A sensor assembly is shown for sensing a crossing of the critical point in a system utilising a working fluid in a transcritical cycle passing through the critical point. A first broadband acoustic sensor is located upstream of a component and a second broadband acoustic sensor is located downstream of the component, each of which are arranged to detect high-frequency and low-frequency sounds caused by the crossing of the critical point. A flow regulation device regulates flow of working fluid through the component in response to the output of one or both of the first broadband acoustic sensor and the second broadband acoustic sensor, thereby adjusting the location of the crossing of the critical point.

An analyser for collecting and analysing a breath condensate is disclosed. The analyser comprises a housing and a cartridge device (10). The device comprises a condensation zone (12) to condense exhaled breath from a subject and cooling means operably connected to the condensation zone (12). The device includes further discrete regions (13) for detection of analyte and measurement of analyte. The condensation zone (12) has a fluid exit connecting the condensation zone (12) to the discrete regions (13). The analyser includes a mouthpiece which is provided with a plurality of chambers configured to cause a change of 90° in the direction of the exhaled breath in order to trap saliva aerosols.

In order to permit a robust, energy-efficient and precise moisture sensor, the invention relates to a moisture sensor element (10) for a moisture sensor (12) for measuring a moisture content in a gas, comprising at least one vibrating element (14) and at least one material (16, 18) on the vibrating element (14), wherein the at least one material (16, 18) is designed in such a way that the mass thereof changes rapidly with moisture changing over a moisture value. The invention also relates to a moisture-measuring method for measuring a moisture in a gas, comprising: using a moisture sensor element (10), wherein the course of the measurement signal thereof has at least one non-linearity according to the moisture; and determining a reference value based on the at least one non-linearity.

In order to permit a robust, energy-efficient and precise moisture sensor, the invention relates to a moisture sensor element (10) for a moisture sensor (12) for measuring a moisture content in a gas, comprising at least one vibrating element (14) and at least one material (16, 18) on the vibrating element (14), wherein the at least one material (16, 18) is designed in such a way that the mass thereof changes rapidly with moisture changing over a moisture value. The invention also relates to a moisture-measuring method for measuring a moisture in a gas, comprising: using a moisture sensor element (10), wherein the course of the measurement signal thereof has at least one non-linearity according to the moisture; and determining a reference value based on the at least one non-linearity.

A cartridge device (10) for collecting and analysing a breath condensate is disclosed. The device (10) comprises a condensation zone (12) to condense exhaled breath from a subject and cooling means operably connected to the condensation zone (12). The device includes further discrete regions (13) for detection of analyte and measurement of analyte. The condensation zone (12) has a fluid exit connecting the condensation zone (12) to the discrete regions (13).

An analyser for collecting and analysing a breath condensate is disclosed. The analyser comprises a housing and a cartridge device (10). The device comprises a condensation zone (12) to condense exhaled breath from a subject and cooling means operably connected to the condensation zone (12). The device includes further discrete regions (13) for detection of analyte and measurement of analyte. The condensation zone (12) has a fluid exit connecting the condensation zone (12) to the discrete regions (13). The analyser includes a mouthpiece which is provided with a plurality of chambers configured to cause a change of 90 in the direction of the exhaled breath in order to trap saliva aerosols.

There is a need for miniature, low power, and remotely powered sensors that can measure moisture and reactive gas content in the environment. Examples of devices that already exist include dew-point sensors, moisture sensors, and oxygen sensors. This disclosure describes the use of high-frequency ultrasonic pulses to interrogate thin films on the imaging surface of a CMOS integrated GHz Ultrasonic imager substrate. In one embodiment the device uses a Peltier cooler and heater chip to detect the dew point by the act of moisture condensing on the surface. Integrated temperature measurement is enabled by using some of the pixels, isolated from the environment, to be reflectors that measure the phase change in the reflected signal due to the change in the speed of sound in the silicon substrate. In another embodiment a thin film is exposed to gases, changing its ultrasonic impedance, which can be used to extract the film thickness and its ultrasonic properties.

A cartridge device (10) for collecting and analysing a breath condensate is disclosed. The device (10) comprises a condensation zone (12) to condense exhaled breath from a subject and cooling means operably connected to the condensation zone (12). The device includes further discrete regions (13) for detection of analyte and measurement of analyte. The condensation zone (12) has a fluid exit connecting the condensation zone (12) to the discrete regions (13).

A sensor assembly is shown for sensing a crossing of the critical point in a system utilising a working fluid in a transcritical cycle passing through the critical point. A first broadband acoustic sensor is located upstream of a component and a second broadband acoustic sensor is located downstream of the component, each of which are arranged to detect high-frequency and low-frequency sounds caused by the crossing of the critical point. A flow regulation device regulates flow of working fluid through the component in response to the output of one or both of the first broadband acoustic sensor and the second broadband acoustic sensor, thereby adjusting the location of the crossing of the critical point.

An apparatus for detecting the presence of gaseous analytes in water includes a submersible housing enclosing a water proof sensing chamber having a first wall made of a material transparent to UV light and a second wall formed by a gas permeable membrane for admitting into the sensing chamber gas dissolved in water in which the housing is immersed during operation, a first and a second spaced sensing electrodes disposed within the sensing chamber, and a circuit connected to the sensing electrodes for measuring a current flowing through the sensing electrodes on account of ionization of a gas in the sensing chamber by UV light. A third electrode is positioned in the sensing chamber, and the circuit is operative to apply a voltage across the third electrode and the first sensing electrode, the voltage being of sufficient magnitude to reduce condensation within the sensing chamber by hydrolyzing any droplet of condensation in electrical contact with the first and third electrodes.