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US 7,008,795 B2Granted
Multi-way LED-based chemochromic sensor
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Research Labs, Inc.
InventorsWilliam S. Yerazunis, Dermot Diamond, Paul H. Dietz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chemochromic sensor includes multiple bi-directional LEDs, each optically aligned with one or more test areas. Each LED is used as both a light emitter when driven in forward bias, and as a light detector when driven in reverse bias. By alternating the bias on the LEDs, multi-way light measurements of the test area can be obtained.
Claims9
A chemochromic sensor comprising:
- a microprocessor including a first pair of I/O pins and a second pair of I/O pins, and means for measuring a voltage drop across the first pair of I/O pins and the second pairs of I/O pins;
- a first light-emitting diode connected to the first pair of I/O pins;
- a second light-emitting diode connected to the second pair of I/O pins;
- a test area configured to receive a mixture of a chemochromic reagent and a test material;
- and
- means for driving the first light-emitting diode in forward bias to emit light onto the test area while driving the second light-emitting diode in reverse bias to sense light from the test area by measuring the voltage drop across the second pair of I/O pins to measure a first amount of the test material.
3 more elements
A method for sensing a chemochromic reagent and test material comprising:
- driving a first light-emitting diode, having a first pair of I/O pins, in forward bias to emit light onto a test area containing a mixture of the chemochromic reagent and the test material;
- and
- driving a second light-emitting diode, having a second pair of I/O pins, in reverse bias to sense light from the test area by measuring a voltage drop across the second pair of I/O pins to measure a first amount of test material.
A chemochromic sensor comprising:
- a microprocessor including a plurality of pairs of I/O pins and means for measuring a voltage drop across each pair of I/O pins;
- a plurality of light-emitting diodes, one light emitting diode connected to one pair of I/O pins;
- a plurality of test areas each configured to receive chemochromic materials;
- and
- means for driving a particular light-emitting diode in forward bias to emit light onto selected test areas while driving other ones of the light-emitting diodes in reverse bias to sense light reflected from the selected test areas by measuring the voltage drop across corresponding pairs of I/O pins of the reverse driven light emitting diodes, the voltage drops corresponding to amounts of the chemochromic materials.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.