The present disclosure provides for an electronic sensor for detecting a root of a plant in soil, the electronic sensor that includes a first conductor plate configured to be disposed in soil, a switch, a power supply, and signal extractor. The switch is electrically coupled to the first conductor plate and is configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode. The power supply is electrically coupled to the switch and is configured to provide an electrical charge to the first conductor plate in the first mode of the switch. The signal extractor is electrically coupled to the switch and is configured to extract a signal response at the first conductor plate in the second mode of the switch. The present disclosure further provides a second conductor plate configured to be disposed in soil adjacent to and substantially parallel to the first conductor plate. The second conductor plate is electrically coupled to ground.

A device includes a channel, a slit, and a cap. The channel is formed on a surface of the device. The slit separates the channel to a first portion and a second portion. The first portion comprises liquid metal, e.g., gallatin. The second portion comprises gas. The liquid metal moves within the channel between the first and the second portions in response to external stimuli, e.g., pressure. The liquid metal moving within the channel changes electrical characteristics, e.g., capacitive value, inductance value, resistance value, resonance frequency, etc., of the device.

A device includes a channel, a slit, and a cap. The channel is formed on a surface of the device. The slit separates the channel to a first portion and a second portion. The first portion comprises liquid metal, e.g., gallatin. The second portion comprises gas. The liquid metal moves within the channel between the first and the second portions in response to external stimuli, e.g., pressure. The liquid metal moving within the channel changes electrical characteristics, e.g., capacitive value, inductance value, resistance value, resonance frequency, etc., of the device.

An electrical conductivity detector includes a cell, a pair of electrodes, a voltage application part, an amplification circuit, a phase adjustment value holding part, and a signal processing circuit. The amplification circuit has multiple gains, and amplifies a current flowing between the pair of electrodes using any one of the gains to obtain an amplified signal. The phase adjustment value holding part holds a phase adjustment value determined in advance for each of the gains for canceling a phase difference between amplified signals determined using each of the gains of the amplification circuit. The signal processing circuit calculates electrical conductivity of the liquid flowing through the cell using an amplified signal obtained by being amplified by the amplification circuit and the phase adjustment value which is for the gain used to obtain the amplified signal and is held in the phase adjustment value holding part.

An electrical conductivity detector includes a cell, a pair of electrodes, a voltage application part, an amplification circuit, a phase adjustment value holding part, and a signal processing circuit. The amplification circuit has multiple gains, and amplifies a current flowing between the pair of electrodes using any one of the gains to obtain an amplified signal. The phase adjustment value holding part holds a phase adjustment value determined in advance for each of the gains for canceling a phase difference between amplified signals determined using each of the gains of the amplification circuit. The signal processing circuit calculates electrical conductivity of the liquid flowing through the cell using an amplified signal obtained by being amplified by the amplification circuit and the phase adjustment value which is for the gain used to obtain the amplified signal and is held in the phase adjustment value holding part.

A medicament preparation system includes a disposable cartridge with a flow path. Various sensors may be placed on the cartridge to measure qualities of the fluid flowing through the flow path. The sensors are placed in precise locations using various approaches that make manufacturing of the cartridge efficient and repeatable. A drain line that is susceptible to fouling may be preattached and various approaches are used to remove or reduce the fouling. An elastomeric contact can also be present in the medical preparation system and used in a conductivity measurement subsystem.

An AM-EWOD device includes a plurality of array elements arranged in an array of rows and columns; each column including a column addressing line that applies control signals to a corresponding column of array elements, and each row including a row addressing line that applies control signals to a corresponding row of array elements; each array element including an element electrode for receiving an actuation voltage and a switch transistor, wherein the switch transistor is electrically connected between the column addressing line and the element electrode and is switched by the row addressing line; and a column detection circuit comprising an addressing circuit that applies an electrical perturbation during a sensing operation to the column addressing line of an array element being sensed, and a measuring circuit that measures an output signal from one of the column addressing lines, wherein the output signal varies based upon a capacitance present at the element electrode.

A method of operating an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device provides for enhanced mutual capacitance sensing using integrated impedance sensing circuitry. Array element circuitry of each array element includes actuation circuitry configured to apply actuation voltages to the array element electrode for actuating the array element, and impedance sensor circuitry integrated into the array element circuitry and configured to sense impedance at the array element electrode. The method of operating includes the steps of: perturbing a voltage applied to the array element electrode of a first array element; coupling the voltage perturbation to the array element electrode of a second array element different from the first array element; and measuring the output current from the sensor readout transistor of the second array element for sensing in response to the voltage perturbation. The method may be performed by an AM-EWOD control system executing program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

Articles comprising a resistor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates and methods of detecting an impact on an article using a resistor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates are disclosed. Such core shell liquid metal encapsulates enable simple but robust impact sensors as such encapsulates comprise a highly electrically resistant metal oxide shell that prevents such encapsulates from coalescing. Yet when such shell is ruptured, the highly conductive bulk liquid metal is released. Such liquid metal changes electrical properties of a sensor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates which in turn is evidence of the aforementioned impact.

Articles comprising a resistor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates and methods of detecting an impact on an article using a resistor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates are disclosed. Such core shell liquid metal encapsulates enable simple but robust impact sensors as such encapsulates comprise a highly electrically resistant metal oxide shell that prevents such encapsulates from coalescing. Yet when such shell is ruptured, the highly conductive bulk liquid metal is released. Such liquid metal changes electrical properties of a sensor comprising core shell liquid metal encapsulates which in turn is evidence of the aforementioned impact.