Dielectric sensing for sample characterization

US10674931B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · US
• The United States Government as Represented by The Department of Veteran Affairs · US

Inventors

• Michael Suster · Cleveland, US
• Pedram Mohseni · Highland Heights, US
• Debnath Maji · Cleveland, US
• Evi Stavrou · Cleveland, US
• Umut Gurkan · Shaker Heights, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 17, 2017
• Grant date: Jun 9, 2020
• Expiry date: Apr 8, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N33/4905
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

As one example, a fluid monitoring apparatus includes a dielectric microsensor that includes a capacitive sensing structure integrated into a microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel includes a fluid input to receive a sample volume of a sample under test (SUT). A transmitter provides an input radio frequency (RF) signal to an RF input of the microsensor. A receiver receives an output RF signal from the microsensor. A computing device computes dielectric permittivity values of the SUT that vary over a time interval based on the output RF signal. The computing device may determine at least one permittivity parameter based on the computed dielectric permittivity values over at least a portion of the time interval.