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US 11,215,594 B2Granted
Low power circuitry for biasing a multi-channel gas sensor array and to act as a transducer for a digital back-end
AssigneeAernos, Inc.
InventorsAlbert Chen, Sundip R. Doshi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nanomaterial-based gas sensor system comprising a low voltage circuitry which includes a transducer to detect changes in electrical properties of a multi-channel gas sensor array, analog signal conditioning, and an A/D conversion to provide a signal to a digital back-end.
Claims19
A sensor system comprising:
- a sensorarray comprising a plurality of sensing elements, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements are functionalized with a deposited mixture consisting of hybrid nanostructures and a molecular formulation specifically targeting at least one of a plurality of gases, and wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements comprises a resistance and a capacitance, and wherein at least one resistance and capacitance are altered when the interacting with gaseous chemical compounds;
- an analog front-end coupled with the sensor array and configured to detect the alteration in the resistance or capacitance and produce an analog signal indicative thereof, power each of a plurality of sensing channels associated with the plurality of sensing elements, and convert the analog signal to a digital signal, the analog-front end comprising:
- an Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC),
- a parking circuit, wherein the parking circuit is configured to provide a constant voltage to any number of connected sensing channels simultaneously, and limit current through each individual sensor channel, and wherein the parking circuit comprises a plurality of switches, and wherein the parking circuit is configured to connect or disconnect any individual sensing channel via the plurality of switches,
- a measurement circuit, and
- a digital back end coupled with the analog-front end and configured to control the analog front-end, the digital backend comprising:
- memory comprising, algorithms, models and instructions.
4 more elements
A sensor system comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensing elements, wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements are functionalized with a deposited mixture consisting of hybrid nanostructures and a molecular formulation specifically targeting at least one of a plurality of gases, and wherein each of the plurality of sensing elements comprises a resistance and a capacitance, and wherein at least one resistance and capacitance are altered when the interacting with gaseous chemical compounds;
- an analog front-end coupled with the sensor array and configured to detect the alteration in the resistance or capacitance and produce an analog signal indicative thereof, power each of a plurality of sensing channels associated with the plurality of sensing elements, and convert the analog signal to a digital signal, the analog -front end comprising:
- an Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC)
- a parking circuit,
- a measurement circuit, and
- a digital back end coupled with the analog-front end and configured to control the analog front-end, the digital backend comprising:
- memory comprising, algorithms, models and instructions;
- and
- one or more gain stages, w herein each of the one or more gain stages comprise:
- a current mirror, wherein gain is implemented in the current mirror with various mirroring ratios,
- a transimpedance amplifier, configured to convert a current of the current mirror into a voltage,
- a set of selectable resistances for converting the current into a the voltage, applying gain to the conversion of current to voltage, and
- a secondary gain stage, comprising an operational amplifier.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.