A Novel Integrated Multifunction Micro-Sensor for Three-Dimensional Micro-Force Measurements

An integrated multifunction micro-sensor for three-dimensional micro-force precision measurement under different pressure and temperature conditions is introduced in this paper. The integrated sensor consists of three kinds of sensors: a three-dimensional micro-force sensor, an absolute pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The integrated multifunction micro-sensor is fabricated on silicon wafers by micromachining technology. Different doping doses of boron ion, placement and structure of resistors are tested for the force sensor, pressure sensor and temperature sensor to minimize the cross interference and optimize the properties. A glass optical fiber, with a ladder structure and sharp tip etched by buffer oxide etch solution, is glued on the micro-force sensor chip as the tactile probe. Experimental results show that the minimum force that can be detected by the force sensor is 300 nN; the lateral sensitivity of the force sensor is 0.4582 mV/μN; the probe length is linearly proportional to sensitivity of the micro-force sensor in lateral; the sensitivity of the pressure sensor is 0.11 mv/KPa; the sensitivity of the temperature sensor is 5.836 × 10−3 KΩ/°C. Thus it is a cost-effective method to fabricate integrated multifunction micro-sensors with different measurement ranges that could be used in many fields

Development of a Wireless MEMS Multifunction Sensor System and Field Demonstration of Embedded Sensors for Monitoring Concrete Pavements, Volume II

This two-pronged study evaluated the performance of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) micro-electromechanical sensors and systems (MEMS) embedded in concrete pavement (Final Report Volume I) and developed a wireless MEMS multifunctional sensor system for health monitoring of pavement systems (Final Report Volume II). The Volume I report focused on the evaluation of COTS MEMS sensors embedded in concrete pavement sections. The Volume II report covers the set of MEMS sensors that were developed as single-sensing units for measuring moisture, temperature, strain, and pressure. These included the following sensors: (1) nanofiber-based moisture sensors, (2) graphene oxide (GO)–based moisture sensors, (3) flexible graphene strain sensors with liquid metal, (4) graphene strain and pressure sensors, (5) three-dimensional (3D) planar and helical structured graphene strain sensors, (6) temperature sensors, and (7) water content sensors. In addition, the MEMS temperature sensors and the MEMS water content sensors were integrated into one sensing unit as a multifunctional sensor. A wireless signal transmission system was built for MEMS sensor signal readings. Characterization of the sensors was conducted and sensor responses were analyzed using different applications. The sensors developed were installed and tested inside concrete. The results demonstrated the capability to detect sensor response changes at the installed locations

Novel miniaturised and highly versatile biomechatronic platforms for the characterisation of melanoma cancer cells

There has been an increasing demand to acquire highly sensitive devices that are able to detect and characterize cancer at a single cell level. Despite the moderate progress in this field, the majority of approaches failed to reach cell characterization with optimal sensitivity and specificity. Accordingly, in this study highly sensitive, miniaturized-biomechatronic platforms have been modeled, designed, optimized, microfabricated, and characterized, which can be used to detect and differentiate various stages of melanoma cancer cells. The melanoma cell has been chosen as a legitimate cancer model, where electrophysiological and analytical expression of cell-membrane potential have been derived, and cellular contractile force has been obtained through a correlation with micromechanical deflections of a miniaturized cantilever beam. The main objectives of this study are in fourfold: (1) to quantify cell-membrane potential, (2) correlate cellular biophysics to respective contractile force of a cell in association with various stages of the melanoma disease, (3) examine the morphology of each stage of melanoma, and (4) arrive at a relation that would interrelate stage of the disease, cellular contractile force, and cellular electrophysiology based on conducted in vitro experimental findings. Various well-characterized melanoma cancer cell lines, with varying degrees of genetic complexities have been utilized. In this study, two-miniaturized-versatile-biomechatronic platforms have been developed to extract the electrophysiology of cells, and cellular mechanics (mechanobiology). The former platform consists of a microfluidic module, and stimulating and recording array of electrodes patterned on a glass substrate, forming multi-electrode arrays (MEAs), whereas the latter system consists of a microcantilever-based biosensor with an embedded Wheatstone bridge, and a microfluidic module. Furthermore, in support of this work main objectives, dedicated microelectronics together with customized software have been attained to functionalize, and empower the two-biomechatronic platforms. The bio-mechatronic system performance has been tested throughout a sufficient number of in vitro experiments.Open Acces

