Fluidic systems and methods of determining properties of fluids flowing therein

A fluidic system containing a micromachined device for determining at least one property of a fluid flowing in the system, the micromachined device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a base structure on the substrate;
• a tube structure extending from the base structure and spaced apart from a surface of the substrate, the tube structure comprising at least one pair of geometrically parallel tube portions substantially lying in a plane, at least one continuous internal passage defined at least in part within the parallel tube portions, and an inlet and outlet of the internal passage fluidically connected to the base structure, the tube structure being configured for vibrational movement in the plane of the tube structure;
• at least one drive element in proximity to the tube structure and operable to induce the vibrational movement of the tube structure in the plane of the tube structure and to induce resonant vibrational movements in the tube portions in the plane of the tube structure;
• and
• at least one sensing element in proximity to the tube structure and adapted to sense deflections of each of the tube portions in the plane of the tube structure when the tube structure is vibrated with the at least one drive element;
• wherein at least a portion of the fluid in the fluidic system flows through the internal passage of the tube structure and at least one property of the fluid portion is determined with the micromachined device.