US Patent:
20110077872, Mar 31, 2011
Inventors:
Albert Loui - Dublin CA, US
Donald J. Sirbuly - Encinitas CA, US
Selim Elhadj - Livermore CA, US
Scott K. McCall - Livermore CA, US
Bradley R. Hart - Arlington VA, US
Timothy V. Ratto - Oakland CA, US
Assignee:
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC - Livermore CA
International Classification:
G01N 29/02
Abstract:
According to one embodiment, a system for detecting and identifying gases includes a piezoresistive microcantilever transducer, wherein dissipation of heat from the piezoresistive microcantilever into one or more gases is measured by changes in an electrical resistance of the piezoresistor, a vibrating microcantilever transducer, wherein shifts are measured in resonant frequency of the vibrating microcantilever due to viscous damping thereof by the one or more gases, and a subsystem for correlating the measured resistance changes and the resonant frequency shifts to the one or more gases. In another embodiment, a method for detecting and identifying one or more gases includes determining dissipation of heat from a microcantilever into one or more gases, and determining shifts in resonant frequency of the microcantilever due to viscous damping thereof by the one or more gases. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are also described according to more embodiments.