Apparatus for sensing volatile organic chemicals in fluids
US6902701B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 7, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 4, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T436/255
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A chemical-sensing apparatus is formed from the combination of a chemical preconcentrator which sorbs and concentrates particular volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and one or more chemiresistors that sense the VOCs after the preconcentrator has been triggered to release them in concentrated form. Use of the preconcentrator and chemiresistor(s) in combination allows the VOCs to be detected at lower concentration than would be possible using the chemiresistor(s) alone and further allows measurements to be made in a variety of fluids, including liquids (e.g. groundwater). Additionally, the apparatus provides a new mode of operation for sensing VOCs based on the measurement of decay time constants, and a method for background correction to improve measurement precision.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.