensive monitoring of the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Kwonjoon Lee; Kiseok Song; Taehwan Roh; Hoi-Jun Yoo

2016-08-01

The wrist patch-type ECG/APW sensor system is proposed for continuous and comprehensive monitoring of the patient's cardiovascular system. The wrist patch-type ECG/APW sensor system is consists of ECG/APW sensor, ECG/APW electrodes, and base station for real-time monitoring of the patient's status. The ECG/APW sensor and electrodes are composed of wrist patch, bandage-type ECG electrode and fabric APW electrode, respectively so that the patient's cardiovascular system can be continuously monitored in daily life with free hand-movement. Since the proposed wrist patchtype ECG/APW sensor simultaneously measures ECG/APW, the cardiac indicators, such as HR and PAT, can be extracted for comprehensive and accurate monitoring of the patient's cardiovascular system. The proposed wrist patch-type ECG/APW sensor system is successfully verified using the commercial PPG sensor (RP520) and demonstrated with the customized Android application on the smart phone.

Calibration in dogs of a subcutaneous miniaturized glucose sensor using a glucose meter for blood glucose determination.

PubMed

Poitout, V; Moatti-Sirat, D; Reach, G

1992-01-01

The feasibility of calibrating a glucose sensor by using a wearable glucose meter for blood glucose determination and moderate variations of blood glucose concentration was assessed. Six miniaturized glucose sensors were implanted in the subcutaneous tissue of conscious dogs, and the parameters used for the in vivo calibration of the sensor (sensitivity coefficient and extrapolated current in the absence of glucose) were determined from values of blood glucose and sensor response obtained during glucose infusion. (1) Venous plasma glucose level and venous total blood glucose level were measured simultaneously on the same sample, using a Beckman analyser and a Glucometer II, respectively. The regression between plasma glucose (x) and whole blood glucose (y) was y = 1.12x-0.08 mM (n = 114 values, r = 0.96, p = 0.0001). The error grid analysis indicated that the use of a Glucometer II for blood glucose determination was appropriate in dogs. (2) The in vivo sensitivity coefficients were 0.57 +/- 0.11 nA mM-1 when determined from plasma glucose, and 0.51 +/- 0.07 nA mM-1 when determined from whole blood glucose (t = 1.53, p = 0.18, n.s.). The background currents were 0.88 +/- 0.57 nA when determined from plasma glucose, and 0.63 +/- 0.77 nA when determined from whole blood glucose (t = 0.82, p = 0.45, n.s.). (3) The regression equation of the estimation of the subcutaneous glucose level obtained from the two methods was y = 1.04x + 0.56 mM (n = 171 values, r = 0.98, p = 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Development of an IrO x micro pH sensor array on flexible polymer substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen-Ding; Wang, Jianqun; Ativanichayaphong, Thermpon; Chiao, Mu; Chiao, J. C.

2008-03-01

pH sensor is an essential component used in many chemical, food, and bio-material industries. Conventional glass electrodes have been used to construct pH sensors, however, have some disadvantages in specific applications. It is difficult to use glass electrodes for in vivo biomedical or food monitoring applications due to size limitation and no deformability. In this paper, we present design and fabrication processes of a miniature iridium oxide thin film pH sensor array on flexible polymer substrates. The amorphous iridium oxide thin film was used as the sensing material. A sol-gel dip-coating process of iridium oxide film was demonstrated in this paper. A super-Nernstian response has been measured on individual sensors of the array with a slope of -71.6+/-3 mV/pH at 25°C within the pH range between 2.83 and 11.04.

Biosensing with Paper-Based Miniaturized Printed Electrodes-A Modern Trend.

PubMed

Silveira, Célia M; Monteiro, Tiago; Almeida, Maria Gabriela

2016-09-28

From the bench-mark work on microfluidics from the Whitesides's group in 2007, paper technology has experienced significant growth, particularly regarding applications in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Besides the structural properties supporting microfluidics, other advantageous features of paper materials, including their versatility, disposability and low cost, show off the great potential for the development of advanced and eco-friendly analytical tools. Consequently, paper was quickly employed in the field of electrochemical sensors, being an ideal material for producing custom, tailored and miniaturized devices. Stencil-, inkjet-, or screen-printing are the preferential techniques for electrode manufacturing. Not surprisingly, we witnessed a rapid increase in the number of publications on paper based screen-printed sensors at the turn of the past decade. Among the sensing strategies, various biosensors, coupling electrochemical detectors with biomolecules, have been proposed. This work provides a critical review and a discussion on the future progress of paper technology in the context of miniaturized printed electrochemical biosensors.

Biosensing with Paper-Based Miniaturized Printed Electrodes–A Modern Trend

PubMed Central

Silveira, Célia M.; Monteiro, Tiago; Almeida, Maria Gabriela

2016-01-01

From the bench-mark work on microfluidics from the Whitesides’s group in 2007, paper technology has experienced significant growth, particularly regarding applications in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Besides the structural properties supporting microfluidics, other advantageous features of paper materials, including their versatility, disposability and low cost, show off the great potential for the development of advanced and eco-friendly analytical tools. Consequently, paper was quickly employed in the field of electrochemical sensors, being an ideal material for producing custom, tailored and miniaturized devices. Stencil-, inkjet-, or screen-printing are the preferential techniques for electrode manufacturing. Not surprisingly, we witnessed a rapid increase in the number of publications on paper based screen-printed sensors at the turn of the past decade. Among the sensing strategies, various biosensors, coupling electrochemical detectors with biomolecules, have been proposed. This work provides a critical review and a discussion on the future progress of paper technology in the context of miniaturized printed electrochemical biosensors. PMID:27690119

Lightweight, Miniature Inertial Measurement System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, Liang; Crassidis, Agamemnon

2012-01-01

A miniature, lighter-weight, and highly accurate inertial navigation system (INS) is coupled with GPS receivers to provide stable and highly accurate positioning, attitude, and inertial measurements while being subjected to highly dynamic maneuvers. In contrast to conventional methods that use extensive, groundbased, real-time tracking and control units that are expensive, large, and require excessive amounts of power to operate, this method focuses on the development of an estimator that makes use of a low-cost, miniature accelerometer array fused with traditional measurement systems and GPS. Through the use of a position tracking estimation algorithm, onboard accelerometers are numerically integrated and transformed using attitude information to obtain an estimate of position in the inertial frame. Position and velocity estimates are subject to drift due to accelerometer sensor bias and high vibration over time, and so require the integration with GPS information using a Kalman filter to provide highly accurate and reliable inertial tracking estimations. The method implemented here uses the local gravitational field vector. Upon determining the location of the local gravitational field vector relative to two consecutive sensors, the orientation of the device may then be estimated, and the attitude determined. Improved attitude estimates further enhance the inertial position estimates. The device can be powered either by batteries, or by the power source onboard its target platforms. A DB9 port provides the I/O to external systems, and the device is designed to be mounted in a waterproof case for all-weather conditions.

Novel H+-Ion Sensor Based on a Gated Lateral BJT Pair

PubMed Central

Yuan, Heng; Zhang, Jixing; Cao, Chuangui; Zhang, Gangyuan; Zhang, Shaoda

2015-01-01

An H+-ion sensor based on a gated lateral bipolar junction transistor (BJT) pair that can operate without the classical reference electrode is proposed. The device is a special type of ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET). Classical ISFETs have the advantage of miniaturization, but  they are difficult to fabricate by a single fabrication process because of the bulky and brittle reference electrode materials. Moreover, the reference electrodes need to be separated from the sensor device in some cases. The proposed device is composed of two gated lateral BJT components, one of which had a silicide layer while the other was without the layer. The two components were operated under the metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)-BJT hybrid mode, which can be controlled by emitter voltage and base current. Buffer solutions with different pH values were used as the sensing targets to verify the characteristics of the proposed device. Owing to their different sensitivities, both components could simultaneously detect the H+-ion concentration and function as a reference to each other. Per the experimental results, the sensitivity of the proposed device was found to be approximately 0.175 μA/pH. This experiment demonstrates enormous potential to lower the cost of the ISFET-based sensor technology. PMID:26703625

Miniaturized Wilkinson Power Dividers Utilizing Capacitive Loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Ponchak, George E.; Weller, Thomas M.

2001-01-01

This letter reports the miniaturization of a planar Wilkinson power divider by capacitive loading of the quarter wave transmission lines employed in conventional Wilkinson power dividers. Reduction of the transmission line segments from lambda/4 to between lambda/5 and lambda/12 are reported here. The input and output lines at the three ports and the lines comprising the divider itself are coplanar waveguide (CPW) and asymmetric coplanar stripline (ACPS), respectively. The 10 GHZ power dividers are fabricated on high resistivity silicon (HRS) and alumina wafers. These miniaturized dividers are 74% smaller than conventional Wilkinson power dividers, and have a return loss better than +30 dB and an insertion loss less than 0.55 dB. Design equations and a discussion about the effect of parasitic reactance on the isolation are presented for the first time.

