Method and system for gathering a library of response patterns for sensor arrays
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorSolomon Zaromb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of gathering a library of response patterns for one or more sensor arrays used in the detection and identification of chemical components in a fluid includes the steps of feeding samples of fluid with time-spaced separation of known components to the sensor arrays arranged in parallel or series configurations. Modifying elements such as heating filaments of differing materials operated at differing temperatures are included in the configurations to duplicate operational modes designed into the portable detection systems with which the calibrated sensor arrays are to be used. The response patterns from the known components are collected into a library held in the memory of a microprocessor for comparison with the response patterns of unknown components.
Claims19
A method of gathering a library of response patterns for one or more sensor arrays for use in the detection and identification of the chemical components of a fluid, each of the sensor arrays including a plurality of sensors having differing electrical responses to at least one component or derivative thereof, said method comprising:
- providing a sample of fluid with time-spaced separation of several known components;
- dividing the sample into a plurality of n parallel streams, each stream including a representative portion of each time-spaced component;
- passing the first of the parallel streams through the first of a plurality of sensor arrays and recording the sensor responses to each time-spaced component;
- simultaneous conditioning of the second through the n-th parallel stream to selectively alter the time-spaced components therein and then separately passing each of the second through n-th stream in parallel through a second to n-th sensor array respectively and recording the response to each time-spaced component;
- providing, in succession, second through n-th samples of fluid with time-spaced separation of known components;
- dividing each of the second through n-th samples into a plurality of n parallel streams, each stream including a representative portion of each time-spaced component;
- passing one of the parallel streams from each of the second through n-th samples in succession, through the respective one of the second to the n-th sensor arrays and recording the sensor responses to each time-spaced component;
- simultaneously conditioning each of the remaining parallel streams from each of the second through n-th samples to selectively alter the time-spaced components therein and then separately passing each of the remaining streams through one of the remaining n-1 sensor arrays and recording the sensor responses to each time-spaced component;
- and
- organizing the responses to the time-spaced components into respective libraries of response patterns corresponding to each of the sensor arrays for use in the detection and identification of said chemical components.
A method of gathering a library of response patterns for one or more sensor arrays for use in the detection and identification of the chemical components of a fluid, each of the sensor arrays including a plurality of sensors having differing electrical responses to at least one component or derivative thereof, said method comprising:
- providing n samples of fluid with time-spaced separation of known components, where n equals the number of sensor arrays for which the libraries are to be prepared;
- arranging the sensor arrays in series flow with conditioning means positioned prior to all but the first of the sensor arrays in the series flow, the conditioning means operating on one or more of the components in the fluid so as to selectively alter the response thereto by the downstream sensor array;
- passing one of the samples of fluid through the series arrangement of sensor arrays and recording the response pattern to each time-spaced component produced by each of the sensor arrays;
- sequentially rearranging the series flow into n-1 differing arrangements with each of the sensor arrays in the first position in at least one arrangement;
- and
- passing the remaining n-1 samples in sequence through the respective n-1 arrangements and recording the response pattern to each time-spaced component.
- organizing the responses to the time-spaced components into respective libraries of response patterns corresponding to each of the sensor arrays for use in the detection and identification of said chemical components.
A system for gathering a library of response patterns for one or more sensor arrays, wherein each array includes one or more sensors having differing responses to at least one chemical component or a derivative thereof which the sensors are designed to detect, comprising:
- a flow arrangement including one or more conditioning means for changing the characteristics of a fluid sample to provide a changed response from at least one sensor in an array receiving the sample;
- a plurality of positions within the flow arrangement for receiving the sensor arrays;
- valving means for interconnecting the sensor array or arrays with the conditioning means in a plurality of configurations, said valving means capable of rearranging the flow configuration so that each sensor array is preceded by each of the conditioning means and so that each sensor array is accessible prior to any conditioning means;
- and
- recording means for receiving and recording response patterns corresponding to individual components in a time-spaced flow of components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.