Chemical sensor array
US6321588A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 11, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 11, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/106
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A device for detecting chemical substances includes a plurality of sensors arranged in an array. The sensors are connected to respective oscillator circuits which drive the sensors, and the oscillator circuits are coupled to a power multiplexer which provides the circuits with power according to a timing pattern such that not all of the oscillator circuits are activated at any one time. Preferably, only one oscillator circuit is activated at any given time. This multiplexing arrangement saves power and substantially eliminates cross talk between the oscillator circuits. The oscillator circuits are preferably application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and the sensors are preferably surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. In use, the SAW sensors are exposed to a gas, such as air, containing the chemical substance to be detected. Signals from the SAW sensors are analyzed to identify the chemical substance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.