microsensor – TechConnect Briefs

The use of interdigitated microelectrode structures for the detection of exposure to simulated airborne environmental dust

Townsend R.L., Rocks S.A., Dorey R.A., Tearle S., University of Surrey, UK

Particulate matter is ubiquitous in the environment however industrial processes increase the amount released in the air. Here we show the initial development of a novel sensor capable of detecting airborne particulate matter in real [...]

On-Chip Ion-selective Microesensor for Evaluation of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential

Lim T.-S., Dávila A., Wallace D.C., Burke P., UC Irvine, US

The mitochondrial membrane potential is used to generate and regulate energy in living systems, driving the conversion of ADP to ATP, and controlling apoptosis, all central to human health and disease. Therefore, there is a [...]

Nanostructured Gas Microsensor Platform

Routkevitch D., Polyakov O., Deininger D., Kostelecky C., Synkera Technologies, Inc., US

Nanostructured materials, with their small grain size, large number of grain boundaries, and high specific surface area, hold promise for significantly improving the performance of solid-state gas sensors. To fully realize this potential, precision nanoscale [...]

Microsensors, Arrays and Automatic Diagnosis of Sensor Faults

Gaura E., Newman R.M., Coventry University, UK

As man-made dynamical systems become increasingly complex, there is an ever-present need to ensure their safe and reliable operation [1]. These requirements extend beyond the normally accepted safety-critical systems (e.g. nuclear reactors, chemical plants, and [...]

Using Very Large Arrays of Intelligent Sensors

Newman R.M., Coventry University, UK

In 1994 the author patented an intelligent vibration sensor. The device was essentially an accelerometer with integrated analog and digital processing capability as shown in figure 1, which allowed a large proportion of the diagnostic [...]

Thermal Frequency Drift of Resonant Microsensor

Shen F., Lu P., O'Shea S.J., Lee K.H., Pradhan S.C., Ng T.Y., Institute for High Performance Computing, SG

Thermal effects on the resonant frequency drift of a microsensor (a silicon cantilever beam with a gold coating) are studied. Two cases are investigated using analytical methods: uniform temperature distribution and linear temperature distribution along [...]

Design, Simulation and Fabrication of a Bridge Structure Microtransducer

Zanga M., Zurn S.M., Polla D.L., Nelson B.J., Robbins W.P., University of Minnesota, US

ANSYS simulation of a variety of microtransducers was performed. The results indicate that a bridge structure is an optimal design for a microtransducer. Simulation of a bridge structure PZT thin film microtransducer was verified by [...]

A Least Squares Algorithm for Optimal Heater Placement in Microsensors

Liu C.C., Man P.F., Mastrangelo C.H., University of Michigan, US

In this paper we present an algorithm that yields the optimal placement of a finite number of constant power density heaters for an arbitrary desired temperature profile. Using this algorithm, the volume efficiency (the percentage [...]