Miniaturization of components and systems for space using MEMS-technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grönland, Tor-Arne; Rangsten, Pelle; Nese, Martin; Lang, Martin

2007-06-01

Development of MEMS-based (micro electro mechanical system) components and subsystems for space applications has been pursued by various research groups and organizations around the world for at least two decades. The main driver for developing MEMS-based components for space is the miniaturization that can be achieved. Miniaturization can not only save orders of magnitude in mass and volume of individual components, but it can also allow increased redundancy, and enable novel spacecraft designs and mission scenarios. However, the commercial breakthrough of MEMS has not occurred within the space business as it has within other branches such as the IT/telecom or automotive industries, or as it has in biotech or life science applications. A main explanation to this is the highly conservative attitude to new technology within the space community. This conservatism is in many senses motivated by a very low risk acceptance in the few and costly space projects that actually ends with a space flight. To overcome this threshold there is a strong need for flight opportunities where reasonable risks can be accepted. Currently there are a few flight opportunities allowing extensive use of new technology in space, but one of the exceptions is the PRISMA program. PRISMA is an international (Sweden, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Greece) technology demonstration program with focus on rendezvous and formation flying. It is a two satellite LEO mission with a launch scheduled for the first half of 2009. On PRISMA, a number of novel technologies e.g. RF metrology sensor for Darwin, autonomous formation flying based on GPS and vision-based sensors, ADN-based "green propulsion" will be demonstrated in space for the first time. One of the satellites will also have a miniaturized propulsion system onboard based on MEMS-technology. This novel propulsion system includes two microthruster modules, each including four thrusters with micro- to milli-Newton thrust capability. The novelty

A spectral profile multiplexed FBG sensor network with application to strain measurement in a Kevlar woven fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Guodong; Hackney, Drew; Pankow, Mark; Peters, Kara

2017-04-01

A spectral profile division multiplexed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor network is described in this paper. The unique spectral profile of each sensor in the network is identified as a distinct feature to be interrogated. Spectrum overlap is allowed under working conditions. Thus, a specific wavelength window does not need to be allocated to each sensor as in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) network. When the sensors are serially connected in the network, the spectrum output is expressed through a truncated series. To track the wavelength shift of each sensor, the identification problem is transformed to a nonlinear optimization problem, which is then solved by a modified dynamic multi-swarm particle swarm optimizer (DMS-PSO). To demonstrate the application of the developed network, a network consisting of four FBGs was integrated into a Kevlar woven fabric, which was under a quasi-static load imposed by an impactor head. Due to the substantial radial strain in the fabric, the spectrums of different FBGs were found to overlap during the loading process. With the developed interrogating method, the overlapped spectrum would be distinguished thus the wavelength shift of each sensor can be monitored.

EIT-Based Fabric Pressure Sensing

PubMed Central

Yao, A.; Yang, C. L.; Seo, J. K.; Soleimani, M.

2013-01-01

This paper presents EIT-based fabric sensors that aim to provide a pressure mapping using the current carrying and voltage sensing electrodes attached to the boundary of the fabric patch. Pressure-induced shape change over the sensor area makes a change in the conductivity distribution which can be conveyed to the change of boundary current-voltage data. This boundary data is obtained through electrode measurements in EIT system. The corresponding inverse problem is to reconstruct the pressure and deformation map from the relationship between the applied current and the measured voltage on the fabric boundary. Taking advantage of EIT in providing dynamical images of conductivity changes due to pressure induced shape change, the pressure map can be estimated. In this paper, the EIT-based fabric sensor was presented for circular and rectangular sensor geometry. A stretch sensitive fabric was used in circular sensor with 16 electrodes and a pressure sensitive fabric was used in a rectangular sensor with 32 electrodes. A preliminary human test was carried out with the rectangular sensor for foot pressure mapping showing promising results. PMID:23533538

EIT-based fabric pressure sensing.

PubMed

Yao, A; Yang, C L; Seo, J K; Soleimani, M

2013-01-01

This paper presents EIT-based fabric sensors that aim to provide a pressure mapping using the current carrying and voltage sensing electrodes attached to the boundary of the fabric patch. Pressure-induced shape change over the sensor area makes a change in the conductivity distribution which can be conveyed to the change of boundary current-voltage data. This boundary data is obtained through electrode measurements in EIT system. The corresponding inverse problem is to reconstruct the pressure and deformation map from the relationship between the applied current and the measured voltage on the fabric boundary. Taking advantage of EIT in providing dynamical images of conductivity changes due to pressure induced shape change, the pressure map can be estimated. In this paper, the EIT-based fabric sensor was presented for circular and rectangular sensor geometry. A stretch sensitive fabric was used in circular sensor with 16 electrodes and a pressure sensitive fabric was used in a rectangular sensor with 32 electrodes. A preliminary human test was carried out with the rectangular sensor for foot pressure mapping showing promising results.

Sub-Nanoliter Spectroscopic Gas Sensor

PubMed Central

Alfeeli, Bassam; Pickrell, Gary; Wang, Anbo

2006-01-01

In this work, a new type of optical fiber based chemical sensor, the sub-nanoliter sample cell (SNSC) based gas sensor, is described and compared to existing sensors designs in the literature. This novel SNSC gas sensor is shown to have the capability of gas detection with a cell volume in the sub-nanoliter range. Experimental results for various configurations of the sensor design are presented which demonstrate the capabilities of the miniature gas sensor.

An Experimental Study on the Fabrication of Glass-based Acceleration Sensor Body Using Micro Powder Blasting Method

PubMed Central

Park, Dong-Sam; Yun, Dae-Jin; Cho, Myeong-Woo; Shin, Bong-Cheol

2007-01-01

This study investigated the feasibility of the micro powder blasting technique for the micro fabrication of sensor structures using the Pyrex glass to replace the existing silicon-based acceleration sensor fabrication processes. As the preliminary experiments, the effects of the blasting pressure, the mass flow rate of abrasive and the number of nozzle scanning times on erosion depth of the Pyrex and the soda lime glasses were examined. From the experimental results, optimal blasting conditions were selected for the Pyrex glass machining. The dimensions of the designed glass sensor was 1.7×1.7×0.6mm for the vibrating mass, and 2.9×0.7×0.2mm for the cantilever beam. The machining results showed that the dimensional errors of the machined glass sensor ranged from 3 μm in minimum to 20 μm in maximum. These results imply that the micro powder blasting method can be applied for the micromachining of glass-based acceleration sensors to replace the exiting method.

Miniaturized Monitors for Assessment of Exposure to Air Pollutants: A Review.

PubMed

Borghi, Francesca; Spinazzè, Andrea; Rovelli, Sabrina; Campagnolo, Davide; Del Buono, Luca; Cattaneo, Andrea; Cavallo, Domenico M

2017-08-12

Air quality has a huge impact on different aspects of life quality, and for this reason, air quality monitoring is required by national and international regulations. Technical and procedural limitations of traditional fixed-site stations for monitoring or sampling of air pollutants are also well-known. Recently, a different type of miniaturized monitors has been developed. These monitors, due to their characteristics (e.g., low cost, small size, high portability) are becoming increasingly important for individual exposure assessment, especially since this kind of instrument can provide measurements at high spatial and temporal resolution, which is a notable advantage when approaching assessment of exposure to environmental contaminants. The aim of this study is indeed to provide information regarding current knowledge regarding the use of miniaturized air pollutant sensors. A systematic review was performed to identify original articles: a literature search was carried out using an appropriate query for the search of papers across three different databases, and the papers were selected using inclusion/exclusion criteria. The reviewed articles showed that miniaturized sensors are particularly versatile and could be applied in studies with different experimental designs, helping to provide a significant enhancement to exposure assessment, even though studies regarding their performance are still sparse.

A miniature pressure sensor for blast event evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Nan; Wang, Wenhui; Tian, Ye; Niezrecki, Christopher; Wang, Xingwei

2011-06-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a great potential threat to people who deal with explosive devices. Protection from TBI has attracted more and more interest. Great efforts have been taken to the studies on the understanding of the propagation of the blast events and its effect on TBI. However, one of the biggest challenges is that the current available pressure sensors are not fast enough to capture the blast wave especially the transient period. This paper reports an ultrafast pressure sensor that could be very useful for analysis of the fast changing blast signal. The sensor is based on Fabry-Perot (FP) principle. It uses a 45º angle polished fiber sitting in a V-groove on a silicon chip. The endface of the angle polished fiber and the diaphragm which is lifted off on the side wall of the V-groove form the FP cavity. The sensor is very small and can be mounted on different locations of a helmet to measure blast pressure simultaneously. The tests were conducted at Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) in Natick, MA. The sensors were mounted in a shock tube, side by side with the reference sensors, to measure a rapidly increased pressure. The results demonstrated that our sensors' responses agreed well with those from the electrical reference sensors and their response time is comparable.