Modeling of Magnetoelectric Microresonator Using Numerical Method and Simulated Annealing Algorithm

A comprehensive understanding of the linear/nonlinear dynamic behavior of wireless microresonators is essential for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) design optimization. This study investigates the dynamic behaviour of a magnetoelectric (ME) microresonator, using a finite element method (FEM) and machine learning algorithm. First, the linear/nonlinear behaviour of a fabricated thin-film ME microactuator is assessed in both the time domain and frequency spectrum. Next, a data driven system identification (DDSI) procedure and simulated annealing (SA) method are implemented to reconstruct differential equations from measured datasets. The Duffing equation is employed to replicate the dynamic behavior of the ME microactuator. The Duffing coefficients such as mass, stiffness, damping, force amplitude, and excitation frequency are considered as input parameters. Meanwhile, the microactuator displacement is taken as the output parameter, which is measured experimentally via a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) device. To determine the optimal range and step size for input parameters, the sensitivity analysis is conducted using Latin hypercube sampling (LHS). The peak index matching (PIM) and correlation coefficient (CC) are considered assessment criteria for the objective function. The vibration measurements reveal that as excitation levels increase, hysteresis variations become more noticeable, which may result in a higher prediction error in the Duffing array model. The verification test indicates that the first bending mode reconstructs reasonably with a prediction accuracy of about 92 percent. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that the simulated annealing approach is a promising tool for modeling the dynamic behavior of MEMS systems, making it a strong candidate for real-world applications

Quantum Communication, Sensing and Measurement in Space

The main theme of the conclusions drawn for classical communication systems operating at optical or higher frequencies is that there is a well‐understood performance gain in photon efficiency (bits/photon) and spectral efficiency (bits/s/Hz) by pursuing coherent‐state transmitters (classical ideal laser light) coupled with novel quantum receiver systems operating near the Holevo limit (e.g., joint detection receivers). However, recent research indicates that these receivers will require nonlinear and nonclassical optical processes and components at the receiver. Consequently, the implementation complexity of Holevo‐capacityapproaching receivers is not yet fully ascertained. Nonetheless, because the potential gain is significant (e.g., the projected photon efficiency and data rate of MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Lunar Lasercom Demonstration (LLCD) could be achieved with a factor‐of‐20 reduction in the modulation bandwidth requirement), focused research activities on ground‐receiver architectures that approach the Holevo limit in space‐communication links would be beneficial. The potential gains resulting from quantum‐enhanced sensing systems in space applications have not been laid out as concretely as some of the other areas addressed in our study. In particular, while the study period has produced several interesting high‐risk and high‐payoff avenues of research, more detailed seedlinglevel investigations are required to fully delineate the potential return relative to the state‐of‐the‐art. Two prominent examples are (1) improvements to pointing, acquisition and tracking systems (e.g., for optical communication systems) by way of quantum measurements, and (2) possible weak‐valued measurement techniques to attain high‐accuracy sensing systems for in situ or remote‐sensing instruments. While these concepts are technically sound and have very promising bench‐top demonstrations in a lab environment, they are not mature enough to realistically evaluate their performance in a space‐based application. Therefore, it is recommended that future work follow small focused efforts towards incorporating practical constraints imposed by a space environment. The space platform has been well recognized as a nearly ideal environment for some of the most precise tests of fundamental physics, and the ensuing potential of scientific advances enabled by quantum technologies is evident in our report. For example, an exciting concept that has emerged for gravity‐wave detection is that the intermediate frequency band spanning 0.01 to 10 Hz—which is inaccessible from the ground—could be accessed at unprecedented sensitivity with a space‐based interferometer that uses shorter arms relative to state‐of‐the‐art to keep the diffraction losses low, and employs frequency‐dependent squeezed light to surpass the standard quantum limit sensitivity. This offers the potential to open up a new window into the universe, revealing the behavior of compact astrophysical objects and pulsars. As another set of examples, research accomplishments in the atomic and optics fields in recent years have ushered in a number of novel clocks and sensors that can achieve unprecedented measurement precisions. These emerging technologies promise new possibilities in fundamental physics, examples of which are tests of relativistic gravity theory, universality of free fall, frame‐dragging precession, the gravitational inverse‐square law at micron scale, and new ways of gravitational wave detection with atomic inertial sensors. While the relevant technologies and their discovery potentials have been well demonstrated on the ground, there exists a large gap to space‐based systems. To bridge this gap and to advance fundamental‐physics exploration in space, focused investments that further mature promising technologies, such as space‐based atomic clocks and quantum sensors based on atom‐wave interferometers, are recommended. Bringing a group of experts from diverse technical backgrounds together in a productive interactive environment spurred some unanticipated innovative concepts. One promising concept is the possibility of utilizing a space‐based interferometer as a frequency reference for terrestrial precision measurements. Space‐based gravitational wave detectors depend on extraordinarily low noise in the separation between spacecraft, resulting in an ultra‐stable frequency reference that is several orders of magnitude better than the state of the art of frequency references using terrestrial technology. The next steps in developing this promising new concept are simulations and measurement of atmospheric effects that may limit performance due to non‐reciprocal phase fluctuations. In summary, this report covers a broad spectrum of possible new opportunities in space science, as well as enhancements in the performance of communication and sensing technologies, based on observing, manipulating and exploiting the quantum‐mechanical nature of our universe. In our study we identified a range of exciting new opportunities to capture the revolutionary capabilities resulting from quantum enhancements. We believe that pursuing these opportunities has the potential to positively impact the NASA mission in both the near term and in the long term. In this report we lay out the research and development paths that we believe are necessary to realize these opportunities and capitalize on the gains quantum technologies can offer

