Mass Sensor
AssigneeNUtech Ventures
InventorsMathias M. Schubert, Eva Schubert, Tino Hofmann, Daniel Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mass sensor is provided for determining the mass of small objects. The mass sensor has a plurality of nanostructures attached to a substrate. The nanostructures and the substrate are irradiated with an electromagnetic wave to determine a first mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor. After a particle is attached to the nanostructures, the substrate and the nanostructures to which the particle is attached are irradiated with an electromagnetic wave to determine a second mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor. A mass of the particle is determined based on a difference between the first and second mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequencies.
Claims32
A method of determining a mass of a particle, the method comprising:
- providing a mass sensor having a plurality of nanostructures on a substrate;
- irradiating the plurality of nanostructures and the substrate with an electromagnetic wave to determine a first mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor;
- attaching a particle to the nanostructures;
- irradiating the substrate and the plurality of nanostructures to which the particle is attached with an electromagnetic wave to determine a second mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor;
- and
- determining a mass of the particle based on a difference between the first and second mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequencies.
An apparatus comprising:
- a mass sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of nanostructures attached to the substrate, the nanostructures having a mechanical resonant frequency that varies depending on a mass of an object coupled to the nanostructures, the nanostructures and the substrate having a mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency such that a resonance occurs when the nanostructures and the substrate are irradiated by an electromagnetic wave having a frequency substantially equal to the mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency;
- wherein the plurality of nanostructures and the substrate are configured such that changes in the mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequencies correspond to the mass of the object according to a predetermined mapping between changes in mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequencies and mass.
A system for measuring a mass of an object, comprising:
- a mass sensor comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of nanostructures attached to the substrate;
- an analyzer to determine a mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor;
- and
- a data processor to determine a mass of an object attached to the nano structures based on a difference between a first mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor measured before the object is attached to the nano structures and a second mechanical-electromagnetic resonant frequency of the mass sensor measured after the object is attached to the nano structures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.