RFID Tag Helix Antenna Sensors for Wireless Drug Dosage Monitoring

PubMed Central

Huang, Haiyu; Zhao, Peisen; Chen, Pai-Yen; Ren, Yong; Liu, Xuewu; Ferrari, Mauro; Hu, Ye; Akinwande, Deji

2014-01-01

Miniaturized helix antennas are integrated with drug reservoirs to function as RFID wireless tag sensors for real-time drug dosage monitoring. The general design procedure of this type of biomedical antenna sensors is proposed based on electromagnetic theory and finite element simulation. A cost effective fabrication process is utilized to encapsulate the antenna sensor within a biocompatible package layer using PDMS material, and at the same time form a drug storage or drug delivery unit inside the sensor. The in vitro experiment on two prototypes of antenna sensor-drug reservoir assembly have shown the ability to monitor the drug dosage by tracking antenna resonant frequency shift from 2.4–2.5-GHz ISM band with realized sensitivity of 1.27 \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}$\\mu~{\\rm l}/{\\rm MHz}$\\end{document} for transdermal drug delivery monitoring and 2.76-\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document} }{}$\\mu~{\\rm l}/{\\rm MHz}$\\end{document} sensitivity for implanted drug delivery monitoring. PMID:27170865

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors toward Structural Health Monitoring in Composite Materials: Challenges and Solutions

PubMed Central

Kinet, Damien; Mégret, Patrice; Goossen, Keith W.; Qiu, Liang; Heider, Dirk; Caucheteur, Christophe

2014-01-01

Nowadays, smart composite materials embed miniaturized sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) in order to mitigate the risk of failure due to an overload or to unwanted inhomogeneity resulting from the fabrication process. Optical fiber sensors, and more particularly fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, outperform traditional sensor technologies, as they are lightweight, small in size and offer convenient multiplexing capabilities with remote operation. They have thus been extensively associated to composite materials to study their behavior for further SHM purposes. This paper reviews the main challenges arising from the use of FBGs in composite materials. The focus will be made on issues related to temperature-strain discrimination, demodulation of the amplitude spectrum during and after the curing process as well as connection between the embedded optical fibers and the surroundings. The main strategies developed in each of these three topics will be summarized and compared, demonstrating the large progress that has been made in this field in the past few years. PMID:24763215

Design and fabricate multi channel microfluidic mold on top of glass slide using SU-8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azman, N. A. N.; Rajapaksha, R. D. A. A.; Uda, M. N. A.; Hashim, U.

2017-09-01

Microfluidic is the study of fluid in microscale. Microfluidics provides miniaturized fluidic networks for processing and analyzing liquids in the nanoliter to milliliter range. Microfluidic device comprises of some essential segments or structure that are micromixer, microchannel and microchamber. The SU-8 mold is known as the most used technique in microfluidic fabrication due to the characteristic of very gooey polymer that can be spread over a thickness. In this study, in order to reduce the fabrication cost, the development and fabrication of SU-8 mold is replace by using a glass plate instead of silicon wafer which is used in the previous research. We designed a microfluidic chip for use with an IDE sensors to conduct multiplex detection of multiple channels. The microfluidic chip was designed to include multiplex detection for pathogen that consists of multiple channels of simultaneous results. The multi-channel microfluidic chip was designed, including the fluid outlet and inlet. A multi-channel microfluidic chip was used for pathogen detection. This paper sum up the fabrication of lab SU-8 mold using glass slide.

Command control for functional electrical stimulation hand grasp systems using miniature accelerometers and gyroscopes.

PubMed

Tong, K Y; Mak, A F T; Ip, W Y

2003-11-01

Recent commercially available miniature sensors have the potential to improve the functions of functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems in terms of control, reliability and robustness. A new control approach using a miniature gyroscope and an accelerometer was studied. These sensors were used to detect the linear acceleration and angular velocity of residual voluntary movements on upper limbs and were small and easy to put on. Five healthy subjects and three cervical spinal cord injured subjects were recruited to evaluate this controller. Sensors were placed on four locations: the shoulder, upper arm, wrist and hand. A quick forward-and-backward movement was employed to produce a distinctive waveform that was different from general movements. A detection algorithm was developed to generate a command signal by identifying this distinctive waveform through the detection of peaks and valleys in the sensor's signals. This command signal was used to control different FES hand grasp patterns. With a specificity of 0.9, the sensors had a success rate of 85-100% on healthy subjects and 82-97% on spinal cord injured subjects. In terms of sensor placement, the gyroscope was better as a control source than the accelerometer for wrist and hand positions, but the reverse was true for the shoulder.

Advancing Sensor Technology to Monitor Wildfires

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA and partners are looking at ways to use miniature sensors to monitor air quality near wildfires. Data from these small sensors can complement measurements obtained from more complex regulatory-grade monitors that are stationary.

Design and Simulation Test of an Open D-Dot Voltage Sensor

PubMed Central

Bai, Yunjie; Wang, Jingang; Wei, Gang; Yang, Yongming

2015-01-01

Nowadays, sensor development focuses on miniaturization and non-contact measurement. According to the D-dot principle, a D-dot voltage sensor with a new structure was designed based on the differential D-dot sensor with a symmetrical structure, called an asymmetric open D-dot voltage sensor. It is easier to install. The electric field distribution of the sensor was analyzed through Ansoft Maxwell and an open D-dot voltage sensor was designed. This open D-voltage sensor is characteristic of accessible insulating strength and small electric field distortion. The steady and transient performance test under 10 kV-voltage reported satisfying performances of the designed open D-dot voltage sensor. It conforms to requirements for a smart grid measuring sensor in intelligence, miniaturization and facilitation. PMID:26393590

Miniaturized integration of a fluorescence microscope.

PubMed

Ghosh, Kunal K; Burns, Laurie D; Cocker, Eric D; Nimmerjahn, Axel; Ziv, Yaniv; Gamal, Abbas El; Schnitzer, Mark J

2011-09-11

The light microscope is traditionally an instrument of substantial size and expense. Its miniaturized integration would enable many new applications based on mass-producible, tiny microscopes. Key prospective usages include brain imaging in behaving animals for relating cellular dynamics to animal behavior. Here we introduce a miniature (1.9 g) integrated fluorescence microscope made from mass-producible parts, including a semiconductor light source and sensor. This device enables high-speed cellular imaging across ∼0.5 mm2 areas in active mice. This capability allowed concurrent tracking of Ca2+ spiking in >200 Purkinje neurons across nine cerebellar microzones. During mouse locomotion, individual microzones exhibited large-scale, synchronized Ca2+ spiking. This is a mesoscopic neural dynamic missed by prior techniques for studying the brain at other length scales. Overall, the integrated microscope is a potentially transformative technology that permits distribution to many animals and enables diverse usages, such as portable diagnostics or microscope arrays for large-scale screens.

Miniaturized integration of a fluorescence microscope

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Kunal K.; Burns, Laurie D.; Cocker, Eric D.; Nimmerjahn, Axel; Ziv, Yaniv; Gamal, Abbas El; Schnitzer, Mark J.

2013-01-01

The light microscope is traditionally an instrument of substantial size and expense. Its miniaturized integration would enable many new applications based on mass-producible, tiny microscopes. Key prospective usages include brain imaging in behaving animals towards relating cellular dynamics to animal behavior. Here we introduce a miniature (1.9 g) integrated fluorescence microscope made from mass-producible parts, including semiconductor light source and sensor. This device enables high-speed cellular-level imaging across ∼0.5 mm2 areas in active mice. This capability allowed concurrent tracking of Ca2+ spiking in >200 Purkinje neurons across nine cerebellar microzones. During mouse locomotion, individual microzones exhibited large-scale, synchronized Ca2+ spiking. This is a mesoscopic neural dynamic missed by prior techniques for studying the brain at other length scales. Overall, the integrated microscope is a potentially transformative technology that permits distribution to many animals and enables diverse usages, such as portable diagnostics or microscope arrays for large-scale screens. PMID:21909102

Solvent-free fabrication of biodegradable hot-film flow sensor for noninvasive respiratory monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinh, Toan; Phan, Hoang-Phuong; Nguyen, Tuan-Khoa; Qamar, Afzaal; Woodfield, Peter; Zhu, Yong; Nguyen, Nam-Trung; Viet Dao, Dzung

2017-06-01

In this paper, we report on a low-cost, environment-friendly and wearable thermal flow sensor, which can be manufactured in-house using pencil graphite as a sensing hot film and biodegradable printing paper as a substrate, without using any toxic solvents or cleanroom facilities. The hot film flow sensor offers excellent performance such as high signal-to-noise ratio (≥slant 40 for an air flow velocity of 1 m s-1), high sensitivity to airflow (53.7 mV(m s-1)-0.8) and outstanding long-term stability (almost no drift in 24 h). The sensor can be comfortably affixed to the philtrum of patients and measures human respiration in realtime. The results indicate that the wearable thermal flow sensors fabricated by this solvent-free and user-friendly method could be employed in human respiratory monitoring.

Integrated circuit for SAW and MEMS sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Wolf-Joachim; Koenig, Peter; Ploetner, Matthias; Hermann, Rudiger; Stab, Helmut

2001-11-01

The sensor processor circuit has been developed for hand-held devices used in industrial and environmental applications, such as on-line process monitoring. Thereby devices with SAW sensors or MEMS resonators will benefit from this processor especially. Up to 8 sensors can be connected to the circuit as multisensors or sensor arrays. Two sensor processors SP1 and SP2 for different applications are presented in this paper. The SP-1 chip has a PCMCIA interface which can be used for the program and data transfer. SAW sensors which are working in the frequency range from 80 MHz to 160 MHz can be connected to the processor directly. It is possible to use the new SP-2 chip fabricated in a 0.5(mu) CMOS process for SAW devices with a maximum frequency of 600 MHz. An on-chip analog-digital-converter (ADC) and 6 PWM modules support the development of high-miniaturized intelligent sensor systems We have developed a multi-SAW sensor system with this ASIC that manages the requirements on control as well as signal generation and storage and provides an interface to the PC and electronic devices on the board. Its low power consumption and its PCMCIA plug fulfil the requirements of small size and mobility. For this application sensors have been developed to detect hazardous gases in ambient air. Sensors with differently modified copper-phthalocyanine films are capable of detecting NO2 and O3, whereas those with a hyperbranched polyester film respond to NH3.