AN INTEGRATED CONTINUOUS MICRO-FLUIDIC SWITCH VALVE

Traditionally, controllers are an integrated electronic circuit (IEC), which is composed of basic modules such as diodes and transistors to provide various logic functions, e.g., switching. The so-called hard material refers to materials that have high Young’s moduli in comparison with Young’s moduli of animal body; otherwise soft material is called. The controller built from IEC is called hard controller or controller in this thesis. To build a circuit with soft materials, the fluid is naturally taken as a substance, and a circuit can be made by integrating fluid flow and micro-channel deformation. Such a circuit is called integrated micro-fluidic circuit (IMC). The controller built from IMC is called soft controller. This thesis was devoted to study IMC, particularly taking the switching valve as a study vehicle. It is noted that the switching valve in IMC corresponds to the diode in IEC. The specific objectives of this thesis are: (1) to develop a new architecture of IMC such that the number of layers of IMC can be reduced to one only, and (2) to build a prototype of the IMC switching valve to explore the feasibility of fabrication of the switch valve based on the proposed architecture in (1). A comprehensive literature study has resulted in the proposed architecture, which is to “turn” a vertically stacking structure into a horizontally stacking structure. As such, the fluid in the micro-channel horizontally presses the thin wall (or membrane) of the micro-channel to close the micro-channel completely (i.e., the flow is off). Design of a particular switch valve with the help of the axiomatic design theory was carried out. Simulation of the design was carried out by using the multi-physics software COMSOL, which confirmed that if the width of the micro-channel is 13 μm, the membrane with the thickness of 5 μm (length of 140 μm; width of 10 μm) can deflect more than 13 μm, thus closing the micro-channel completely. The design was then fabricated on the Micro-fabrication facility at Canadian Light Source. Specifically, the material for the switching valve is PDMS owing to its suitable Young’s moduli and excellent biocompatibility and the UV lithography together with soft lithography was employed to fabricate the device. Given the capability of the fabrication facility, the membrane with the thickness of 50 microns in the micro-channel was possibly made, which is unfortunate. Due to this reason, a preliminary experiment was performed to observe the deflection of the membrane only, and the result confirmed the expected deflection qualitatively. This limited experiment however helped to verify the simulation system, which thus ensures a certain degree of reliability of the result given by the simulation, namely the complete closure of the channel by the membrane which has the thickness of 5 μm, length of 140 μm, and width of 10 μm. A side finding from this study is that a switching action may not result in 0 (off) or 1 (on) only but x% and y%, where x and y are flow rates and x%+y%=100%. This thesis names such a switch valve continuous switch valve. The main contributions of the thesis lie in the field of micro-fluidics, and they are: (1) the provision of the proposed architecture of IMC which has one layer in the vertical direction, and (2) the provision of the new concept of switching, namely the continuous switching. The continuous switching may have further implication to information processing, as it departs away from the 0-1 approach, and to actuation, as it exhibits an analogous property as opposed to a digital property

