and pressure sensors in the arm that connect back into the sensory cortex give the wearer the sensation that they are touching something,
Loaded with highly sensitive torque sensors, the device could detect changes in pressure as they are applied to the fingers,
Another possible application is in sensors that measure magnetic fields l
#Watch: Paralysed man walks again via brain waves rerouted to his legs A paraplegic man who was paralysed for five years has walked again on his own two feet,
#New electronic sensor can detect ovarian cancer in your breath Your breath says more about you than you might think-not just how inebriated you are or
A new type of sensor that can'sniff out'traces of ovarian cancer in a patient's breath has been developed by researchers in Israel,
The sensors in the breathalyser are looking for volatile organic compounds (VOCS) in the breath samples:
She also says there's still room for improvement in making the sensors smaller and more sensitive before they're ready for clinical use.
The paper sensor emerges from the printer ready to use, like ph paper. The implications are significant,
"A study about the device will appear in an upcoming issue of the scientific journal Sensors,
and published April 10 in the inaugural volume of the new AAAS journal Science Advances, found that the sensors in smartphones
The authors found that the sensors in smartphones and similar devices could be used to issue earthquake warnings for earthquakes of approximately magnitude 7 or larger,
to test a pilot hybrid earthquake warning system comprising stand-alone smartphone sensors and scientific-grade sensors along the Chilean coast."
"The use of mobile phone fleets as a distributed sensor network--and the statistical insight that many imprecise instruments can contribute to the creation of more precise measurements--has broad applicability including great potential to benefit communities where there isn't an existing
Light-controlled molecule switching Dr. Artur Erbe, physicist at the HZDR, is convinced that in the future molecular electronics will open the door for novel and increasingly smaller--while also more energy efficient--components or sensors:"
which can be used in the manufacture of magnetic field sensors. VTT's third application trial involved the prevention of microwave reflection.
"The process can be expanded to biomedical sensor and solar-cell areas, "Ishihara said, "and will also realize stretchable--and even edible--electronics
#Ultra-sensitive sensor detects individual electrons In the same Cambridge laboratory in the United kingdom where The british physicist J. J. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897,
European scientists have developed just a new ultra-sensitive electrical-charge sensor capable of detecting the movement of individual electrons."
and its authors predict that these types of sensors, dubbed'gate sensors, 'will be used in quantum computers of the future to read information stored in the charge or spin of a single electron."
"We have called it a gate sensor because, as well as detecting the movement of individual electrons, the device is able to control its flow
as if it were an electronic gate which opens and closes, "explains Gonzlez Zalba. The researchers have demonstrated the possibility of detecting the charge of an electron with their device in approximately one nanosecond,
This has been achieved by coupling a gate sensor to a silicon nanotransistor where the electrons flow individually.
a field in which the new gate sensor can offer its advantages s
#Researchers add a new wrinkle to cell culture Using a technique that introduces tiny wrinkles into sheets of graphene,
By analyzing the spectral signals captured by a special sensor they installed at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass."
"A detailed understanding of the fundamental charge transport properties of the material is essential for detector developments."
Conventional semiconductor detectors such as germanium and silicon require low temperatures to operate which limits their applications outside of laboratories.
For example, germanium detectors must be cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature (about 77 Kelvin or-196 degrees Celsius) to produce spectroscopic data.
making it difficult and expensive to incorporate in commercial detectors. Researchers are still searching for a material with improved performance
Moreover, the detector materials need to have excellent carrier transport efficiency to make sure radiation-generated charges effectively diffuse through the crystal
low melting temperature and so on, suggest that thallium sulfide iodide is a good candidate for fabricating new generation room-temperature radiation detectors with improved performance and lower cost than previous detectors,
#Sensor detects spoilage of food VTT has developed a sensor that detects ethanol in the headspace of a food package.
The sensor signal is wirelessly readable, for instance, by a mobile phone. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is searching for a partner so as to commercialize the sensor.
The sensor monitors ethanol emitted from the spoilage of foods into the headspace of a package.
Ethanol, in addition to carbon dioxide, was found to be the main volatile spoilage metabolite in fresh-cut fruit.
The information given by the sensor is transmitted from the package to the customer by means of a reader
This ethanol sensor can have potential in other applications, such as in alcometers. The sensor layer is part of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag,
and the sensor data can be read wirelessly using an RFID reader in for example, a smartphone.
The sensor transmits information about the freshness of the food in the package to the retailer or customer.
The freshness data can be stored in real time in the cloud, enabling the comparison of food quality with its previous or later condition.
A similar optical readout based on the colour change of the ethanol sensor was developed also for a smartphone.
