# US 12,007,405 B2 · Material analysis method and material analysis apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,405 B2 - Document ID: US12007405B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/055,687 - Filed: 2019-06-04 - Published: 2021-06-24 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11 - Assignees: National Institute for Materials Science - Applicants: National Institute for Materials Science - Inventors: Kosuke Minami; Genki Yoshikawa; Gaku Imamura; Kota Shiba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007405B2 ## CPC - G01N 5/02: by absorbing or adsorbing components of a material and determining change of weight of the adsorbent, e.g. determining moisture content {(absorption bulbs B01D53/00)} - G01N 29/036: by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves - G01N 29/022: {Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices (microdevices per se B81B)} - G01N 29/4472: {Mathematical theories or simulation} - G01N 29/4481: {Neural networks} - G06N 5/04: Inference or reasoning models - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G01N 27/12: of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid {, for detecting components in the fluid} - G01N 27/4141: {specially adapted for gases} - G01N 2291/0255: (Bio)chemical reactions, e.g. on biosensors - G01N 2291/0256: Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract Provided is a novel material analysis technique using a chemical sensor. By reversing the conventional approach, a material to be measured is provided as a receptor of the chemical sensor, and a response signal of the chemical sensor obtained by supplying a known gas or the like to the chemical sensor is obtained. From the response signal, it is possible to identify and distinguish the receptor material, and to obtain its composition and the like. By analyzing the response signal by means of a statistical or machine learning technique such as principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, or a support vector machine, the above-mentioned identification and the like can be performed with high accuracy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A material analysis method for analyzing a material supported on a chemical sensor, the method comprising: providing a chemical sensor with a material to be measured supported thereon, wherein the material to be measured coats a sensor body of the chemical sensor to form a receptor layer, supplying at least one probe fluid to the chemical sensor having the receptor layer, and analyzing the material to be measured based on a signal output from the chemical sensor based on a change in a physical parameter induced by an interaction between the at least one probe fluid and the material to be measured in the receptor layer, the interaction being induced by sorption or adsorption of the at least one probe fluid to the material to be measured supported on the chemical sensor by the supplying of the at least one probe fluid, wherein the analysis is at least one selected from the group consisting of to distinguish whether or not the material to be measured is the same as another material; to identify the material to be measured; and to determine a quantity of a desired component in the material to be measured. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein the physical parameter is one or more selected from the group consisting of surface stress, stress, force, surface tension, pressure, mass, elasticity, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, resonance frequency, frequency, volume, thickness, viscosity, density, magnetic force, magnetic quantity, magnetic field, magnetic flux, magnetic flux density, electric resistance, electric quantity, dielectric constant, electric power, electric field, charge, current, voltage, potential, mobility, electrostatic energy, capacitance, inductance, reactance, susceptance, admittance, impedance, conductance, plasmon, refractive index, luminous intensity, and temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein the analysis is performed based on a result of extracting a feature value from the signal output from the chemical sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one probe fluid and a purging fluid are alternately supplied to the chemical sensor having the receptor layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one probe fluid supplied is a gas. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one probe fluid supplied is a liquid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The material analysis method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the at least one gas is a vapor produced from a volatile substance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein the material to be measured is analyzed by subjecting the signal output from the chemical sensor to machine learning. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The material analysis method according to claim 1, wherein the material to be measured is analyzed by subjecting the signal output from the chemical sensor to multivariate analysis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The material analysis method according to claim 9, wherein the material to be measured is analyzed by applying principal component analysis or linear discriminant analysis to the signal output from the chemical sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The material analysis method according to claim 9, wherein the material to be measured is analyzed by applying pattern recognition to the signal output from the chemical sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The material analysis method according to claim 11, wherein the pattern recognition is a support vector machine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A material analysis apparatus comprising a chemical sensor, and an analysis means that analyzes the detected signal output from the chemical sensor so that the material analysis apparatus performs the material analysis method according to claim 1.