A vortex flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid. The meter includes a flowtube, a bluff body, and a vortex sensor. The bluff body, which is positioned in the flowtube, sheds vortices in the fluid when the fluid flows through the flowtube and the vortex sensor detects the vortices and generates a vortex signal representing the detected vortices. A pressure sensor arrangement is configured to detect a differential pressure in the fluid between a first location upstream of at least a portion of the bluff body and a second location downstream of at least a portion of the bluff body and generate a differential pressure signal representing the pressure differential between the two locations. The flowmeter determines the fluid flow rate based on the pressure differential.

A stretchable bidirectional capacitive pressure sensor (20) comprising: a first elastomeric sheet (22) made from a dielectric material, with a series of conductor lines (221) located on or in the first elastomeric sheet; a second elastomeric sheet (28) made from a dielectric material, with a series of conductor lines (261) located on or in the second elastomeric sheet; wherein the conductor lines of the first elastomeric sheet are substantially orthogonal to the conductor lines of the second elastomeric sheet; a microstructure comprising a plurality of elastomeric pillars (241) made from a dielectric material, disposed between the elastomeric sheets; wherein the microstructure is bonded to both the first and second elastomeric sheets so that the bidirectional sensor can register positive and negative pressure by the movement of the first and second elastomeric sheets. A further aspect of the invention discloses a method of collecting data related to fluid flow over an object by using a two-dimensional capacitive pressure sensor.

An actuating and sensing module is disclosed and includes a bottom plate, terminals, a control chip, a partition plate, a gas pressure sensor, a thin gas transportation device and a cover plate. The bottom plate includes terminal grooves, a recess, a gas outlet and a gas relief aperture. The terminals are disposed in the terminal grooves. The control chip is disposed in the recess. The partition plate is stacked on the bottom plate and includes an outlet opening in communication with the gas outlet and a pressure relief orifice corresponding to the gas relief aperture. The thin gas transportation device seals the gas outlet and the pressure relief orifice. The cover plate includes an opening passed through by the thin gas transportation device. The gas is transported to the outlet opening by the thin gas transportation device and sensed by the gas pressure sensor disposed in the outlet opening.

Included are mass flow controllers and methods of use. An example mass flow controller comprises a flow pathway through the mass flow controller; the flow pathway comprising a first cavity and a second cavity. The mass flow controller further comprises a laminar flow element. The mass flow controller additionally comprises a combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly comprising: a third cavity in fluid communication with the first cavity, an absolute pressure transducer exposed to absolute pressure in the third cavity, and a differential pressure transducer exposed to differential pressure between the third cavity and the second cavity. The mass flow controller also comprises a flow control valve assembly downstream of the laminar flow element and the combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly.

Included are mass flow controllers and methods of use. An example mass flow controller comprises a flow pathway through the mass flow controller; the flow pathway comprising a first cavity and a second cavity. The mass flow controller further comprises a laminar flow element. The mass flow controller additionally comprises a combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly comprising: a third cavity in fluid communication with the first cavity, an absolute pressure transducer exposed to absolute pressure in the third cavity, and a differential pressure transducer exposed to differential pressure between the third cavity and the second cavity. The mass flow controller also comprises a flow control valve assembly downstream of the laminar flow element and the combination absolute and differential pressure transducer assembly.

A flow rate measurement error is reduced by a differential pressure type flowmeter that includes: a pipe; a laminar flow element disposed within the pipe; a first absolute pressure sensor measuring an absolute pressure P1 of a fluid upstream of the laminar flow element; a second absolute pressure sensor measuring an absolute pressure P2 of the fluid downstream; a temperature sensor measuring an ambient temperature T of the absolute pressure sensors; a pressure calculation section correcting an output signal from the first absolute pressure sensor based on the temperature T to be converted into the absolute pressure P1, and correcting an output signal from the second absolute pressure sensor based on the temperature T to be converted into the absolute pressure P2; and a flow rate calculation section calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the absolute pressures P1 and P2 calculated by the pressure calculation section.

Flow rate measurement errors are reduced by a differential flow type flowmeter that includes: a pipe; a laminar flow element disposed within the pipe; a differential pressure sensor that measures a differential pressure ΔP between an absolute pressure P1 of the fluid upstream of the laminar flow element and an absolute pressure P2 of the fluid downstream thereof; an absolute pressure sensor that measures the absolute pressure P2; and a flow rate calculation section that calculates a flow rate of the fluid on the basis of the differential pressure ΔP measured by the differential pressure sensor and the absolute pressure P2 measured by the absolute pressure sensor.

A flowmeter for measuring a fluid flow rate in a pipe includes a base made of a flexible material; a bridge made of a rigid material, wherein the bridge is attached to the base to form a microchannel; and a pressure sensor formed within the base. The microchannel has a height H between 100 and 400 μm.

A sensor and method for use in measuring a physical characteristic of a fluid in a microfluidic system is provided. A microfluidic chip has a thin deformable membrane that separates a microfluidic channel from a microwave resonator sensor. The membrane is deformable in response to loading from interaction of the membrane with the fluid. Loading may be fluid pressure in the channel, or shear stress or surface stress resulting from interaction of the membrane with the fluid. The deformation of the membrane changes the permittivity in the region proximate the sensor. A change in permittivity causes a change in the electrical parameters of the sensor, thereby allowing for a characteristic of the fluid, such as flow rate, or a biological or chemical characteristic, to be measured. Also, a microwave sensor with improved sensitivity for characterizing a fluid in a microfluidic channel is provided. The sensor has a rigid and very thin layer, for example in the range of 10 um to 100 um, in the microfluidic chip allowing for the positioning of the sensor very close to the microfluidic channel, which enables very high resolution sensing.

A connector for coupling a single-use container to a measurement instrument includes a connector region having a cylindrical sidewall. The connector includes a deflectable diaphragm sealed to the connector region and configured to contact a media sample. A portion of the deflectable diaphragm lines an interior surface of at least a portion of the substantially cylindrical sidewall.