The sensor and the RFID tag can be manufactured using printing techniques into a label or sticker and be attached easily to a food package.
The price of the sensor will then be low enough for use in food packages.
Using the sensor, it will be possible to control the food quality throughout the distribution chain and to prevent waste caused by spoilage.
It is conceivable that this diamond resonator could be applied to sensors--potentially in a highly sensitive way
The scattered waves then combine to form a so-called diffraction pattern picked up by a detector.
such as Microsoft's Kinect controller for video games, have become widely used 3-D sensors. Now, a new imaging technology invented by Carnegie mellon University and the University of Toronto addresses a major shortcoming of these cameras:
This is all done by the sensor.""One prototype based on this model synchronizes a laser projector with a common rolling-shutter camera-the type of camera used in most smartphones
noting that a robot's sensors expend a relatively large amount of energy because they are always on."
which are detected via sensors in their antennae. Now researchers reporting August 13 in Cell Reports have discovered that
not only sensitively by specialized antennal sensors, but almost all of the hydrocarbon components are detected, "said Anandasankar Ray of the University of California, Riverside."
#Sensor mimics bats to detect dangerous structural cracks An ultrasound sensor for detecting dangerous cracks in structures such as aircraft engines,
discovered synaptotagmin-1 and showed that it plays an important role as a calcium sensor and calcium-dependent trigger for neurotransmitter release."
An application of this technology would be a wireless sensor network for full-body health monitoring."
Mercier also serves as the co-director of the UC San diego Center for Wearable Sensors.
The wearable technology combines motion sensors and the measurement of electrical activity generated by muscles to interpret hand gestures,
notes Jafari who presented his research at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 12th Annual Body Sensor Networks Conference this past June.
Jafari's system makes use of two distinct sensors. The first is an inertial sensor that responds to motion.
Consisting of an accelerometer and gyroscope, the sensor measures the accelerations and angular velocities of the hand and arm, Jafari notes.
This sensor plays a major role in discriminating different signs by capturing the user's hand orientations and hand and arm movements during a gesture.
However, a motion sensor alone wasn't enough, Jafari explains. Certain signs in American sign language are similar in terms of the gestures required to convey the word.
With these gestures the overall movement of the hand may be the same for two different signs
Jafari's system makes use of another type of sensor that measures muscle activity. Known as an electromyographic sensor (semg), this sensor non-invasively measures the electrical potential of muscle activities,
Jafari explains. It is used to distinguish various hand and finger movements based on different muscle activities.
working in tandem with the motion sensor to provide a more accurate interpretation of the gesture being signed,
In Jafari's system both inertial sensors and electromyographic sensors are placed on the right wrist of the user where they detect gestures
"The combination of muscle activation detection with motion sensors is a new and exciting way of understanding human intent with other applications in addition to enhanced SLR systems,
The discovery could lead to dramatic improvements and addresses one of the biggest challenges in flexible electronics, an industry still in its infancy with applications such as bendable batteries, robotic skins, wearable monitoring devices and sensors,
sensors and transparent electrodes using graphene.""This is an amazing material, '"says Bart Ludbrook, first author on the PNAS paper and a former Phd researcher in Damascelli's group at UBC."
sensors and transparent electrodes using graphene.""This is an amazing material, '"says Bart Ludbrook, first author on the PNAS paper and a former Phd researcher in Damascelli's group at UBC."
Besides its potential use in information transfer, the metamaterial might also prove useful in data storage or for sensors that measure magnetic fields.
Protein-based sensor could detect viral infection or kill cancer cells MIT biological engineers have developed a modular system of proteins that can detect a particular DNA sequence in a cell
The record peak brilliance of the light source makes it an ultrasensitive detector for the infrared molecular finger print region,
These characteristics, in combination with its coherence, make the light source a compact and ultrasensitive molecular detector.
The achievement was made possible by advanced single-photon detectors designed and made at NIST.""Only about 1 percent of photons make it all the way through 100 km of fiber,
"We never could have done this experiment without these new detectors, which can measure this incredibly weak signal."
The teleportation method is novel in that four of NIST's photon detectors were positioned to filter out specific quantum states.
The detectors rely on superconducting nanowires made of molybdenum silicide. They can record more than 80 percent of arriving photons,
Thanks to the efficient detectors, researchers successfully teleported the desired quantum state in 83 percent of the maximum possible successful transmissions, on average.
