A gas sensor includes a quartz crystal unit and a sensitive layer formed on the quartz crystal unit and configured to adsorb a gas to be detected, wherein the sensitive layer is porous, and has a particle skeleton made of a plurality of conductive polymer particles and a polyelectrolyte that is at least partially disposed between the adjacent conductive polymer particles.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, a method for contaminant detection includes distributing multiple magnetostrictive sensors on a nonmagnetic index plate. The index plate includes multiple wells formed in a top surface that are each sized to receive a magnetostrictive sensor. The method further includes placing a magnetic backing plate below the index plate, inverting the index plate and the magnetic backing plate, and then placing the inverted index plate on a sample surface. The sample surface may be two-dimensional food such as fresh vegetable leaves. The method may further include placing the index plate and the magnetic backing plate on a nonmagnetic cover plate that is positioned above a sensor coil. The method further includes removing the magnetic backing plate, removing the index plate, and applying a varying magnetic field with the sensor coil to a magnetostrictive sensor positioned on the cover plate. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A plurality of sensing devices are inserted into a concrete mixture to be used at a construction site. The concrete mixture is poured to form one or more structural elements, wherein one or more sensing devices are embedded in the concrete of each structural element. Data relating to a first characteristic of the concrete in each structural element is received from the sensing devices. For each structural element, a second characteristic of the concrete of the associated structural element is determined, based on the first characteristic. A map showing the one or more structural elements is generated. For each of the one or more structural elements, a respective graphical indicator indicating the second characteristic associated with the respective structural element is displayed on the map. The map is displayed on a user device.

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor includes a crystal plate, a buffer layer, and an electrode. The crystal plate has a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is opposite the first surface. The buffer layer includes a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer. The first buffer layer is disposed on the first surface of the crystal plate. the second buffer layer is disposed on the second surface of the crystal plate. The electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is disposed on the first buffer layer. The second electrode is disposed on the second buffer layer. The electrode includes at least one of titanium, scandium, beryllium, cobalt, yttrium, zirconium, technetium, ruthenium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, lutetium, hafnium, rhenium, osmium, americium, curium, berkelium, and californium.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, a system may include a basin that includes an index plate positioned at a bottom of the basin. The basin is configured to receive a liquid analyte, such as a liquid food product or a nutrient broth. The index plate includes an array of multiple wells. Each well opens into an interior of the basin and is sized to receive a magnetostrictive sensor in a predetermined orientation. One or more sensor coils is positionable beneath each well. The basin may be filled with liquid analyte and magnetostrictive sensors may be positioned in the wells. The liquid analyte may be allowed to incubate at a controlled temperature. A controller may position a sensor coil beneath a well, apply a varying magnetic field to a magnetostrictive sensor in the well, and detect a frequency response of the magnetostrictive sensor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

An odor measurement apparatus includes an odor sensor detecting an odor and an imaging device having a lens portion, in which an imaging direction of the imaging device and an introduction direction of air when the air is guided to a sensor surface of the odor sensor through an introduction port are substantially the same direction. The odor measurement apparatus detects odor substances contained in air using a sensor when an odor is measured, and measures attribute information of a measurement target or the like of the odor. An odor data management apparatus stores and manages odor data measured by the odor measurement apparatus.

Disclosed sensors can include at least one resonator (in some embodiments, at least two resonators) and various other structures that may be formed in association with the resonators. The at least one resonator in embodiments can include a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode, wherein the piezoelectric layer is positioned between the bottom electrode and the top electrode.

The present invention relates generally to the field of chemical and biological sensors and in particular to micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors for measuring fluid viscosity and detection of minute amounts of chemicals and biological agents in fluids. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor that will work in disposable cartridges with remote sensing that can measure dynamic changes of the functionalized cantilevers in liquid and gas environment.

A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) resonator device includes at least one functionalization material arranged over at least a central portion, but less than an entirety, of a top side electrode. For an active region exhibiting greatest sensitivity at a center point and reduced sensitivity along its periphery, omitting functionalization material over at least one peripheral portion of a resonator active region prevents analyte binding in regions of lowest sensitivity. The at least one functionalization material extends a maximum length in a range of from about 20% to about 95% of an active area length and extends a maximum width in a range of from about 50% to 100% of an active area width. Methods for fabricating MEMS resonator devices are also provided.

Disclosed sensors can include at least one resonator (in some embodiments, at least two resonators) and various other structures that may be formed in association with the resonators. The at least one resonator in embodiments can include a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode, wherein the piezoelectric layer is positioned between the bottom electrode and the top electrode.