Apparatus and related methods are provided in a surface acoustic wave (SAW) scale for measuring weight of a load. A processor reads a first frequency of a SAW delay line operating in a first mode. A push oscillator injects a frequency similar to but different than the first frequency in order to cause the SAW delay line to operate in a second mode, and the processor reads a second frequency of the SAW delay line operating in the second mode. A difference between the frequencies is calculated and compared to values in a stored table to determine the first mode at which the SAW delay line was operating. Based on a determination of the first mode and the first frequency, the weight of the load is determined. This determined weight can be used to recalibrate an auxiliary weight sensor.

A magnesium zinc oxide (MZO) nanostructure modified quartz crystal microbalance (MZO.sub.nano-QCM) takes advantage of the unique sensing ability and biocompatibility of MZO-based nanostructures, and combines them with the dynamic impedance spectrum capability of the bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices including QCM, to form a real-time, noninvasive and label-free cell monitoring biosensor, specifically detecting the susceptibility and resistance of bacterial and fungal strains and cancer cells to various antibiotic and antifungal drugs and anticancer drugs, respectively.

A force detection sensor includes a base member having a first surface subjected to an external force and a second surface having a normal direction different from the first surface, and electrode fingers placed on the second surface, wherein an arrangement direction of the electrode fingers is different from the normal direction of the first surface in a plan view of the second surface. Further, the second surface includes a surface of a piezoelectric material. A constituent material of the piezoelectric material is quartz crystal. The first surface crosses an electrical axis of the quartz crystal.

The invention relates to a cell for measuring a piezoelectric resonator, which has a first casing body and a second casing body, and a quartz resonator configured as a wafer having metal layers on both sides as electric contact surfaces, the first casing body having coupling features and the second casing body having coupling slots, the coupling features being configured to be assembled in the coupling slots when the measuring cell is in a working position, such that the first casing body is assembled in the second casing body when pressure is exerted on the first casing body until the surface of the lower end of the first body makes physical contact with the upper surface of the second casing body and, subsequently, the first casing body is rotated to one side of the axis of symmetry of the measuring cell.

An apparatus and method is provided for coating a surface of a material with a film of porous coordination polymer. A first substrate having a first surface to be coated is positioned in a processing chamber such that the first surface is placed in a substantially opposing relationship to a second surface. In some embodiments, the second surface is provided by a wall of the processing chamber, and in other embodiments the second surface is provided by a second substrate to be coated. The first substrate is held such that a gap exists between the first and second surfaces, and the gap is filled with at least one reaction mixture comprising reagents sufficient to form the crystalline film on at least the first surface. A thin gap (e.g., having a thickness less than 2 mm) between the first and second surfaces is effective for producing a high quality film having a thickness less than 100 ?m. Confining the volume of the reaction mixture to a thin layer adjacent the substrate surface significantly reduces problems with sedimentation and concentration control. In some embodiments, the size, shape, or average thickness of the gap is adjusted during formation of the film in response to feedback from at least one film growth monitor.

Methods and apparatus to measure mass in low gravity environments are disclosed. A disclosed example low-gravity mass-measuring apparatus includes a coupler to couple a coupling portion to an object, the coupling portion including a first inertial measurement unit (IMU), a force device to provide a force to cause a movement of a dock relative to the coupling portion, where the dock is releasably couplable to the coupling portion and includes a second IMU, and a processor to calculate a mass of the object based on movement data from the first and second IMUs and the force.

Apparatus and related methods are provided for automatically recalibrating a SAW scale for changing environmental factors. During a period of time when there is no change to a weight applied to the scale, readings of SAW transducers which relate to weight indications and environmental factor indications are taken for two adjacent operating modes of the scale, and two calibrated weight calculations are made utilizing those readings. The difference in calibrated weight calculations is then related to a variable utilized to transform the readings into weights, which is updated, thereby recalibrating the scale.

A device for weighing micro- and nano-sized particles. The device includes a base portion, an oscillator coupled to the base portion configured to vibrate the base portion, a first cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion at a proximal end and having a tip portion at a distal end, and a second cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion at a proximal end and having a tip portion at a distal end, each of the first and second cantilever beams further having a first plurality of fingers near the first tip portion inwardly pointing and a second plurality of fingers near the second tip portion inwardly pointing, respectively, such that the entirety of each cantilever beam is positioned in a side-by-side manner next to the entirety of the other forming substantially mirror images of one another, the first plurality of fingers interdigitating with the second plurality of fingers such that the first cantilevered beam and the second cantilevered beam can oscillate independent of each other, the interdigitating fingers separated by gaps that are configured to reflect light from the interdigitating fingers during oscillation of the first and second cantilevered beams to form a diffraction pattern.

A filter arrangement of a vehicle includes a filter, preferably an active carbon filter, a sprung suspension for the vibrational mounting of the filter in the vehicle, a sensor unit for determining a variable corresponding to the current weight of the filter from a vibrational movement of the filter, and an analyzing unit for calculating a filling degree of the filter from the filter weight determined, taking the empty weight of the filter into account. The filter is suspended such that the filter can vibrate about a rotational axis fixed to the vehicle.

A load sensor and load detector for detecting the weight of tiny substances such as viruses or bacteria and includes a resonance generator causing a vibrating unit to resonate, a load sensor, and a voltage detector that detects change in induced electromotive force in a pick-up. The load sensor includes the vibrating unit, pick-up, and a substance adsorbent. The vibrating unit includes a magnetostrictive element capable of resonating. The pick-up generates an induced current using inverse magnetostrictive effect of the magnetostrictive element resulting from the vibrating unit vibrations. The substance adsorbent is provided at the vibrating unit, is composed of an antibody to viruses or bacteria and at least partially covers the vibrating unit. The pick-up is composed of a coil with the vibrating unit arranged inside the coil. The vibrating unit is formed by bonding the magnetostrictive element and a soft magnetic body to each other.