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US 6,647,778 B2Granted
Integrated microtube sensing device
AssigneeIntegrated Sensing Systems, Inc.
InventorDouglas Ray Sparks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensing device that comprises a micromachined tube on a substrate for resonant sensing of mass flow and density of a fluid flowing through the tube. The sensing device further incorporates on the same substrate at least a second micromachined tube configured for sensing another property of the fluid, such as pressure, viscosity and/or temperature.
Claims32
A sensing device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first micromachined tube comprising a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a freestanding portion between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet so as to define a continuous passage for a fluid flowing through the first micromachined tube, the freestanding portion being spaced apart from a first surface of the substrate;
- means for vibrating the freestanding portion of the first micromachined tube at a resonant frequency thereof;
- means for sensing movement of the freestanding portion of the first micromachined tube;
- and
- at least a second micromachined tube on the substrate, the second micromachined tube being a component of means for sensing a property chosen from the group consisting of motion of the sensing device and pressure, viscosity and temperature of the fluid flowing through the first micromachined tube;
- wherein the first and second micromachined tubes comprise portions that are defined by at least one of a bulk etched region of the substrate or an etched film on the substrate.
4 more elements
A sensing device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first tube comprising a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a freestanding portion between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet so as to define a continuous passage for a fluid flowing through the first tube, the freestanding portion being spaced apart from a first surface of the substrate and comprising a micromachined portion of the substrate;
- means for vibrating the freestanding portion of the first tube at a resonant frequency thereof;
- means for sensing movement of the freestanding portion of the first tube and thereby sense a property chosen from the group consisting of density and mass flow rate of the fluid flowing through the first tube;
- and
- at least a second tube comprising a micromachined portion of the substrate, the second tube being in series with the first tube such that the fluid flows through both the first and second tubes, the second tube being a component of means for sensing a property chosen from the group consisting of pressure, viscosity and temperature of the fluid flowing through the first tube.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.