Highly Sensitive H2S Sensor Based on the Metal-Catalyzed SnO2 Nanocolumns Fabricated by Glancing Angle Deposition

PubMed Central

Yoo, Kwang Soo; Han, Soo Deok; Moon, Hi Gyu; Yoon, Seok-Jin; Kang, Chong-Yun

2015-01-01

As highly sensitive H2S gas sensors, Au- and Ag-catalyzed SnO2 thin films with morphology-controlled nanostructures were fabricated by using e-beam evaporation in combination with the glancing angle deposition (GAD) technique. After annealing at 500 °C for 40 h, the sensors showed a polycrystalline phase with a porous, tilted columnar nanostructure. The gas sensitivities (S = Rgas/Rair) of Au and Ag-catalyzed SnO2 sensors fabricated by the GAD process were 0.009 and 0.015, respectively, under 5 ppm H2S at 300 °C, and the 90% response time was approximately 5 s. These sensors showed excellent sensitivities compared with the SnO2 thin film sensors that were deposited normally (glancing angle = 0°, S = 0.48). PMID:26134105

Incorporation of wavelength selective devices into waveguides with applications to a miniature spectrometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stallard, B. R.; Kaushik, S.; Hadley, G. R.

1996-02-01

This report pertains to a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project which was funded for FY94 and FY95. The goal was to develop building blocks for small, cheap sensors that use optical spectroscopy as a means of detecting chemical analytes. Such sensors can have an impact on a wide variety of technologies, such as: industrial process control, environmental monitors, chemical analysis in medicine, and automotive monitors. We describe work in fabricating and demonstrating a waveguide/grating device that can serve as the wavelength dispersive component in a miniature spectrometer. Also, we describe the invention and modeling of a new way tomore » construct an array of optical interference filters using sub-wavelength lithography to tune the index of refraction of a fixed Fabry-Perot cavity. Next we describe progress in more efficiently calculating the fields in grating devices. Finally we present the invention of a new type of near field optical probe, applicable to scanning microscopy or optical data storage, which is based on a circular grating constructed in a waveguide. This result diverges from the original goal of the project but is quite significant in that it promises to increase the data storage capacity of CD-ROMs by 10 times.« less

Miniature hybrid optical imaging lens

DOEpatents

Sitter, Jr., David N.; Simpson, Marc L.

1997-01-01

A miniature lens system that corrects for imaging and chromatic aberrations, the lens system being fabricated from primarily commercially-available components. A first element at the input to a lens housing is an aperture stop. A second optical element is a refractive element with a diffractive element closely coupled to, or formed a part of, the rear surface of the refractive element. Spaced closely to the diffractive element is a baffle to limit the area of the image, and this is closely followed by a second refractive lens element to provide the final correction. The image, corrected for aberrations exits the last lens element to impinge upon a detector plane were is positioned any desired detector array. The diffractive element is fabricated according to an equation that includes, as variables, the design wavelength, the index of refraction and the radius from an optical axis of the lens system components.

Evaluation of the performance of irradiated silicon strip sensors for the forward detector of the ATLAS Inner Tracker Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, R.; Allport, P. P.; Baca, M.; Broughton, J.; Chisholm, A.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Pyatt, S.; Thomas, J. P.; Wilson, J. A.; Kierstead, J.; Kuczewski, P.; Lynn, D.; Arratia-Munoz, M. I.; Hommels, L. B. A.; Ullan, M.; Fleta, C.; Fernandez-Tejero, J.; Bloch, I.; Gregor, I. M.; Lohwasser, K.; Poley, L.; Tackmann, K.; Trofimov, A.; Yildirim, E.; Hauser, M.; Jakobs, K.; Kuehn, S.; Mahboubi, K.; Parzefall, U.; Clark, A.; Ferrere, D.; Sevilla, S. Gonzalez; Ashby, J.; Blue, A.; Bates, R.; Buttar, C.; Doherty, F.; McMullen, T.; McEwan, F.; O'Shea, V.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Unno, Y.; Takashima, R.; Chilingarov, A.; Fox, H.; Affolder, A. A.; Casse, G.; Dervan, P.; Forshaw, D.; Greenall, A.; Wonsak, S.; Wormald, M.; Cindro, V.; Kramberger, G.; Mandić, I.; Mikuž, M.; Gorelov, I.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Palni, P.; Seidel, S.; Taylor, A.; Toms, K.; Wang, R.; Hessey, N. P.; Valencic, N.; Hanagaki, K.; Dolezal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Bohm, J.; Stastny, J.; Mikestikova, M.; Bevan, A.; Beck, G.; Milke, C.; Domingo, M.; Fadeyev, V.; Galloway, Z.; Hibbard-Lubow, D.; Liang, Z.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Seiden, A.; To, K.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Parker, K.; Jinnouchi, O.; Hara, K.; Sato, K.; Sato, K.; Hagihara, M.; Iwabuchi, S.; Bernabeu, J.; Civera, J. V.; Garcia, C.; Lacasta, C.; Garcia, S. Marti i.; Rodriguez, D.; Santoyo, D.; Solaz, C.; Soldevila, U.

2016-09-01

The upgrade to the High-Luminosity LHC foreseen in about ten years represents a great challenge for the ATLAS inner tracker and the silicon strip sensors in the forward region. Several strip sensor designs were developed by the ATLAS collaboration and fabricated by Hamamatsu in order to maintain enough performance in terms of charge collection efficiency and its uniformity throughout the active region. Of particular attention, in the case of a stereo-strip sensor, is the area near the sensor edge where shorter strips were ganged to the complete ones. In this work the electrical and charge collection test results on irradiated miniature sensors with forward geometry are presented. Results from charge collection efficiency measurements show that at the maximum expected fluence, the collected charge is roughly halved with respect to the one obtained prior to irradiation. Laser measurements show a good signal uniformity over the sensor. Ganged strips have a similar efficiency as standard strips.

Optical monitoring of kidney oxygenation and hemodynamics using a miniaturized near-infrared sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadgan, Babak; Macnab, Andrew; Nigro, Mark; Nguan, Christopher

2017-02-01

Background: Following human renal allograft transplant primary graft dysfunction can occur early in the postoperative period as a result of acute tubular necrosis, acute rejection, drug toxicity, and vascular complications. Successful treatment of graft dysfunction requires early detection and accurate diagnosis so that disease-specific medical and/or surgical intervention can be provided promptly. However, current diagnostic methods are not sensitive or specific enough, so that identifying the cause of graft dysfunction is problematic and often delayed. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an established optical method that monitors changes in tissue hemodynamics and oxygenation in real time. We report the feasibility of directly monitoring kidney the kidney in an animal model using NIRS to detect renal ischemia and hypoxia. Methods: In an anesthetized pig, a customized continuous wave spatially resolved (SR) NIRS sensor was fixed directly to the surface of the surgically exposed kidney. Changes in the concentration of oxygenated (O2Hb) deoxygenated (HHb) and total hemoglobin (THb) were monitored before, during and after renal artery clamping and reperfusion, and the resulting fluctuations in chromophore concentration from baseline used to measure variations in renal perfusion and oxygenation. Results: On clamping the renal artery THb and O2Hb concentrations declined progressively while HHb rose. With reperfusion after releasing the artery clamp O2Hb and THb rose while HHb fell with all parameters returning to its baseline. This pattern was similar in all three trials. Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that a miniaturized NIRS sensor applied directly to the surface of a kidney in an animal model can detect the onset of renal ischemia and tissue hypoxia. With modification, our NIRS-based method may contribute to early detection of renal vascular complications and graft dysfunction following renal transplant.

Fabrication and Testing of a Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor for a Stirling Convertor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Scott D.; Fralick, Gus c.; Wrbanek, John D.; Sayir, Ali

2010-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been testing high-efficiency free-piston Stirling convertors for potential use in radioisotope power systems since 1999. Stirling convertors are being operated for many years to demonstrate a radioisotope power system capable of providing reliable power for potential multiyear missions. Techniques used to monitor the convertors for change in performance include measurements of temperature, pressure, energy addition, and energy rejection. Micro-porous bulk insulation is used in the Stirling convertor test setup to minimize the loss of thermal energy from the electric heat source to the environment. The insulation is characterized before extended operation, enabling correlation of the net thermal energy addition to the convertor. Aging micro-porous bulk insulation changes insulation efficiency, introducing errors in the correlation for net thermal energy addition. A thin-film heat flux sensor was designed and fabricated to directly measure the net thermal energy addition to the Stirling convertor. The fabrication techniques include slipcasting and using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). One-micron-thick noble metal thermocouples measure temperature on the surface of an alumina ceramic disk and heat flux is calculated. Fabrication, integration, and test results of a thin-film heat flux sensor are presented.

Fiber Bragg grating fabrication for the implementation of sensors in the electronics and optoelectronics laboratory at BUAP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracamontes Rodríguez, Y. E.; Beltrán Pérez, G.; Castillo Mixcóatl, J.; Muñoz Aguirre, S.