#Highly flexible and wearable tactile sensor for robotics, electronics and healthcare applications A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of engineering has developed a wearable liquid-based microfluidic tactile
sensor that is small, thin, highly flexible and durable. Simple and cost-effective to produce, this novel device is very suitable for applications such as soft robotics, wearable consumer electronics, smart medical prosthetic devices,
Tactile sensors are data acquisition devices that detect and measure a diversity of properties arising from physical interaction
Conventional tactile sensors that are available today are typically rigid and in solid-state form restricting various natural body movements
Addressing the limitations of existing tactile sensors, a team of researchers led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck from NUS'Department of Biomedical engineering achieves a significant technological breakthrough by adopting a liquid-based pressure sensing method in the design of such sensors.
Novel liquid-based pressure sensing element The newly developed microfluidic tactile sensor is fabricated on a flexible substrate like silicone rubber,
and uses non-corrosive, nontoxic 2d nanomaterial suspension in liquid form, such as graphene oxide, as the pressure sensing element to recognise force-induced changes.
From idea to market The team's invention will further advance the applications of tactile sensors
"This liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensor, which is the first of its kind, addresses an existing gap in the market.
the sensor gives a better fit when monitoring natural body movements. Its small size, durability and ease of production further differentiate this novel device from conventional tactile sensors.
With the rapid advancement of healthcare and biomedical technologies as well as consumer electronics, we are optimistic about new possibilities to commercialise our invention,
Karnik says graphene nanopores could be useful as sensors--for instance, detecting ions of mercury, potassium, or fluoride in solution.
including inexpensive printed electronics, intelligent packaging and disposable sensors. Developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge in collaboration with Cambridge-based technology company Novalia,
In addition to cheaper printable electronics, this technology opens up potential application areas such as smart packaging and disposable sensors,
and image sensor, cost less than $3, 000 to construct. At production levels upwards of 10,000 units,
reflectors, and USB detectors, combined with the all-plastic housing and lenses will allow for future versions of the prototype to be mass-produced d
#Internal fingerprint sensor peers inside fingertips for more surefire ID In the 1971 film Diamonds are Forever,
a main component of gummy sweets, could trick up to 80 percent of standard fingerprint sensors.
The sensors also sometimes fail to recognize legitimate prints when the finger being scanned is dirty,
"In the past years, the use of fingerprint sensors has expanded greatly beyond the field of forensics. Far from just being used for border security or passport registration,
current uses of these sensors allows access to mobile phones, computers and even gym facilities,"said Egidijus Auksorius, postdoctoral researcher, The Langevin Institute.
Despite the widespread use of commercial fingerprint sensors, problems with the devices persist, Auksorius said,
including up to 5 percent of the population having difficulties using the sensors because their fingerprints are flattened from old age
people attempting to escape identification might deliberately thwart the sensors by rubbing out their fingerprints,
to develop a new"internal fingerprint"sensor. Most optical fingerprint sensors today produce images by reflecting light from areas where the skin does not come in contact with a glass plate, a technique that captures details from only the very top layer of skin.
In contrast Auksorius and Boccara's device images the"internal fingerprints, "which have the same pattern as external fingerprints,
The new sensor uses a special variant of an imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT is used already for medical imaging
Standard OCT systems gather 3d data and often require sophisticated lasers systems and light detectors,
While the price is still significantly higher than standard fingerprint sensors, Auksorius predicts that the new device could find a market dedicated to imaging problematic fingerprints
night-vision goggles and smoke detectors to surveillance systems and satellites--that rely on electronic light sensors. Integrated into a digital camera lens, for example, it could reduce bulkiness and boost both the acquisition speed and quality of video or still photos.
#Super sensitive magnetic sensor created Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new hybrid magnetic sensor that is more sensitive than most commercially available sensors.
This technological breakthrough hails opportunities for the development of smaller and cheaper sensors for various fields such as consumer electronics, information and communication technology, biotechnology and automotive.
High performance magnetic sensors in demand When an external magnetic field is applied to certain materials a change in electrical resistance, also known as magnetoresistance, occurs as the electrons are deflected.
The discovery of magnetoresistance paved the way for magnetic field sensors used in hard disk drives and other devices,
In the search for an ideal magnetoresistance sensor, researchers have prized the properties of high sensitivity to low and high magnetic fields, tunability,
The new hybrid sensor developed by the team led by Assoc Prof Yang, who is also with the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (NUSNNI) and the Centre for Advanced 2d Materials (CA2DM) at NUS Faculty of science,
More than 200 times more sensitive than commercially available sensors The new sensor, made of graphene
The researchers characterised the new sensor by testing it at various temperatures, angles of magnetic field,
"Compared to other existing sensors, which are made commonly of silicon and indium antimonide, the group's hybrid sensor displayed much higher sensitivity to magnetic fields.
