Apparatus and associated methods relate to a one-piece structure for a solid electrolyte chemical sensor (SECS) having a first surface defining a cavity (210, 305, 415) designed to receive a substrate (215, 350, 410) that retains a solid electrolyte (365, 440), an internal water impermeable coating (425) on at least a portion of the first surface, a second surface that is substantially coplanar with an adjacent peripheral edge of a top surface of the substrate (215, 350, 410) when the substrate (215, 350, 410) is received in the cavity (210, 305, 415), and a plurality of electrical contacts (335, 340, 345, 450a-450b) disposed on the second surface adapted to electrically couple with the electrodes (435a-435c) on the substrate (215, 350, 410) when the substrate (215, 350, 410) is received in the cavity (210, 305, 415) and electrical paths are provided between respective electrical contacts (335, 340, 345, 450a-450b) and electrodes (435a-435c).

A NOx sensor element includes: a first pump cell configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in a first measurement chamber; a diffusion resistance portion configured to adjust a diffusion rate of a measurement target gas introduced into the first measurement chamber; and a second pump cell in which a pump current corresponding to a NOx concentration in the measurement target gas after the adjustment of the oxygen concentration, flows. The first pump cell includes: a first solid electrolyte; an inner pump electrode containing a noble metal, and exposed to the first measurement chamber; and an outer pump electrode containing a noble metal, and disposed outside the first measurement chamber. The outer pump electrode contains not less than 22% by mass of a main component of the first solid electrolyte.

A connector includes two insulators which hold contacts connected to lead wires and are arranged on two surfaces of a ceramic element, a spring component which includes two cantilever-shaped spring pieces and has a flexed portion at a middle portion of each spring piece, and a cylindrical sleeve. The two spring pieces are located over two outer surfaces of the two insulators, and are elastically deformed toward the two insulators by the sleeve hanging over the two spring pieces. The two insulators pushed by the flexed portions of the two elastically deformed spring pieces hold the ceramic element from two sides to push the contacts against the terminal electrodes.

A connector includes two insulators which hold contacts connected to lead wires and are arranged on two surfaces of a ceramic element, a spring component which includes two cantilever-shaped spring pieces and has a flexed portion at a middle portion of each spring piece, and a cylindrical sleeve. The two spring pieces are located over two outer surfaces of the two insulators, and are elastically deformed toward the two insulators by the sleeve hanging over the two spring pieces. The two insulators pushed by the flexed portions of the two elastically deformed spring pieces hold the ceramic element from two sides to push the contacts against the terminal electrodes.

A sensor element includes element main body including side surfaces, a detection unit, connector electrodes disposed on the rear end-side part of the side surfaces, a porous layer that covers at least front end-side part of the side surface, the porous layer having a porosity of 10% or more, and a water-penetration reduction portion. The water-penetration reduction portion is disposed on the side surface so as to divide the porous layer or to be located closer to the rear end than the porous layer. The length L of the water-penetration reduction portion is 0.5 mm or more. The water-penetration reduction portion includes, among a dense layer covering the side surface and having a porosity of less than 10% and a gap region in which the porous layer is absent, at least the dense layer. The water-penetration reduction portion reduces the capillarity of water.

The techniques relate to methods and apparatus for conductance measurement. A device includes a fluid chamber, at least one sensor element configured to sense an analyte, wherein the at least one sensor element is in fluid communication with the fluid chamber, and a set of one or more electrodes in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for sensing a conductance of a fluid in the fluid chamber.

The present invention is applied to an exhaust system provided with a three-way catalyst and a NOx catalyst which are provided in an exhaust passage of an engine and to which sulfur components in exhaust adhere and release the attached sulfur components by rich components in exhaust, and NOx sensors provided downstream of the catalysts. The NOx sensor is a limiting current type sensor. It is determined whether a sulfur release state is present in which a sulfur component is released from the three-way catalyst and the NOx catalyst. When it is determined that it is in the state of sulfur release, reaction suppression processing for suppressing the reaction between oxygen and sulfur components in the pump cell electrodes and the monitor cell electrodes of the NOx sensors is performed.

The present invention is applied to an exhaust system provided with a three-way catalyst and a NOx catalyst which are provided in an exhaust passage of an engine and to which sulfur components in exhaust adhere and release the attached sulfur components by rich components in exhaust, and NOx sensors provided downstream of the catalysts. The NOx sensor is a limiting current type sensor. It is determined whether a sulfur release state is present in which a sulfur component is released from the three-way catalyst and the NOx catalyst. When it is determined that it is in the state of sulfur release, reaction suppression processing for suppressing the reaction between oxygen and sulfur components in the pump cell electrodes and the monitor cell electrodes of the NOx sensors is performed.

An electrochemical gas sensor (1) having a stacked assembly of at least one first electrode (3) and a second electrode (6), which are respectively arranged on a carrier membrane (2, 5), and a separator (4) arranged between the electrodes (3, 6), including a gas conduction path (14) between the first electrode (3) and the second electrode (6). The gas conduction path (14) is constituted within the structural space defined by the electrodes (3, 6).

A biosensor for measuring an electrical response from a biological sample. The biosensor includes a substrate, a passivation layer grown on a surface of the substrate, a patterned catalyst layer deposited on the passivation layer, and three electrodes grown on the patterned catalyst layer. The three electrodes include a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode. The working electrode includes a first array of electrically conductive biocompatible nanostructures that is configured to be an attachment site for the biological sample. The counter electrode includes a second array of electrically conductive biocompatible nanostructures that is configured to acquire the electrical response from the working electrode. The reference electrode includes a third array of electrically conductive biocompatible nanostructures that is configured to adjust a specific voltage around the working and the counter electrodes.