2011-09-01

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) are important optical devices since they have been quite successful not only in the field of communications but also in sensor systems and optical fiber lasers. In the sensors area they are generally used as detection elements for different physical parameters such as temperature, strain, flow, etc. In the electronics and optoelectronics laboratory at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (LEyO-BUAP), there are already experimental setups of sensors as well as laser systems, where FBGs are fundamental elements for their adequate performance. However, these FBGs are commercial devices and they present limited characteristics in their transmission profiles, bandwidth and reflectivity. On the other hand, in some occasions, the delivery time from the fabricant to the customer is quite long. Therefore, it is important for LEyO to implement a system to fabricate this kind of devices, which would mean LEyO independence in the technological development. In this work, results of FBGs fabrication based on the phase mask technique are presented. Such mask is optimized for UV and it has a period of 1060 nm. A Nd:YAG pulsed laser with a 5 ns pulse length and an energy of 40 mJ was used as the UV source employing the 4th harmonic generation to obtain a 266 nm wavelength. Ge-doped fiber was used to fabricate the devices.

Micro-sensors for in-situ meteorological measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crisp, David; Kaiser, William J.; Vanzandt, Thomas R.; Tillman, James E.

1993-01-01

Improved in-situ meteorological measurements are needed for monitoring the weather and climate of the terrestrial and Martian atmospheres. We have initiated a program to assess the feasibility and utility of micro-sensors for precise in-situ meteorological measurements in these environments. Sensors are being developed for measuring pressure, temperature, wind velocity, humidity, and aerosol amounts. Silicon micro-machining and large scale integration technologies are being used to make sensors that are small, rugged, lightweight, and require very little power. Our long-term goal is to develop very accurate miniaturized sensors that can be incorporated into complete instrument packages or 'micro weather stations,' and deployed on a variety of platforms. If conventional commercially available silicon production techniques can be used to fabricate these sensor packages, it will eventually be possible to mass-produce them at low cost. For studies of the Earth's troposphere and stratosphere, they could be deployed on aircraft, dropsondes, radiosondes, or autonomous surface stations at remote sites. Improved sensor accuracy and reduced sensor cost are the primary challenges for these applications. For studies of the Martian atmosphere, these sensor packages could be incorporated into the small entry probes and surface landers that are being planned for the Mars Environmental SURvey (MESUR) Mission. That decade-long program will deploy a global network of small stations on the Martian surface for monitoring meteorological and geological processes. Low mass, low power, durability, large dynamic range and calibration stability are the principal challenges for this application. Our progress on each of these sensor types is presented.

Vibrational spectra of individual millimeter-size membrane patches using miniature infrared waveguides.

PubMed Central

Plunkett, S E; Jonas, R E; Braiman, M S

1997-01-01

We have used miniature planar IR waveguides, consisting of Ge strips 30-50 microm thick and 2 mm wide, as evanescent-wave sensors to detect the mid-(IR) evanescent-wave absorbance spectra of small areas of biomolecular monolayers and multilayers. Examples include picomolar quantities of an integral transmembrane protein (bacteriorhodopsin) and lipid (dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine). IR bands due to the protein and lipid components of the plasma membrane of individual 1.5-mm-diameter devitellinized Xenopus laevis oocytes, submerged in buffer and sticking to the waveguide surface, were also detected. A significant improvement in sensitivity was observed, as compared to previous sizes and geometries of evanescent-wave sensors (e.g., commercially available internal reflection elements or tapered optical fibers). These measurements suggest the feasibility of using such miniature supported planar IR waveguides to observe structural changes in transmembrane proteins functioning in vivo in single cells. PMID:9336219

A patterned ZnO nanorod array/gas sensor fabricated by mechanoelectrospinning-assisted selective growth.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaomei; Sun, Fazhe; Huang, Yongan; Duan, Yongqing; Yin, Zhouping

2015-02-21

Micropatterned ZnO nanorod arrays were fabricated by the mechanoelectrospinning-assisted direct-writing process and the hydrothermal growth process, and utilized as gas sensors that exhibited excellent Ohmic behavior and sensitivity response to oxidizing gas NO2 at low concentrations (1-100 ppm).

Facile fabrication of wire-type indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors applicable to ultrasensitive flexible sensors.

PubMed

Kim, Yeong-Gyu; Tak, Young Jun; Kim, Hee Jun; Kim, Won-Gi; Yoo, Hyukjoon; Kim, Hyun Jae

2018-04-03

We fabricated wire-type indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) using a self-formed cracked template based on a lift-off process. The electrical characteristics of wire-type IGZO TFTs could be controlled by changing the width and density of IGZO wires through varying the coating conditions of template solution or multi-stacking additional layers. The fabricated wire-type devices were applied to sensors after functionalizing the surface. The wire-type pH sensor showed a sensitivity of 45.4 mV/pH, and this value was an improved sensitivity compared with that of the film-type device (27.6 mV/pH). Similarly, when the wire-type device was used as a glucose sensor, it showed more variation in electrical characteristics than the film-type device. The improved sensing properties resulted from the large surface area of the wire-type device compared with that of the film-type device. In addition, we fabricated wire-type IGZO TFTs on flexible substrates and confirmed that such structures were very resistant to mechanical stresses at a bending radius of 10 mm.

Fabrication and Performance of All-Solid-State Chloride Sensors in Synthetic Concrete Pore Solutions

PubMed Central

Gao, Xiaojian; Zhang, Jian; Yang, Yingzi; Deng, Hongwei

2010-01-01

One type of all-solid-state chloride sensor was fabricated using a MnO2 electrode and a Ag/AgCl electrode. The potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride in synthetic concrete pore solutions was systematically studied, and the polarization performance was also evaluated. The results show a good linear relationship between the potential reading of the sensor and the logarithm of chloride activity (concentration ranges from 0.05 to 5.0 M), and the potential value remains stable with increasing immersion time. The existence of K+, Ca2+, Na+ and SO42− ions have little influence on the potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride, but the pH has a significant influence on the potential value of the sensor at low chloride concentration. The potential reading of the sensor increases linearly with the solution temperature over the range from 5 to 45 °C. Meanwhile, an excellent polarization behavior is proven by galvanostatic and potentiodynamic tests. All of the results reveal that the developed sensor has a great potential for monitoring chloride ions in concrete environments. PMID:22163467

Fabrication and performance of all-solid-state chloride sensors in synthetic concrete pore solutions.

PubMed

Gao, Xiaojian; Zhang, Jian; Yang, Yingzi; Deng, Hongwei

2010-01-01

One type of all-solid-state chloride sensor was fabricated using a MnO(2) electrode and a Ag/AgCl electrode. The potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride in synthetic concrete pore solutions was systematically studied, and the polarization performance was also evaluated. The results show a good linear relationship between the potential reading of the sensor and the logarithm of chloride activity (concentration ranges from 0.05 to 5.0 M), and the potential value remains stable with increasing immersion time. The existence of K(+), Ca(2+), Na(+) and SO(4) (2-) ions have little influence on the potentiometric response of the sensor to chloride, but the pH has a significant influence on the potential value of the sensor at low chloride concentration. The potential reading of the sensor increases linearly with the solution temperature over the range from 5 to 45 °C. Meanwhile, an excellent polarization behavior is proven by galvanostatic and potentiodynamic tests. All of the results reveal that the developed sensor has a great potential for monitoring chloride ions in concrete environments.

Fabrication and characterization of resonant SOI micromechanical silicon sensors based on DRIE micromachining, freestanding release process and silicon direct bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gigan, Olivier; Chen, Hua; Robert, Olivier; Renard, Stephane; Marty, Frederic

2002-11-01

This paper is dedicated to the fabrication and technological aspect of a silicon microresonator sensor. The entire project includes the fabrication processes, the system modelling/simulation, and the electronic interface. The mechanical model of such resonator is presented including description of frequency stability and Hysterises behaviour of the electrostatically driven resonator. Numeric model and FEM simulations are used to simulate the system dynamic behaviour. The complete fabrication process is based on standard microelectronics technology with specific MEMS technological steps. The key steps are described: micromachining on SOI by Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE), specific release processes to prevent sticking (resist and HF-vapour release process) and collective vacuum encapsulation by Silicon Direct Bonding (SDB). The complete process has been validated and prototypes have been fabricated. The ASIC was designed to interface the sensor and to control the vibration amplitude. This electronic was simulated and designed to work up to 200°C and implemented in a standard 0.6μ CMOS technology. Characterizations of sensor prototypes are done both mechanically and electrostatically. These measurements showed good agreements with theory and FEM simulations.

Fabrication of Low Cost Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors Using Direct Printing by Aerosol Inkjet

DOE PAGES

Morales-Rodriguez, Marissa E.; Joshi, Pooran C.; Humphries, James R.; ...

2018-04-09

Advancements in additive manufacturing techniques, printed electronics, and nanomaterials have made it possible for the cost-effective fabrication of sensors and systems. Low-cost sensors for continuous and real time monitoring of physical and chemical parameters will directly impact the energy-efficiency, safety, and manufacturing challenges of diverse technology sectors. In this paper, we present the design, printing, and characterization of a two-port surface acoustic wave (SAW) integrated on LiNbO 3 substrate. The aerosol jet printer was used for direct-writing of interdigitated transducers for SAW devices with center frequency in the range of 40-87 MHz. In conclusion, the linear response of a temperaturemore » sensor based on the SAW design shows promise for direct-writing of environmental sensors on low-temperature substrates.« less

Fabrication of Low Cost Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors Using Direct Printing by Aerosol Inkjet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morales-Rodriguez, Marissa E.; Joshi, Pooran C.; Humphries, James R.