In particular, when measured at 127 Degree celsius (the maximum temperature which most electronics products are operated at),
the researchers observed a gain in sensitivity of more than eightfold over previously reported laboratory results and more than 200 times that of most commercially available sensors.
Another breakthrough in this research was the discovery that mobility of the graphene multilayers can be adjusted partially by tuning the voltage across the sensor
enabling the sensor's characteristics to be optimised. This control gives the material an advantage over commercially available sensors.
In addition, the sensor showed very little temperature dependence over room temperature to 127 Degree celsius range, making it an ideal sensor suitable for environments of higher temperature.
Meeting industry demand The magnetoresistance sensor industry, estimated to be worth US$1. 8 billion in 2014,
is expected to grow to US$2. 9 billion by the year 2020. Graphene-based magnetoresistance sensors hold immense promise over existing sensors due to their stable performance over temperature variation, eliminating the necessity for expensive wafers or temperature correction circuitry.
Production cost for graphene is also much lower than silicon and indium antimonide. Potential applications for the new sensor include the automotive industry,
where sensors in cars, located in devices like flow meters, position sensors and interlocks, are made currently of silicon or indium antimonide.
For instance, when there is a change in temperature due to the car's air-conditioner or heat from the sun,
properties of the conventional sensors in the car change as well. To counter this, a temperature correction mechanism is required, incurring additional production cost.
However, with the team's new hybrid sensor, the need for expensive wafers to manufacture the sensors,
and additional temperature correction circuitries can be eliminated.""Our sensor is poised perfectly to pose a serious challenge in the magnetoresistance market by filling the performance gaps of existing sensors,
and finding applications as thermal switches, hard drives and magnetic field sensors. Our technology can even be applied to flexible applications,"added Assoc Prof Yang.
The research team has filed a patent for the invention. Following this proof-of-concept study,
the researchers plan to scale up their studies and manufacture industry-size wafers for industrial use e
#Engineers design magnetic cell sensors MIT engineers have designed magnetic protein nanoparticles that can be used to track cells
the researchers used one of the most promising candidates to create a magnetic sensor consisting of enhanced ferritin modified with a protein tag that binds with another protein called streptavidin.
Such sensors could also be used to monitor the effectiveness of stem cell therapies Jasanoff says."
The researchers are now working on adapting the magnetic sensors to work in mammalian cells. They are also trying to make the engineered ferritin even more strongly magnetic c
The sensor could make it easier to monitor the quality of heparin supplies. Heparin is used widely as an anticoagulant in cardiovascular surgery as well as in postoperative and long-term therapy.
Biosensors experts are enthusiastic about the sensor. Ben Zhong Tang from the Hong kong University of Science and Technology particularly likes the design
microstructured resistive pressure sensors, flexible printed organic electronic circuits, and nerve cells containing light-activated ion channels. The pressure sensors are made of a carbon nanotube-elastomer composite shaped into tiny pyramidal structures that are coated onto a surface.
The sensor changes conductance in response to applied pressure. Bao previously made similar capacitive sensors,
but the new resistive sensors better detect the range of pressures sensed by human skin.
Each sensor is connected to an organic circuit printed with the help of researchers at Xerox Palo alto Research center (PARC.
The circuit converts the pressure signal into a series of electrical pulses and increases pulse frequency in response to increasing pressure. his circuit is relatively simple to build,
Bao says. t serves as the perfect electrical readout for our sensors. The researchers used the electrical pulses to modulate the frequency of a light-emitting diode.
In their proof-of-concept study, they sent light from the LED through an optical fiber to stimulate neurons in mouse brain slices.
a paralyzed 28-year-old man reported a ear-naturalsense of touch from a sensor-laden robotic hand wired to a brain implant.
The implant was wired then to a robotic hand built by the Applied Physics laboratory at Johns Hopkins. Using advanced pressure sensors,
Because it is a noninvasive test relying on sensors placed on the skin, it is easier to administer than traditional methods to measure muscle capacity, such as MRIS or biopsies.#
which are the basic charges to make the building blocks of ionic devices such as to name only a few can be, fuel cells, electrolysis cells, batteries, gas sensors,
Spinel windows could also protect sensors on space satellites, an area Sanghera interested in testing. ou could leave these out there for longer periods of time,
and our current detectors have resolutions of about 10 microns or so at best, Pickworth said. e really need better than that to see what going on inside the hot spot. This microscope is going to provide much better resolution by using X-ray optics,
with detector resolution and a lot more throughput than other imaging systems. n
#Scientists tune X-rays with tiny mirrors The secret of X-ray science like so much else is in the timing.
