A method of manipulating and/or investigating cellular bodies (9) is provided. The method comprises the steps of: providing a sample holder (3) comprising a holding space (5) for holding a fluid medium (11); providing a sample (7) comprising one or more cellular bodies (9) in a fluid medium (11) in the holding space (5); generating an acoustic wave in the holding space exerting a force (F) on the sample (7) in the holding space (5). The method further comprises providing the holding space (5) with a functionalised wall surface portion (17) to be contacted by the sample (7) and the sample (7) is in contact with the functionalised wall surface portion (17) during at least part of the step of application of the acoustic wave. A system and a sample holder (3) are also provided.

The present invention provides a nanomechanical sensor in which a negative influence of water in a sample on measurement is suppressed. In an embodiment of the present invention, as a receptor material of the nanomechanical sensor, a low-hygroscopic material such as polysulfone, polycaprolactone, poly(vinylidene fluoride), or poly(4-methylstyrene) is used. According to this embodiment, a negative influence, such as saturation of a receptor layer by water in the sample, or masking of an output signal based on trace components by an output signal based on water contained in the sample in a large amount, can be suppressed.

An object of the present invention is to detect ammonia with high sensitivity and high selectivity using a nanomechanical sensor with a structure that is as simple as possible. A method for detecting ammonia according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises supplying a sample gas possibly containing ammonia to a nanomechanical sensor that detects a stress or a displacement using poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) as a material of a receptor layer, and detecting presence or absence of ammonia or a content of ammonia in the sample gas based on an output signal from the nanomechanical sensor, in which the sample gas is a humidified sample gas with controlled relative humidity.

A gas sensor comprises a basic part and a sensing layer deposited on the basic part. The basic part includes a circuit board and at least one surface acoustic wave element disposed on the circuit board. The sensing layer is a nanocomposite film of reduced graphene oxide/tungsten oxide/polypyrrole deposited on the surface acoustic wave element. The sensing layer combines reduced graphene oxide, metal oxide, and conductive polymer, so that the sensing layer is able to perform sensing at room temperature, and can be more sensitive. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a gas sensor, and a gas sensing system including the gas sensor.

Each of detection instruments (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d . . . ) of which the number is enabled to be increased or decreased includes at least one sensitive membrane sensitive to a substance, generates first data representing the result of detection of the substance corresponding to the sensitive membrane, and includes second data in which the result of the detection of the substance corresponding to the sensitive membrane is associated with the membrane information of the sensitive membrane. An information terminal (2) collects the first data and the second data from each of the detection instruments (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d . . . ), and compares the first data and the second data, to specify an object to be detected.

A gas sensor comprises a basic part and a sensing layer deposited on the basic part. The basic part includes a circuit board and at least one surface acoustic wave element disposed on the circuit board. The sensing layer is a nanocomposite film of reduced graphene oxide/tungsten oxide/polypyrrole deposited on the surface acoustic wave element. The sensing layer combines reduced graphene oxide, metal oxide, and conductive polymer, so that the sensing layer is able to perform sensing at room temperature, and can be more sensitive. The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a gas sensor, and a gas sensing system including the gas sensor.

The present invention relates to a system for detection of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in exhaled breath for health monitoring. It can be used for screening, diagnosis, monitoring onset and relapse of diseases. Certain volatile compounds, in exhaled breath of a person, which are the markers of the disease under consideration, will be analysed by the sensor array. The presence and concentration of these markers will be determined by a sensor array specific for the set of markers for the disease. Depending on the presence or absence and concentration levels of these VOCs health status of a person can be analysed. The present invention also relates to a device for monitoring health conditions of an individual and screening for presence or relapse of diseases.

A chemical sensor including at least one resonant detection structure, the detection structure including at least one layer based on a porous material, the pores of which are covered with at least one functionalization layer that can adsorb or absorb at least one chemical species.

A sensing method includes operating a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microbeam device; measuring structural vibrations of the MEMS microbeam device over time; selecting an operational frequency f.sub.operating that is applied to the MEMS microbeam device, where the operational frequency f.sub.operating is different from a jump frequency f.sub.Jump of the MEMS microbeam device, and the MEMS microbeam device is characterized by a frequency response curve that has a linear part and a softening or hardening part, and the operational frequency f.sub.operating is selected to be in the linear part; conducting an analysis of the structural vibrations of the MEMS microbeam device based on a linear equation that relates an amplitude of the structural vibrations to a frequency from the linear part; and detecting a frequency difference between the operational frequency f.sub.operating and the jump frequency f.sub.Jump of the MEMS microbeam device based on the linear equation.

The invention relates to a microcantilever, a measuring device and a method for determining mass and/or mechanical properties of a biological system.