Advancements in additive manufacturing techniques, printed electronics, and nanomaterials have made it possible for the cost-effective fabrication of sensors and systems. Low-cost sensors for continuous and real time monitoring of physical and chemical parameters will directly impact the energy-efficiency, safety, and manufacturing challenges of diverse technology sectors. In this paper, we present the design, printing, and characterization of a two-port surface acoustic wave (SAW) integrated on LiNbO 3 substrate. The aerosol jet printer was used for direct-writing of interdigitated transducers for SAW devices with center frequency in the range of 40-87 MHz. In conclusion, the linear response of a temperaturemore » sensor based on the SAW design shows promise for direct-writing of environmental sensors on low-temperature substrates.« less

Development of a nanowire based titanium needle probe sensor for glucose monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshpande, Devesh C.

The need for continuous monitoring of various physiological functions such as blood glucose levels, neural functions and cholesterol levels has fostered the research and development of various schemes of biosensors to sense and help control the respective function. The needs of patients for sensors with minimal discomfort, longer life and better performance have necessitated the development towards smaller and more efficient sensors. In addition, the need for higher functionality from smaller sensors has led to the development of sensors with multiple electrodes, each electrode capable of sensing a different body function. Such multi-electrode sensors need to be fabricated using micro-fabrication processes in order to achieve precise control over the size, shape and placement of the electrodes. Multielectrode sensors fabricated using silicon and polymers have been demonstrated. One physiological function that attracts widespread interest is continuous glucose monitoring in our blood, since Diabetes affects millions of people all over the world. Significant deviations of blood glucose levels from the normal levels of 4-8 mM can cause fainting, coma and damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. For chronic patients, continuous monitoring of glucose levels is essential for accurate and timely treatment. A few continuous monitoring sensors are available in the market, but they have problems and cannot replace the strip type one-time glucose monitoring systems as yet. To address this need, large scale research efforts have been targeted towards continuous monitoring. The demand for higher accuracy and sensitivity has motivated researchers to evaluate the use of nanostructures in sensing. The large surface area-to-volume ratio of such structures could enable further miniaturization and push the detection limits, potentially enabling even single molecule detection. This research involved the development of a biocompatible titanium needle probe sensor for

Piezoelectric Active Humidity Sensors Based on Lead-Free NaNbO₃ Piezoelectric Nanofibers.

PubMed

Gu, Li; Zhou, Di; Cao, Jun Cheng

2016-06-07

The development of micro-/nano-scaled energy harvesters and the self-powered sensor system has attracted great attention due to the miniaturization and integration of the micro-device. In this work, lead-free NaNbO₃ piezoelectric nanofibers with a monoclinic perovskite structure were synthesized by the far-field electrospinning method. The flexible active humidity sensors were fabricated by transferring the nanofibers from silicon to a soft polymer substrate. The sensors exhibited outstanding piezoelectric energy-harvesting performance with output voltage up to 2 V during the vibration process. The output voltage generated by the NaNbO₃ sensors exhibited a negative correlation with the environmental humidity varying from 5% to 80%, where the peak-to-peak value of the output voltage generated by the sensors decreased from 0.40 to 0.07 V. The sensor also exhibited a short response time, good selectively against ethanol steam, and great temperature stability. The piezoelectric active humidity sensing property could be attributed to the increased leakage current in the NaNbO₃ nanofibers, which was generated due to proton hopping among the H₃O⁺ groups in the absorbed H₂O layers under the driving force of the piezoelectric potential.

Micro optical fiber light source and sensor and method of fabrication thereof

DOEpatents

Kopelman, Raoul; Tan, Weihong; Shi, Zhong-You

1997-01-01

This invention relates generally to the development of and a method of fabricating a fiber optic micro-light source and sensor (50). An optical fiber micro-light source (50) is presented whose aperture is extremely small yet able to act as an intense light source. Light sources of this type have wide ranging applications, including use as micro-sensors (22) in NSOM. Micro-sensor light sources have excellent detection limits as well as photo stability, reversibility, and millisecond response times. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a micro optical fiber light source is provided. It involves the photo-chemical attachment of an optically active material onto the end surface of an optical fiber cable which has been pulled to form an end with an extremely narrow aperture. More specifically, photopolymerization has been applied as a means to photo-chemically attach an optically active material (60). This process allows significant control of the size of the micro light source (50). Furthermore, photo-chemically attaching an optically active material (60) enables the implementation of the micro-light source in a variety of sensor applications.

Micro optical fiber light source and sensor and method of fabrication thereof

DOEpatents

Kopelman, R.; Tan, W.; Shi, Z.Y.

1997-05-06

This invention relates generally to the development of and a method of fabricating a fiber optic micro-light source and sensor. An optical fiber micro-light source is presented whose aperture is extremely small yet able to act as an intense light source. Light sources of this type have wide ranging applications, including use as micro-sensors in NSOM. Micro-sensor light sources have excellent detection limits as well as photo stability, reversibility, and millisecond response times. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a micro optical fiber light source is provided. It involves the photo-chemical attachment of an optically active material onto the end surface of an optical fiber cable which has been pulled to form an end with an extremely narrow aperture. More specifically, photopolymerization has been applied as a means to photo-chemically attach an optically active material. This process allows significant control of the size of the micro light source. Furthermore, photo-chemically attaching an optically active material enables the implementation of the micro-light source in a variety of sensor applications. 10 figs.

Miniature hybrid optical imaging lens

DOEpatents

Sitter, D.N. Jr.; Simpson, M.L.

1997-10-21

A miniature lens system that corrects for imaging and chromatic aberrations is disclosed, the lens system being fabricated from primarily commercially-available components. A first element at the input to a lens housing is an aperture stop. A second optical element is a refractive element with a diffractive element closely coupled to, or formed a part of, the rear surface of the refractive element. Spaced closely to the diffractive element is a baffle to limit the area of the image, and this is closely followed by a second refractive lens element to provide the final correction. The image, corrected for aberrations exits the last lens element to impinge upon a detector plane were is positioned any desired detector array. The diffractive element is fabricated according to an equation that includes, as variables, the design wavelength, the index of refraction and the radius from an optical axis of the lens system components. 2 figs.

A miniature inexpensive, oxygen sensing element

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arenz, R.W.

1991-10-07

An exhaustive study was conducted to determine the feasibility of Nernst-type oxygen sensors based on ceramics containing Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The basic sensor design consisted of a ceramic sensing module sealed into a metal tube. The module accommodated an internal heater and thermocouple. Thermal-expansion-matched metals, adhesives, and seals were researched and developed, consistent with sequential firings during sensor assembly. Significant effort was devoted to heater design/testing and to materials' compatibility with Pt electrodes. A systematic approach was taken to develop all sensor components which led to several design modifications. Prototype sensors were constructed and exhaustively tested. It is concluded thatmore » development of Nerst-type oxygen sensors based on Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} will require much further effort and application of specialized technologies. However, during the course of this 3-year program much progress was reported in the literature on amperometric-type oxygen sensors, and a minor effort was devoted here to this type of sensor based on Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}. These studies were made on Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-based ceramic samples in a multilayer-capacitor-type geometry and amperometric-type oxygen sensing was demonstrated at very low temperatures ({approximately} 160{degree}C). A central advantage here is that these types of sensors can be mass-produced very inexpensively ({approximately} 20--50 cents per unit). Research is needed, however, to develop an optimum diffusion-limiting barrier coating. In summary, the original goals of this program were not achieved due to unforeseen problems with Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}-based Nernst sensors. However, a miniature amperometric sensor base on Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} was demonstrated in this program, and it is now seen that this latter sensor is far superior to the originally proposed Nernst sensor. 6 refs., 24 figs.« less

Miniaturization of Planar Horn Motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Ostlund, Patrick N.; Chang, Zensheu; Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Widholm, Scott E.; Badescu, Mircea

2012-01-01

There is a great need for compact, efficient motors for driving various mechanisms including robots or mobility platforms. A study is currently underway to develop a new type of piezoelectric actuators with significantly more strength, low mass, small footprint, and efficiency. The actuators/motors utilize piezoelectric actuated horns which have a very high power density and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The horns are fabricated using our recently developed novel pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The monolithic design and integrated flexures that pre-stresses the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of stress bolt. This design allows embedding solid-state motors and actuators in any structure so that the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. The developed actuator uses a stack/horn actuation and has a Barth motor configuration, which potentially generates very large torque and speeds that do not require gearing. Finite element modeling and design tools were investigated to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to design and fabricate a motor. This new design offers a highly promising actuation mechanism that can potentially be miniaturized and integrated into systems and structures. It can be configured in many shapes to operate as multi-degrees of freedom and multi-dimensional motors/actuators including unidirectional, bidirectional, 2D and 3D. In this manuscript, we are reporting the experimental measurements from a bench top design and the results from the efforts to miniaturize the design using 2x2x2 mm piezoelectric stacks integrated into thin plates that are of the order of3 x 3x 0.2 cm.

