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US 11,835,480 B2Granted
Device for detecting insect larvae and adult insects in stored products by sensing their volatile pheromones and semiochemicals
AssigneeSensor Development Corporation
InventorsNicholas Joseph Smilanich, Samuel Firestone Reichert, Frank Bernard Tudron
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Abstract
Minimal-cost, high-accuracy, and portable devices used to detect the presence of insect larvae and adult insects in stored products by sensing gas phase markers such as volatile pheromones, semiochemicals, and kairomones. The methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein utilize a sensor array configured to simultaneously measure a plurality of target markers and filter background gases while remaining compact, highly accurate, and easy to operate.
Claims14
A method of identifying an insect infestation of a stored product by detecting one or more target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within a target fluid flow, the method comprising:
- providing a device that comprises:
- a sensor array including a plurality of VOC sensors, wherein each VOC sensor comprises:
- a substrate having a first and second side;
- a resistive heater circuit formed on the first side of the substrate;
- a sensing circuit formed on the second side of the substrate;
- and
- a chemically sensitive film formed over the sensing circuit on the second side of the substrate;
- heating one or more of the plurality of VOC sensors to at least a first operating temperature, wherein at least a first VOC sensor is heated to the first operating temperature and at least a second VOC sensor is heated to a second operating temperature, the second operating temperature being different from the first operating temperature;
- contacting the one or more VOC sensors with the target fluid flow;
- determining a set of conductance change values (ΔKi) corresponding to each of the one or more VOC sensors contacted with the target fluid flow;
- determining a gas component concentration ([X]n) for one or more of the target VOCs within the target fluid flow based on the set of conductance change values;
- determining one or more specific net conductance values for one or more of the VOC sensors, wherein each specific net conductance value corresponds to one of the target VOCs;
- wherein the gas component concentration ([X]n) for the one or more target VOCs within the target fluid flow is determined based on the set of conductance change values (ΔKi) and the one or more specific net conductance values for each of the one or more of VOC sensors;
- wherein each specific net conductance value corresponding to a single target VOC is determined by:
- contacting the one or more VOC sensors with a control fluid flow having a known concentration of the single target VOC;
- measuring a test conductance for each of the one or more VOC sensors;
- and
- for each of the one or more VOC sensors, calculating a specific net conductance value based on the measured test conductance of the VOC sensor and the known concentration of the single target VOC within the control fluid flow;
- and
- determining a plurality of specific net conductance values for one or more of the VOC sensors, wherein each of the specific net conductance values for each of the VOC sensors corresponds to a different single target VOC.
17 more elements
A device for detecting one or more target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within a target fluid flow, the device comprising:
- a sensor array having a plurality of VOC sensors, wherein each VOC sensor includes:
- a substrate;
- a resistive heater circuit formed on a first side of the substrate;
- a sensing circuit formed on a second side of the substrate;
- and
- a chemically-sensitive film formed over the sensing circuit on the second side of the substrate;
- wherein the resistive heater circuit of a first VOC sensor of the sensor array is configured to heat the first VOC sensor to a first operating temperature, and the resistive heater circuit of a second VOC sensor of the sensor array is configured to heat the second VOC sensor to a second operating temperature, the second operating temperature being different from the first operating temperature;
- wherein the sensor array is operatively connected to a controller, the controller being configured to:
- measure a conductance for one or more of the plurality of VOC sensors;
- and
- determine a set of conductance change values corresponding to each of the one or more VOC sensors contacted with the target fluid flow;
- and
- determine a gas component concentration for one or more of the target VOCs within the target fluid flow based on the set of conductance change values;
- determine one or more specific net conductance values for one or more of the VOC sensors, wherein each specific net conductance value corresponds to one of the target VOCs;
- wherein the gas component concentration ([X]n) for the one or more target VOCs within the target fluid flow is determined based on the set of conductance change values (ΔKi) and the one or more specific net conductance values for each of the one or more of VOC sensors;
- wherein each specific net conductance value corresponding to a target VOC is determined by:
- contacting the one or more VOC sensors with a control fluid flow having a known concentration of the target VOC;
- measuring a test conductance for each of the one or more VOC sensors;
- and
- for each of the one or more VOC sensors, calculating a specific net conductance value based on the measured test conductance of the VOC sensor and the known concentration of the target VOC within the control fluid flow;
- and
- determine a plurality of specific net conductance values for one or more of the VOC sensors, wherein each of the specific net conductance values for each of the VOC sensors corresponds to a different target VOC.
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.