Method and apparatus for characterizing materials by using a mechanical resonator
US6336353B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 7, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/0427
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring properties of a fluid composition includes a mechanical resonator connected to a measurement circuit. The measurement circuit provides a variable frequency input signal to the mechanical resonator, causing the mechanical resonator to oscillate. To test the properties of a liquid composition, the mechanical resonator is placed inside a sample well containing a small amount of the fluid. The input signal is then sent to the mechanical resonator and swept over a selected frequency range. The mechanical resonator's response over the frequency range depends on various characteristics of the fluid being tested, such as the temperature, viscosity, and other physical properties. The invention is particularly suitable for combinatorial chemistry applications, which require rapid analysis of chemical properties for screening.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.