A fluid measuring device for determining at least one characteristic property of a fluid includes a measuring tube having a fluid duct and a measuring section in which the measuring tube is cylindrical on the inside and an area of a measuring tube wall is configured as a waveguide, and a transmitter for exciting acoustic waves in the waveguide and a receiver for receiving acoustic waves which are in direct contact with an outer surface of the waveguide, wherein acoustic waves excited by the transmitter are adapted to propagate as a volume wave through the fluid. The waveguide has an elongated waveguide path which extends at an acute angle to a longitudinal extension direction of the measuring tube and with a component in the circumferential direction, wherein in the area of the waveguide path, the measuring tube wall has a smaller wall thickness than in areas adjoining the waveguide path.

An cartridge is combined with a smart device which is capable of communicating with a network to perform a portable, fast, field assay of a small sample biological analyte. A closed microfluidic circuit for mixes the analyte with a buffer with functionalized magnetic beads capable of being specifically combined with the analyte. A detector communicates with the microfluidic circuit in which the mixed analyte, buffer and combined functionalized magnetic beads are sensed. A microcontroller is coupled to detector for controlling the detector and for data processing an output assay signal from the detector. A user interface communicates with the microcontroller for providing user input and for providing user output through the smart device to the network.

The disclosed embodiments include in-line inspection devices, methods to perform in-line inspections of pipeline and protective casings, and methods to determine anomalies of pipeline and protective casings. The method includes deploying an in-line inspection device in a section of a pipeline enclosed by a protective casing. While the in-line inspection device is traveling along the pipeline, the method also includes transmitting, at a frequency, a transmitted signal toward the protective casing; and detecting a scattered signal scattered by the protective casing. The method further includes detecting a scattered signal scattered by the protective casing. The method further includes locating an anomaly of the protective casing based on the scattered signal.

Lateral boundaries of a fluidic passage of a fluidic device incorporating at least one BAW resonator structure are fabricated with photosensitive materials (e.g., photo definable epoxy, solder mask resist, or other photoresist), allowing for high aspect ratio, precisely dimensioned walls. Resistance to delamination and peeling between a wall structure and a base structure is enhanced by providing a wall structure that includes a thin footer portion having a width that exceeds a width of an upper wall portion extending upward from the footer portion, and/or by providing a wall structure arranged over at least one anchoring region of a base structure. Anchoring features may include recesses and/or protrusions.

Disclosed are a method for measuring the adhesive strength of a thin film using surface waves, and a computer-readable recording medium having a program for performing same recorded thereon. The method for measuring the adhesive strength of a thin film measures the adhesive strength between a substrate and a thin film by means of an electronic calculator, using sound waves measured from a thin film structure having a thin film formed on a substrate. The method, which is performed by the electronic calculator, comprises the steps of: receiving, as a first input value, the thickness, density, longitudinal wave velocity, and shear wave velocity of a first thin film and a substrate the adhesive strength between which is to be measured; calculating, from the first input value, the thickness and density of a second thin film virtually configured between the first thin film and substrate, and setting as a second input value; calculating the longitudinal wave velocity and shear wave velocity of the second thin film according to the stiffness constant of the second thin film, while varying the stiffness constant, and setting as a third input value; using the first to third input values to acquire a transfer matrix between the first thin film, second thin film, and substrate; using the transfer matrix to calculate the dispersion characteristics of the speed of surface waves; and substituting, to dispersion curves, the propagation speed of the surface waves measured from the substrate having the first thin film formed thereon, in order to acquire the stiffness constant matching the propagation speed of the measured surface waves and measure the adhesive strength between the substrate and the thin film.

A system includes a surface, an actuator, and a controller. The surface has a fluid flowing over the surface. The actuator is coupled to the surface to move the surface relative to the fluid. The controller causes the actuator to cause the surface to generate a surface wave that modifies drag in the fluid. The actuator can cause the surface to generate a Love wave.

System and method for measuring a gas concentration are provided. A ball sensor generates a collimated beam of a surface acoustic wave including fundamental wave of first frequency and harmonic wave of second frequency, which propagates through a orbital path on piezoelectric ball while passing through sensitive film to adsorb a target gas. Temperature control unit controls ball temperature of the ball sensor. Signal processing unit transmits a burst signal to sensor electrode of the ball sensor to excite the collimated beam, receives burst signals after the collimated beam has propagated a predetermined number of turns around the piezoelectric ball, and calculates the gas concentration and the ball temperature by first and second relative changes in delay times of the first and second frequencies, respectively, using waveform data of the burst signals.

Methods include treating a portion of a sample composition to be tested for presence of an analyte by depleting or blocking the target analyte. The treated composition may be used to equilibrate an acoustic wave sensor prior to exposing the sensor to the untreated sample composition for analysis. By using the treated sample composition, in which the analyte is depleted or blocked, to equilibrate the sensor, the sensor may be equilibrated with a composition having a similar viscosity and non-specific binding characteristics to the untreated sample composition, which should result in improved accuracy when analyzing the analyte in the untreated sample composition.

An instrumented coupling for pipe joints is described herein. The instrumented coupling includes a first threaded end configured to thread to a first pipe joint and a second threaded end configured to thread to a second pipe joint. The instrumented coupling also includes a sensor configured to obtain a measurement of a parameter of a well and a communications device configured to communicate to a receiving device outside of the well. The instrumented coupling further includes a processor configured to execute instructions in a data store. The instructions direct the processor to read the measurement from the sensor, compare the measurement from the sensor to a preset limit, and generate a signal within the communications device based, at least in part, on the measurement.

A method for the detection of analytes within a fluid, said method comprising the steps of prearranging a sensorized device (100) comprising at least one SAW sensor (110), said or each SAW sensor (110) comprising a substrate (115) having an outer surface (IIS′) comprising at least one piezoelectric portion, at least one emitting interdigital transducer (111) arranged on said piezoelectric portion of said outer surface (115′), said emitting interdigital transducer (111) arranged to emit a surface acoustic wave in response to an input electric signal, at least one reflector electrode (112) arranged on said outer surface (115′), said reflector electrode (112) arranged to reflect said acoustic wave towards said emitting interdigital transducer (111). There are then the steps of adsorbing a plurality of probe molecules on said outer surface (IIS′) of said substrate (115) and/or on said or each emitting interdigital transducer (111) and/or on said or each reflector electrode (112), sending n input electric signals, having respective frequencies fi, with i=1, to said emitting interdigital transducer (111) and subsequent transmission by said or each emitting interdigital transducer (111) of at least one surface acoustic wave, reflecting by said or each reflector electrode (112) of said or each surface acoustic wave emitted, identifying, between said n frequencies/j of said input electric signals, at least one resonance frequency fr corresponding to the generation of a surface acoustic wave having power exceeding a predetermined threshold PT, conveying said fluid on said outer surface (115) and/or on said or each emitting interdigital transducer (111) and/or on said or each reflector electrode (112), removal of said fluid by said outer surface (115) and/or by said or each emitting interdigital transducer (111) and/or by said or each reflector electrode (112), verifying a possible change of value of at least one resonance frequency fr previously identified.