Miniature Biometric Sensor Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falker, John; Terrier, Douglas; Clayton, Ronald; Hanson, Andrea; Cooper, Tommy; Downs, Meghan; Flint, Stephanie; Reyna, Baraquiel; Simon, Cory; Wilt, Grier

2015-01-01

Heart rate monitoring (HRM) is a critical need during exploration missions. Unlike the four separate systems used on ISS today, the single HRM system should perform as a diagnostic tool, perform well during exercise or high level activity, and be suitable for use during EVA. Currently available HRM technologies are dependent on uninterrupted contact with the skin and are prone to data drop-out and motion artifact when worn in the spacesuit or during exercise. Here, we seek an alternative to the chest strap and electrode based sensors currently in use on ISS today. This project aims to develop a single, high performance, robust biosensor with focused efforts on improved heart rate data quality collection during high intensity activity such as exercise or EVA.

Integrated Miniature Arrays of Optical Biomolecule Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iltchenko, Vladimir; Maleki, Lute; Lin, Ying; Le, Thanh

2009-01-01

Integrated miniature planar arrays of optical sensors for detecting specific biochemicals in extremely small quantities have been proposed. An array of this type would have an area of about 1 cm2. Each element of the array would include an optical microresonator that would have a high value of the resonance quality factor (Q . 107). The surface of each microresonator would be derivatized to make it bind molecules of a species of interest, and such binding would introduce a measurable change in the optical properties of the microresonator. Because each microresonator could be derivatized for detection of a specific biochemical different from those of the other microresonators, it would be possible to detect multiple specific biochemicals by simultaneous or sequential interrogation of all the elements in the array. Moreover, the derivatization would make it unnecessary to prepare samples by chemical tagging. Such interrogation would be effected by means of a grid of row and column polymer-based optical waveguides that would be integral parts of a chip on which the array would be fabricated. The row and column polymer-based optical waveguides would intersect at the elements of the array (see figure). At each intersection, the row and column waveguides would be optically coupled to one of the microresonators. The polymer-based waveguides would be connected via optical fibers to external light sources and photodetectors. One set of waveguides and fibers (e.g., the row waveguides and fibers) would couple light from the sources to the resonators; the other set of waveguides and fibers (e.g., the column waveguides and fibers) would couple light from the microresonators to the photodetectors. Each microresonator could be addressed individually by row and column for measurement of its optical transmission. Optionally, the chip could be fabricated so that each microresonator would lie inside a microwell, into which a microscopic liquid sample could be dispensed.

Nanoparticle separation with a miniaturized asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation cartridge

PubMed Central

Müller, David; Cattaneo, Stefano; Meier, Florian; Welz, Roland; de Mello, Andrew J.

2015-01-01

Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) is a separation technique applicable to particles over a wide size range. Despite the many advantages of AF4, its adoption in routine particle analysis is somewhat limited by the large footprint of currently available separation cartridges, extended analysis times and significant solvent consumption. To address these issues, we describe the fabrication and characterization of miniaturized AF4 cartridges. Key features of the down-scaled platform include simplified cartridge and reagent handling, reduced analysis costs and higher throughput capacities. The separation performance of the miniaturized cartridge is assessed using certified gold and silver nanoparticle standards. Analysis of gold nanoparticle populations indicates shorter analysis times and increased sensitivity compared to conventional AF4 separation schemes. Moreover, nanoparticulate titanium dioxide populations exhibiting broad size distributions are analyzed in a rapid and efficient manner. Finally, the repeatability and reproducibility of the miniaturized platform are investigated with respect to analysis time and separation efficiency. PMID:26258119

Nanoparticle separation with a miniaturized asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation cartridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, David; Cattaneo, Stefano; Meier, Florian; Welz, Roland; deMello, Andrew

2015-07-01

Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4) is a separation technique applicable to particles over a wide size range. Despite the many advantages of AF4, its adoption in routine particle analysis is somewhat limited by the large footprint of currently available separation cartridges, extended analysis times and significant solvent consumption. To address these issues, we describe the fabrication and characterization of miniaturized AF4 cartridges. Key features of the scale-down platform include simplified cartridge and reagent handling, reduced analysis costs and higher throughput capacities. The separation performance of the miniaturized cartridge is assessed using certified gold and silver nanoparticle standards. Analysis of gold nanoparticle populations indicates shorter analysis times and increased sensitivity compared to conventional AF4 separation schemes. Moreover, nanoparticulate titanium dioxide populations exhibiting broad size distributions are analyzed in a rapid and efficient manner. Finally, the repeatability and reproducibility of the miniaturized platform are investigated with respect to analysis time and separation efficiency.

Miniature Dual-Mode Absolute Scalar Magnetometer Based on the Rubidium Isotope 87Rb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korth, H.; Strohbehn, K.; Kitching, J.

2016-10-01

Miniaturized absolute scalar magnetometer based on the rubidium isotope 87Rb takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in micro-fabricated atomic devices, has a total mass of 210 g and uses <1 W of power, and maintains a sensitivity of 0.1 nT rms.

Fabrication and Testing of a Thin-Film Heat Flux Sensor for a Stirling Convertor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Scott D.; Fralick, Gustave; Wrbanek, John; Sayir, Ali

2009-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been testing high efficiency free-piston Stirling convertors for potential use in radioisotope power systems since 1999. Stirling convertors are being operated for many years to demonstrate a radioisotope power system capable of providing reliable power for potential multi-year missions. Techniques used to monitor the convertors for change in performance include measurements of temperature, pressure, energy addition, and energy rejection. Micro-porous bulk insulation is used in the Stirling convertor test set up to minimize the loss of thermal energy from the electric heat source to the environment. The insulation is characterized before extended operation, enabling correlation of the net thermal energy addition to the convertor. Aging microporous bulk insulation changes insulation efficiency, introducing errors in the correlation for net thermal energy addition. A thin-mm heat flux sensor was designed and fabricated to directly measure the net thermal energy addition to the Stirling convertor. The fabrication techniques include slip casting and using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). One micron thick noble metal thermocouples measure temperature on the surface of an Alumina ceramic disc and heat flux is calculated. Fabrication, integration, and test results of a thin film heat flux sensor are presented.

Development of n+-in-p large-area silicon microstrip sensors for very high radiation environments - ATLAS12 design and initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unno, Y.; Edwards, S. O.; Pyatt, S.; Thomas, J. P.; Wilson, J. A.; Kierstead, J.; Lynn, D.; Carter, J. R.; Hommels, L. B. A.; Robinson, D.; Bloch, I.; Gregor, I. M.; Tackmann, K.; Betancourt, C.; Jakobs, K.; Kuehn, S.; Mori, R.; Parzefall, U.; Wiik-Fucks, L.; Clark, A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez Sevilla, S.; Ashby, J.; Blue, A.; Bates, R.; Buttar, C.; Doherty, F.; Eklund, L.; McMullen, T.; McEwan, F.; O`Shea, V.; Kamada, S.; Yamamura, K.; Ikegami, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Takubo, Y.; Nishimura, R.; Takashima, R.; Chilingarov, A.; Fox, H.; Affolder, A. A.; Allport, P. P.; Casse, G.; Dervan, P.; Forshaw, D.; Greenall, A.; Wonsak, S.; Wormald, M.; Cindro, V.; Kramberger, G.; Mandic, I.; Mikuz, M.; Gorelov, I.; Hoeferkamp, M.; Palni, P.; Seidel, S.; Taylor, A.; Toms, K.; Wang, R.; Hessey, N. P.; Valencic, N.; Arai, Y.; Hanagaki, K.; Dolezal, Z.; Kodys, P.; Bohm, J.; Mikestikova, M.; Bevan, A.; Beck, G.; Ely, S.; Fadeyev, V.; Galloway, Z.; Grillo, A. A.; Martinez-McKinney, F.; Ngo, J.; Parker, C.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Schumacher, D.; Seiden, A.; French, R.; Hodgson, P.; Marin-Reyes, H.; Parker, K.; Paganis, S.; Jinnouchi, O.; Motohashi, K.; Todome, K.; Yamaguchi, D.; Hara, K.; Hagihara, M.; Garcia, C.; Jimenez, J.; Lacasta, C.; Marti i Garcia, S.; Soldevila, U.

2014-11-01

We have been developing a novel radiation-tolerant n+-in-p silicon microstrip sensor for very high radiation environments, aiming for application in the high luminosity large hadron collider. The sensors are fabricated in 6 in., p-type, float-zone wafers, where large-area strip sensor designs are laid out together with a number of miniature sensors. Radiation tolerance has been studied with ATLAS07 sensors and with independent structures. The ATLAS07 design was developed into new ATLAS12 designs. The ATLAS12A large-area sensor is made towards an axial strip sensor and the ATLAS12M towards a stereo strip sensor. New features to the ATLAS12 sensors are two dicing lines: standard edge space of 910 μm and slim edge space of 450 μm, a gated punch-through protection structure, and connection of orphan strips in a triangular corner of stereo strips. We report the design of the ATLAS12 layouts and initial measurements of the leakage current after dicing and the resistivity of the wafers.

Fiber Fabry-Perot Force Sensor with Small Volume and High Performance for Assessing Fretting Damage of Steam Generator Tubes

PubMed Central

Huang, Peijian; Wang, Ning; Li, Junying; Zhu, Yong; Zhang, Jie

2017-01-01

Measuring the radial collision force between the steam generator tube (SGT) and the tube support plate (TSP) is essential to assess the fretting damage of the SGT. In order to measure the radial collision force, a novel miniaturized force sensor based on fiber Fabry-Perot (F-P) was designed, and the principle and characteristics of the sensor were analyzed in detail. Then, the F-P force sensor was successfully fabricated and calibrated, and the overall dimensions of the encapsulated fiber F-P sensor were 17 mm × 5 mm × 3 mm (L × W × H). The sensor works well in humid, high pressure (10 MPa), high temperature (350 °C), and vibration (40 kHz) environments. Finally, the F-P force sensors were installed in a 1:1 steam generator test loop, and the radial collision force signals between the SGT and the TSP were obtained. The experiments indicated that the F-P sensor with small volume and high performance could help in assessing the fretting damage of the steam generator tubes. PMID:29236087

Flight experience with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamory, Philip J.; Murray, James E.

