An apparatus comprising, a monolithic crystal comprising a substrate portion and at least one oscillator; a first electrode provided at a first location of the oscillator; a second electrode provided at a second location of the oscillator; a gap separating the oscillator from the substrate portion, exposing a side surface of the oscillator; and one or more tethers that extend across the gap so that the oscillator is supported by the substrate portion.

A gas detecting device includes a main body, a gas sensing module, a particulate measuring module and a control module. A chamber is formed within the main body. The main body has a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber. The gas sensing module includes a compartment body, a carrying plate, a sensor and an actuator. The actuator introduces ambient gas into the gas sensing module through the first inlet, and the gas is measured by the sensor and discharged from the outlet of the compartment body. The particulate measuring module is disposed within the chamber of the main body and includes an inlet channel, an outlet channel and a particulate detector. The gas is introduced into the particulate measuring module through the inlet channel, and a concentration of particulates in the gas is measured by the particulate detector.

Microfabricated particulate matter (PM) monitors and fractionators within the PM monitors are provided. A primary channel of a vertical or out-of-plane fractionator receives air samples, comprising particles of varying sizes, from the external environment. The air samples then pass through a plurality of microfluidic channels, wherein inertial forces are applied within the microfluidic channels to separate the particles by size. The fractionator comprises a horizontal air outlet for particles having a size below a threshold size and a vertical air outlet for particles having a size above a threshold size. Thus, the proportion of PM in the air sample is reduced prior to deposition on a PM monitor. A virtual cyclone may also be provided that comprises a bend positioned at a flow path through a primary channel of the vertical microfabricated fractionator.

Sensors employing bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators are used to assay characteristics of blood. The BAW sensors may be used to sense viscosity of a sample comprising blood to determine coagulation properties of the blood. The viscosity of the blood may be evaluated in the presence of agents that inhibit coagulation or that promote coagulation. The change in viscosity of the sample in the presence of such agents may provide information regarding whether the blood suffers from a coagulation disorder.

A fluidic testing platform and methods of its operation are described. The fluidic cartridge includes a first fluidic channel and a wheel assembly coupled to the first fluidic channel. The wheel assembly includes a center portion coupled to the first fluidic channel and designed to deliver fluid through one or more second fluidic channels that radiate outward from the center portion. The wheel assembly also includes a third fluidic channel arranged in a closed loop and one or more capillaries coupled to an outer surface of the third fluidic channel and arranged to radiate outward from the center portion. The wheel assembly is designed to rotate such that fluid is forced outward from the center portion through the one or more capillaries.

A method for identifying particulates in the air, including drawing a predetermined volume of air into a housing defining an airway, flowing the predetermined volume of air over a first adhesive capture member positioned in the airway to yield a first test sample, generating a first optical image of the first test sample with a camera, storing the first optical image in a memory, analyzing the first optical image with the microprocessor to identify captured particulates, automatically counting the identified particulates, storing the first adhesive capture member to preserve the first test sample, and positioning a second adhesive capture member in the airway.

The following is an apparatus and a method that enables the automated collection and identification of airborne particulate matter comprising dust, pollen grains, mold spores, bacterial cells, and soot from a gaseous medium comprising the ambient air. Once ambient air is inducted into the apparatus, aerosol particulates are acquired and imaged under a novel lighting environment that is used to highlight diagnostic features of the acquired airborne particulate matter. Identity determinations of acquired airborne particulate matter are made based on captured images. Abundance quantifications can be made using identity classifications. Raw and summary information are communicated across a data network for review or further analysis by a user. Other than routine maintenance or subsequent analyses, the basic operations of the apparatus may use, but do not require the active participation of a human operator.

An airborne microbial measurement apparatus and a measurement method thereof are provided. An airborne microbial measurement apparatus according to an embodiment includes a discharge apparatus including a discharge electrode and a voltage supply unit applying a high voltage to the discharge electrode. A substrate is provided to a side of the discharge apparatus to collect an airborne microbe from air by a high voltage applied to the discharge electrode. A reagent injection apparatus supplies a dyeing reagent to the microbe collected on the substrate or a DNA of the microbe. A light emission measurement apparatus senses a quantity of light generated from the DNA to which the dyeing reagent is supplied. The discharge apparatus includes a controller controlling the voltage supply unit so that the voltage is applied to collect the airborne microbe or destroy an external wall of the collected airborne microbe.

A sensing sensor includes a main body portion, a piezoelectric resonator, a connecting terminal, and an information storage. The main body portion includes a supply region to which the sample solution is supplied. The piezoelectric resonator is disposed to face the supply region and includes a capturing layer that captures a sensing object. The connecting terminal is configured to attachably/detachably connect a conductive path connected to an electrode of the piezoelectric resonator to a frequency measuring unit. The information storage stores calibration curve information to specify a calibration curve that indicates a relationship between a density of the sensing object and a frequency variation amount of the piezoelectric resonator before and after supplying the sample solution.

A method for identifying particulates in the air, including drawing a predetermined volume of air into a housing defining an airway, flowing the predetermined volume of air over a first adhesive capture member positioned in the airway to yield a first test sample, generating a first optical image of the first test sample with a camera, storing the first optical image in a memory, analyzing the first optical image with the microprocessor to identify captured particulates, automatically counting the identified particulates, storing the first adhesive capture member to preserve the first test sample, and positioning a second adhesive capture member in the airway.