Granted Patent B2

US 12,203,830 · App. 17/775,391 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Sean Ihn Young Hwang (Cambridge, MA); Alexander Star (Pittsburgh, PA); Sung Kwon Cho (Pittsburgh, PA); Hou-Yu Chen (Victoria, TX)

Assignee: University of Pittsburgh Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education

G01N1/2202A61B5/082G01N1/2214G01N2001/2244G01N2001/2282G01N2035/00455

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. A portable sensor system for detecting at least one analyte in an environment, comprising:

a sensor which is responsive to the analyte; and

a dehumidifier system in fluid connection with the sensor, the dehumidifier system comprising

one or more condenser units, each of the one or more condenser units comprising a thermoelectric module comprising a cooling section and a heating section, the cooling section being positioned within a condensing chamber of the condenser unit, the condensing chamber being in fluid connection with the environment and with the sensor, the cooling section of the thermoelectric module comprising a first heatsink in operative connection with the cooling section, the first heatsink comprising a plurality of spaced plates or fins which define microchannels therebetween, the heating section of the thermoelectric module comprising a second heatsink in operative connection with the heating section; and

electronic circuitry comprising at least one measurement system in operative connection with the sensor which is configured to measure a response of the sensor,

wherein the condensing chamber further includes a desiccant material.

2. The portable sensor system of claim 1 wherein the portable sensor is configured to be handheld.

3. The portable sensor system of claim 1 wherein the dehumidifier system comprises a plurality of condenser units, wherein the plurality of condenser units are arranged in series or are arranged in parallel.

4. The portable sensor system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of condenser units are arranged in series.

5. The portable sensor system of claim 4 wherein the a hydrodynamic diameter of the microchannels of the plurality of spaced plates or fins is in the range of 1 μm to 1 mm.

6. The portable sensor system of claim 5 wherein the at least one analyte is acetone.

7. The portable sensor system of claim 5 wherein the sensor comprises a substrate and a sensor medium on the substrate, the sensor medium comprising at least one nanostructure, wherein at least one property of the sensor medium is dependent upon the presence of the at least one analyte, wherein the at least one measurement system is configured to measure a variable providing a measure of change in at least one property of the sensor medium which is dependent upon the presence of the at least one analyte.

8. The portable sensor system of claim 7 wherein the sensor medium comprises a plurality of nanostructures in contact with titanium dioxide, and the sensor system further comprises at least one energy source to apply electromagnetic radiation to the sensor medium for a period of time.

9. The portable sensor system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise carbon nanostructures.

10. The portable sensor system claim 9 wherein the titanium dioxide is mixed with the plurality of nanostructures, immobilized upon the plurality of nanostructures, or covalently attached to the plurality of nanostructures.

11. The portable sensor system of claim 10 wherein the portable sensor is configured to be handheld and the environment is human breath.

12. The portable sensor system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprises a network of oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes.

13. The portable sensor system of claim 8 wherein the energy source is a source of UV light.

14. The portable sensor system of claim 13 wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to establish a baseline for detection of the at least one analyte after application of the UV light for the period of time.

15. The portable sensor system of claim 1 wherein the heating section of the thermoelectric module of each of the one or more condenser units is positioned outside of the condensing chamber and the first heatsink comprises an extending member which extends into the condensing chamber.

16. The portable sensor system of claim 1 wherein a hydrodynamic diameter of the microchannels of the plurality of spaced plates or fins is in the range of 1 μm to 5 mm.

17. The portable sensor system of claim 16 wherein the system further comprises a fan in fluid connection with the second heatsink.

18. The portable sensor system of claim 16 wherein the dehumidifier system comprises a desiccant unit comprising a desiccant material and a quantity of the desiccant material of the desiccant unit is selected to limit removal of the at least one analyte for a given range of flow rate so that a sample reaching the sensor includes a concentration of analyte at or above a detection limit of the sensor.

19. The portable sensor system of claim 18 wherein the desiccant material of the desiccant unit comprises calcium chloride.

20. The portable sensor system of claim 19 further comprising a drying system to remove at least a portion of at least one of condensate water or water adsorbed on the desiccant material.

21. A method of detecting an analyte in an environment, comprising:

passing a sample from the environment through a dehumidifier system of a portable sensor system, the dehumidifier system comprising one or more condenser units, each of the one or more condenser units comprising a thermoelectric module comprising a cooling section and a heating section, the cooling section being positioned within a condensing chamber of the condenser unit, the condensing chamber being in fluid connection with the environment and with the sensor, the cooling section of the thermoelectric module comprising a first heatsink in operative connection with the cooling section, the first heatsink comprising a plurality of spaced plates or fins which define microchannels therebetween, the heating section of the thermoelectric module comprising a second heatsink in operative connection with the heating section; and

contacting the sample with a sensor of the portable sensor system in fluid connection with the dehumidifier system after the sample exits the dehumidifier system,

wherein the condensing chamber further includes a desiccant material.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (33)