1992-01-01

Engineers at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility (NASA-Dryden) have conducted two flight research programs with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems built around commercial data loggers. One program quantified the performance of a radio-controlled model airplane. The other program was a laminar boundary-layer transition experiment on a manned sailplane. The purpose of this paper is to report NASA-Dryden personnel's flight experience with the miniaturized instrumentation systems used on these two programs. The paper will describe the data loggers, the sensors, and the hardware and software developed to complete the systems. The paper also describes how the systems were used and covers the challenges encountered to make them work. Examples of raw data and derived results will be shown as well. Finally, future plans for these systems will be discussed.

In vivo measurement of the 3D kinematics of the temporomandibular joint using miniaturized electromagnetic trackers: technical report.

PubMed

Baeyens, J-P; Gilomen, H; Erdmann, B; Clijsen, R; Cabri, J; Vissers, D

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of miniaturized electromagnetic trackers (1 × 0.5 × 0.5 cm) fixed on teeth of the maxilla and mandible to analyse in vivo the 3D kinematics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A third sensor was fixed to the forehead, and a fourth sensor was used as a stylus pointer to detect several anatomical landmarks in order to embed a local frame on the cranium. Temporomandibular opening/closing, chewing, laterotrusion and protrusion were examined. The prime objective within this study was to rigidly attach electromagnetic minisensors on teeth. The key for a successful affixation was the kevlar interface. The distances between the two mandibular affixed sensors and between the two maxillar affixed sensors were overall smaller than 0.033 cm for position and 0.2° for attitude throughout the temporomandibular motions. The relative motions between a forehead sensor and the maxilla affixed sensor are too big to suggest a forehead sensor as an alternative for a maxilla affixed sensor. The technique using miniaturized electromagnetic trackers furthers on the methods using electromagnetic trackers on external appliances. The method allows full range of motion of the TMJ and does not disturb normal TMJ function.

Eraser-based eco-friendly fabrication of a skin-like large-area matrix of flexible carbon nanotube strain and pressure sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee

2017-03-01

This paper reports a new type of electronic, recoverable skin-like pressure and strain sensor, produced on a flexible, biodegradable pencil-eraser substrate and fabricated using a solvent-free, low-cost and energy efficient process. Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film, the strain sensing element, was patterned on pencil eraser with a rolling pin and a pre-compaction mechanical press. This induces high interfacial bonding between the MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which enables the sensor to achieve recoverability under ambient conditions. The eraser serves as a substrate for strain sensing, as well as acting as a dielectric for capacitive pressure sensing, thereby eliminating the dielectric deposition step, which is crucial in capacitive-based pressure sensors. The strain sensing transduction mechanism is attributed to the tunneling effect, caused by the elastic behavior of the MWCNTs and the strong mechanical interlock between MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which restricts slippage of MWCNTs on the eraser thereby minimizing hysteresis. The gauge factor of the strain sensor was calculated to be 2.4, which is comparable to and even better than most of the strain and pressure sensors fabricated with more complex designs and architectures. The sensitivity of the capacitive pressure sensor was found to be 0.135 MPa-1.To demonstrate the applicability of the sensor as artificial electronic skin, the sensor was assembled on various parts of the human body and corresponding movements and touch sensation were monitored. The entire fabrication process is scalable and can be integrated into large areas to map spatial pressure distributions. This low-cost, easily scalable MWCNT pin-rolled eraser-based pressure and strain sensor has huge potential in applications such as artificial e-skin in flexible electronics and medical diagnostics, in particular in surgery as it provides high spatial resolution without a complex nanostructure architecture.

Eraser-based eco-friendly fabrication of a skin-like large-area matrix of flexible carbon nanotube strain and pressure sensors.

PubMed

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee

2017-03-03

This paper reports a new type of electronic, recoverable skin-like pressure and strain sensor, produced on a flexible, biodegradable pencil-eraser substrate and fabricated using a solvent-free, low-cost and energy efficient process. Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film, the strain sensing element, was patterned on pencil eraser with a rolling pin and a pre-compaction mechanical press. This induces high interfacial bonding between the MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which enables the sensor to achieve recoverability under ambient conditions. The eraser serves as a substrate for strain sensing, as well as acting as a dielectric for capacitive pressure sensing, thereby eliminating the dielectric deposition step, which is crucial in capacitive-based pressure sensors. The strain sensing transduction mechanism is attributed to the tunneling effect, caused by the elastic behavior of the MWCNTs and the strong mechanical interlock between MWCNTs and the eraser substrate, which restricts slippage of MWCNTs on the eraser thereby minimizing hysteresis. The gauge factor of the strain sensor was calculated to be 2.4, which is comparable to and even better than most of the strain and pressure sensors fabricated with more complex designs and architectures. The sensitivity of the capacitive pressure sensor was found to be 0.135 MPa -1 .To demonstrate the applicability of the sensor as artificial electronic skin, the sensor was assembled on various parts of the human body and corresponding movements and touch sensation were monitored. The entire fabrication process is scalable and can be integrated into large areas to map spatial pressure distributions. This low-cost, easily scalable MWCNT pin-rolled eraser-based pressure and strain sensor has huge potential in applications such as artificial e-skin in flexible electronics and medical diagnostics, in particular in surgery as it provides high spatial resolution without a complex nanostructure architecture.

Fabrication and characterization of 3C-silicon carbide micro sensor for wireless blood pressure measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basak, Nupur

A potentially implantable single crystal 3C-SiC pressure sensor for blood pressure measurement was designed, simulated, fabricated, characterized and optimized. This research uses a single crystal 3C-SiC, for the first time, to demonstrate its application as a blood pressure measurement sensor. The sensor, which uses the epitaxial grown 3C-SiC membrane to measure changes in pressure, is designed to be wireless, biocompatible and linear. The SiC material was chosen for its superior physical, chemical and mechanical properties; the capacitive sensor uses a 3C-SiC membrane as one of the electrodes; and, the sensor system is wireless for comfort and to allow for convenient reading of real-time pressure data (wireless communication is enabled by connecting the sensor parallel to a planar inductor). Together, the variable capacitive sensor and planar inductor create a pressure sensitive resonant circuit. The sensor system described above allows for implantation into a human patient's body, after which the planar inductor can be coupled with an external inductor to receive data for real-time blood pressure measurement. Electroplating, thick photo-resist characterization, RIE etching, oxidation, CVD, chemical mechanical polishing and wafer bonding were optimized during the process of fabricating the sensor system and, in addition to detailing the sensor system simulation and characterization; the optimized processes are detailed in the dissertation. This absolute pressure sensor is designed to function optimally within the human blood pressure range of 50-350mmHg. The layout and modeling of the sensor uses finite element analysis (FEA) software. The simulations for membrane deflection, stress analysis and electro-mechanical analysis are performed for 100 μm2 and 400μm2sensors. The membrane deflection-pressure, capacitance-pressure and resonant frequency-pressure graphs were obtained, and detailed in the dissertation, along with the planar inductor simulation for

Flexible, Stretchable Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring: Sensing Mechanisms, Materials, Fabrication Strategies and Features

PubMed Central

Liu, Yan; Wang, Hai; Zhao, Wei; Qin, Hongbo; Xie, Yongqiang

2018-01-01

Wearable health monitoring systems have gained considerable interest in recent years owing to their tremendous promise for personal portable health watching and remote medical practices. The sensors with excellent flexibility and stretchability are crucial components that can provide health monitoring systems with the capability of continuously tracking physiological signals of human body without conspicuous uncomfortableness and invasiveness. The signals acquired by these sensors, such as body motion, heart rate, breath, skin temperature and metabolism parameter, are closely associated with personal health conditions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in flexible and stretchable sensors, concerning the detected health indicators, sensing mechanisms, functional materials, fabrication strategies, basic and desired features. The potential challenges and future perspectives of wearable health monitoring system are also briefly discussed. PMID:29470408

Flexible, Stretchable Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring: Sensing Mechanisms, Materials, Fabrication Strategies and Features.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Wang, Hai; Zhao, Wei; Zhang, Min; Qin, Hongbo; Xie, Yongqiang

2018-02-22

Wearable health monitoring systems have gained considerable interest in recent years owing to their tremendous promise for personal portable health watching and remote medical practices. The sensors with excellent flexibility and stretchability are crucial components that can provide health monitoring systems with the capability of continuously tracking physiological signals of human body without conspicuous uncomfortableness and invasiveness. The signals acquired by these sensors, such as body motion, heart rate, breath, skin temperature and metabolism parameter, are closely associated with personal health conditions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in flexible and stretchable sensors, concerning the detected health indicators, sensing mechanisms, functional materials, fabrication strategies, basic and desired features. The potential challenges and future perspectives of wearable health monitoring system are also briefly discussed.

Interrogation of miniature extrinsic Fabry-Pérot sensor using path matched differential interferometer and phase generated carrier scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)