Now, a novel kind of pressure stocking developed by Fraunhofer researchers is set to help protect against wounds via an integrated sensor system that sends a warning
In-stocking sensors provide three-dimensional pressure readings To ensure that poorly healing wounds don occur in the first place,
researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg with support from industry partners and colleagues from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated circuits IIS in Erlangen have developed a special stocking with integrated sensors.
40 very fine, dielectric elastomer sensors measure compression load and distribution for diabetes patients taking over the job usually performed by the nerves in their feet. xisting systems on the market measure the pressure distribution
Our sensors are attached to the stocking sole, at the heel, the top of the foot and the ankle,
Electronics transmit data to your smartphone The sensors are made from a soft and very stretchy elastomer silicone film that is easy to integrate into textiles.
The sensors can recognize this, and transmit the measurement signal via a conductive thread to a wireless electronics unit developed by researchers at Fraunhofer IIS
and a controller. he unit is designed to record high-resolution readings from up to 40 capacitive sensors across an extremely wide value range,
The sensors, on the other hand, have to be resistant to water and detergent. he first washability tests are in planning,
The sensors are stitched either or glued between two layers of fabric, which makes the stockings more comfortable to put on
Joggers could use the integrated sensor stockings to analyze their running style and foot positioning y
#Hard-wearing sensor defying soot and heat Measuring the content of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the exhaust gases from a ship is, in itself,
several ports worldwide are now requesting shipping companies to restrict their NOX emissions. ith a new sensor,
More customers making green requirements A prototype of the sensor has passed just a practical test where it has been in operation for more than four months on board one of Maersk Line container vessels.
First with direct measurements ight from the start, it became clear that infrared sensors would be able to perform the required measurements.
The big challenge was that the sensors would be required to continue to deliver reliable measurements over very long periods in an aggressive environment,
and the level of soot and various aggressive substances that the sensors are exposed in the exhaust gases from a marine engine during day-to-day operation.
which in combination makes the sensor glass dirt-repellent. In other words, the glass in the instrument is not in itself ano?
Following successful testing at sea, the sensor will now be put through a series of tests at Green Instruments
and marketing the new sensor
#Ebola Vaccine Demonstrates 100%Protection in Latest African Trial According to an unusual new study, published last week in the world most prestigious medical journal Lancet, the deadly outbreak
T cells become active when a signalften from a virus or bacteriumriggers molecular sensors on their surface
Now, Wyss Institute researchers led by Church have developed a new suite of such sensors, reported in Nucleic acids Researchjournal,
Now, researchers at MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research are closing that information gap by developing a tiny biochemical sensor that can be implanted in cancerous tissue during the initial biopsy.
The sensor then wirelessly sends data about telltale biomarkers to an external eaderdevice, allowing doctors to better monitor a patient progress
the David H. Koch (1962) Professor in Engineering in the Department of Materials science and engineering and a Koch Institute investigator who oversaw the sensor development. ather than waiting months to see
Two MIT doctoral students in Cima lab worked with him on the sensor project: Vincent Liu, now a postdoc at MIT,
Once implanted, the sensor wirelessly sends data about biomarkers to an external eaderdevice, allowing doctors to better monitor a patient progress
Measurements without MRI The sensors developed by Cima team provide real-time, on-demand data concerning two biomarkers linked to a tumor response to treatment:
these sensors, read over time, could let you see how hypoxia was changing in the tumor,
The sensor housing, made of a biocompatible plastic, is small enough to fit into the tip of a biopsy needle.
Devising a power source for these sensors was critical, Cima explains. Four years ago, his team built a similar implantable sensor that could be read by an MRI SCANNER.
RI scans are expensive and not easy to make part of routine care, he says. e wanted to take the next step
For power, these new sensors rely on the reader. Specifically, there a metal coil inside the reader and a much smaller coil in the sensor itself.
An electric current magnetizes the coil inside the reader, and that magnetic field creates a voltage in the sensor coil
when the two coils are close together a process called mutual inductance. The reader sends out a series of pulses,
and the sensor ings back, as Cima puts it. The variation in this return signal over time is interpreted by a computer to
Additional applications Cima team successfully tested the sensors in lab experiments including implanting them in rodents.
While the sensors were implanted only for a few weeks, Cima believes they could be used to monitor a person health over many years. here are thousands of people alive today,
he says. ee making these sensors out of materials that are in these kinds of long-term implants,
These initial experiments showed that the sensors could quickly, reliably, and accurately detect ph and oxygen concentration in tissue.
The researchers next want to see how well the sensors do measuring changes in ph over an extended period of time. want to push these probes
While the primary application of these sensors would be cancer care, Cima is also eager to collaborate with researchers in other fields, such as environmental science. or example,
Cima says. excited about using these sensors to bring big data to environmental monitoring
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