Provided is a gas sensor element capable of realizing both highly accurate concentration measurement in environments where the concentration of a specific gas in a measurement target gas is high and highly accurate concentration measurement in environments where the concentration is low. A gas sensor according to one aspect of the present invention adjusts a sensor element drive temperature such that the value of cell resistance of a main pump cell is a predetermined value. Further, in the gas sensor according to one aspect of the present invention, the slope of the cell resistance of the main pump cell is larger than the slope of cell resistance of a measurement pump cell.

Provided is a gas sensor element capable of realizing highly accurate concentration measurement in both environments where the concentration of a specific gas in a measurement target gas is high and where the concentration is low. A gas sensor according to one aspect of the present invention determines whether the concentration of a predetermined gas component in a measurement target gas is higher or lower than a predetermined concentration. If it is determined that the concentration is lower, a specific temperature that a sensor element is to reach as a result of being heated by a heater unit is set to be lower than the specific temperature set if it is determined that the concentration is higher.

A ceramic planar sensor element having four contact surfaces and three vias, for example for a lambda sensor. Measures are provided for increasing the loadability of the sensor element in relation to mechanical stresses. The measures relate in particular to the arrangement of the vias and to the design of insulating layers in the interior of the sensor element.

A sensor element includes an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer, the element body having a longitudinal direction, a measurement electrode disposed in the element body, a reference electrode disposed in the element body so as to come into contact with a reference gas, and a heater configured to heat the solid electrolyte layer. A center of gravity of the reference electrode overlaps the measurement electrode as viewed in a thickness direction of the solid electrolyte layer. A length of each of the reference electrode and the measurement electrode in a front-rear direction is less than or equal to 1.1 mm, the front-rear direction being a direction along the longitudinal direction of the element body. An area of the reference electrode as viewed in the thickness direction is greater than or equal to 1.0 mm.sup.2.

A limiting current-type gas sensor element including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and configured to output a limiting current value which depends on a concentration of a specific gas in a gas to be measured when a certain voltage is applied. The gas sensor element includes a solid electrolyte member having oxygen ion conductivity; a heater that heats the solid electrolyte member; a measurement electrode and a reference electrode provided on the solid electrolyte member; a chamber facing the measurement electrode and into which the gas to be measured is introduced; a gas inlet located to a tip side of the chamber in a longitudinal direction; and a diffusion resistance part provided in the gas inlet. A heating center of the heater is located further to the tip side than an electrode center of the measurement electrode is.

Methods and apparatus for sensing hydrogen in a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas are provided. One example of the apparatus comprises: a first chamber for receiving air; a second chamber for receiving the mixture of hydrogen and natural gas; a first electrode for adsorbing oxygen molecules from air in the first chamber and for reducing the oxygen molecules to oxide ions; a second electrode; an ionic conductor for transporting the oxide ions from the first electrode to the second electrode in order to cause the transported oxide ions to combine with hydrogen molecules at the second electrode; sensing circuitry for sensing an electrical parameter associated with the combination of the transported oxide ions with the hydrogen molecules at the second electrode; and processing circuitry configured to determine a proportion of hydrogen in the mixture, based at least in part on the electrical parameter sensed by the sensing circuitry.

A gas sensor includes: a substrate; an insulating layer arranged over the substrate; and a solid electrolyte layer, wherein the substrate is formed with a cavity that penetrates the substrate in a thickness direction of the substrate, wherein the insulating layer has a peripheral portion arranged over the substrate around the cavity, and a membrane portion which is located over the cavity and is connected to the peripheral portion, wherein the membrane portion includes a movable portion, wherein a through-hole, which penetrates the membrane portion around the movable portion in the thickness direction, is formed such that the movable portion is capable of being displaced along the thickness direction, and wherein the solid electrolyte layer is arranged over the movable portion.

A laminated gas sensor element is provided by laminating a plurality of ceramic layers. The gas sensor element includes: a solid electrolyte body having oxygen ion conductivity; a measurement electrode provided on a first principal surface of the solid electrolyte body; a reference electrode provided on a second principal surface of the solid electrolyte body; a chamber facing the measurement electrode and into which a measured gas is introduced; and a heater heating the solid electrolyte body. The chamber comprises at least one projecting corner portion, the at least one projecting corner portion projecting, on a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the gas sensor element, in a width direction perpendicular to both of the longitudinal direction and a laminating direction. A tip of the projecting corner portion is disposed on a side closer to the heater than a center of the chamber in the laminating direction is.

Diagnostic devices for diagnosing male infertility and associated methods are described herein. In one aspect, a diagnostic device can include a thermally conductive probe configured to contact a Scrotal-Testes (ST) Complex of a patient; a thermally insulative housing detachably coupled to the thermally conductive probe; and a base defining a cavity, the base including: a thermal sensor positioned within the cavity and detachably coupled to a bottom surface of the thermally conductive probe; at least one processor in electronic communication with the thermal sensor and positioned within the cavity; and a receptacle formed by an exterior surface of the base and detachably coupled to the thermally insulative housing.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for determining a state parameter of an exhaust gas sensor with a sensor element and a heating device arranged in the sensor element for heating the sensor element. The heating device is electrically connected via a first electrical line and a second electrical line to a control device for electrically controlling the heating device. The heating device includes a measuring line electrically connected between the control device and the first electrical line for controlling the temperature-dependent resistance of the heating section. The method may include: determining a measurement voltage dropped between the first electrical line and the measuring line; determining a compensation voltage on the basis of a predetermined reference voltage and the determined measurement voltage; and determining the state parameter of the exhaust gas sensor by assigning the determined compensation voltage to the state parameter.