Provided are a gas sensor, a gas detection device, a gas detection method and a device provided with the gas detection device, capable of improving gas detection performance. The gas detection device is provided with a gas sensor comprising a thermosensitive resistance element and a porous gas molecule adsorptive material thermally bonded to the thermosensitive resistance element that releases specified gas molecules due to heating and cooling, and a power supply control unit that heats and cools the thermosensitive resistance element by controlling the supply of power thereto. The gas detection method comprises a heating step for putting the porous gas molecule adsorptive material in a heated state and a detecting step for detecting a specific gas due to the temperature change in the thermosensitive resistance element by heating.

Provided are a gas sensor, a gas detection device, a gas detection method and a device provided with the gas detection device, capable of improving gas detection performance. The gas detection device is provided with a gas sensor comprising a thermosensitive resistance element and a porous gas molecule adsorptive material thermally bonded to the thermosensitive resistance element that releases specified gas molecules due to heating and cooling, and a power supply control unit that heats and cools the thermosensitive resistance element by controlling the supply of power thereto. The gas detection method comprises a heating step for putting the porous gas molecule adsorptive material in a heated state and a detecting step for detecting a specific gas due to the temperature change in the thermosensitive resistance element by heating.

A sensor for sensing a gaseous analyte comprising semiconductor phononic nanowire structure and a micro-platform. The sensor comprises a thermal element sensitive to temperature and involving variously chemi-resistive, absorptive and phase change effects. Sensor readout includes monitoring the temperature of the micro-platform.

A sensor for sensing a gaseous analyte comprising semiconductor phononic nanowire structure and a micro-platform. The sensor comprises a thermal element sensitive to temperature and involving variously chemi-resistive, absorptive and phase change effects. Sensor readout includes monitoring the temperature of the micro-platform.

This electronic cigarette (1) comprises: —a heating element (10) able to vapourize a substrate during a smoking period; —means (30) for measuring an approximation (AUIOMESOO, UIOMESOO) of a characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) during this smoking period, said approximation being measured across the terminals (BI, B2) of a circuit (500) no component of which exhibits intrinsic characteristics not disturbed by the inhalations; —means (30) of estimating an approximation (AU10TH(t), UIO-m(t)) of said characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) in the absence of inhalation during said smoking period; means (30) of calculating an intensity (F) representative of the intensity of the inhalations during said smoking period on the basis of an integration of the difference between said approximations during said smoking period; and —means (30) of estimating the said quantity of substrate vapourized by the heating element at least on the basis of said intensity.

This electronic cigarette (1) comprises: —a heating element (10) able to vapourize a substrate during a smoking period; —means (30) for measuring an approximation (AUIOMESOO, UIOMESOO) of a characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) during this smoking period, said approximation being measured across the terminals (BI, B2) of a circuit (500) no component of which exhibits intrinsic characteristics not disturbed by the inhalations; —means (30) of estimating an approximation (AU10TH(t), UIO-m(t)) of said characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) in the absence of inhalation during said smoking period; means (30) of calculating an intensity (F) representative of the intensity of the inhalations during said smoking period on the basis of an integration of the difference between said approximations during said smoking period; and —means (30) of estimating the said quantity of substrate vapourized by the heating element at least on the basis of said intensity.

The invention relates to sensing compositional information about material by measuring thermal properties of the material. In one arrangement there is provided a needle probe for sensing compositional information. The probe comprises a needle having a tip region. A resistive element is attached to the needle at the tip region. A measurement system is configured to: 1) drive an electrical current through the resistive element to apply heating to the resistive element, and 2) measure an electrical response of the resistive element to the heating. A processing unit analyses the measured electrical response of the resistive element to the heating to determine compositional information about material in contact with the tip region.

The invention relates to sensing compositional information about material by measuring thermal properties of the material. In one arrangement there is provided a needle probe for sensing compositional information. The probe comprises a needle having a tip region. A resistive element is attached to the needle at the tip region. A measurement system is configured to: 1) drive an electrical current through the resistive element to apply heating to the resistive element, and 2) measure an electrical response of the resistive element to the heating. A processing unit analyses the measured electrical response of the resistive element to the heating to determine compositional information about material in contact with the tip region.

It is possible to reduce a decrease in accuracy of measuring the concentration of a measurement target gas even in a case where, in a mixture of gases, there is a gas greatly different from another gas in a rate of change in thermal conductivity with respect to temperature. The concentration measurement device includes a sensor configured to measure the concentration of a measurement target gas in a mixture of gases on the basis of thermal conductivity of the measurement target gas, the mixture of gases including two or more components, and a heating unit configured to heat the mixture of gases so that the concentration of the measurement target gas can be uniquely determined with respect to the thermal conductivity.

It is possible to reduce a decrease in accuracy of measuring the concentration of a measurement target gas even in a case where, in a mixture of gases, there is a gas greatly different from another gas in a rate of change in thermal conductivity with respect to temperature. The concentration measurement device includes a sensor configured to measure the concentration of a measurement target gas in a mixture of gases on the basis of thermal conductivity of the measurement target gas, the mixture of gases including two or more components, and a heating unit configured to heat the mixture of gases so that the concentration of the measurement target gas can be uniquely determined with respect to the thermal conductivity.