Recent advances in biomedical photonic sensors: a focus on optical-fibre-based sensing

In this invited review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in biomedical pho tonic sensors within the last five years. This review is focused on works using optical-fibre technology, employing diverse optical fibres, sensing techniques, and configurations applied in several medical fields. We identified technical innovations and advancements with increased implementations of optical-fibre sensors, multiparameter sensors, and control systems in real applications. Examples of outstanding optical-fibre sensor performances for physical and biochemical parameters are covered, including diverse sensing strategies and fibre-optical probes for integration into medical instruments such as catheters, needles, or endoscopes.This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-107270RB-C21/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), and TeDFeS Project (RTC-2017- 6321-1) co-funded by European FEDER funds. M.O. and J.F.A. received funding from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain under Juan de la Cierva-Formación and Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación grants, respectively. P.R-V. received funding from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte of Spain under PhD grant FPU2018/02797

Development of the future generation of smart high voltage connectors and related components for substations, with energy autonomy and wireless data transmission capability

The increased dependency on electricity of modern society, makes reliability of power transmission systems a key point. This goal can be achieved by continuously monitoring power grid parameters, so possible failure modes can be predicted beforehand. It can be done using existing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Internet of Things (10T) technologies that include instrumentation and wireless communication systems, thus forming a wireless sensor network (WSN). Electrical connectors are among the most critical parts of any electrical system and hence, they can act as nodes of such WSN. Therefore, the fundamental objective of this thesis is the design, development and experimental validation of a self-powered IOT solution for real-time monitoring of the health status of a high-voltage substation connector and related components of the electrical substation. This new family of power connectors is called SmartConnector and incorporates a thermal energy harvesting system powering a microcontroller that controls a transmitter and several electronic sensors to measure the temperature, current and the electrical contact resistance (ECR) of the connector. These measurements are sent remotely via a Bluetooth 5 wireless communication module to a local gateway, which further transfers the measured data to a database server for storage as well as further analysis and visualization. By this way, after suitable data processing, the health status of the connector can be available in real-time, allowing different appealing functions, such as assessing the correct installation of the connector, the current health status or its remaining useful life (RUL) in real-time. The same principal can also be used for other components of substation like spacers, insulators, conductors, etc. Hence, to prove universality of this novel approach, a similar strategy is applied to a spacer which is capable of measuring uneven current distribution in three closely placed conductors. This novel IOT device is called as SmartSpacer. Care has to be taken that this technical and scientific development has to be compatible with existing substation bus bars and conductors, and especially to be compatible with the high operating voltages, i.e., from tens to hundreds of kilo-Volts (kV), and with currents in the order of some kilo-pm peres (kA). Although some electrical utilities and manufacturers have progressed in the development of such technologies, including smart meters and smart sensors, electrical device manufacturers such as of substation connectors manufacturers have not yet undertaken the technological advancement required for the development of such a new family of smart components involved in power transmission, which are designed to meet the future needs.La mayor dependencia de la electricidad de la sociedad moderna hace que la fiabilidad de los sistemas de transmisión de energía sea un punto clave. Este objetivo se puede lograr mediante la supervisión continua de los parámetros de la red eléctrica, por lo que los posibles modos de fallo se pueden predecir de antemano. Se puede hacer utilizando las tecnologías existentes de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (1CT) e Internet de las cosas (lo T) que incluyen sistemas de instrumentación y comunicación inalámbrica, formando así una red de sensores inalámbricos (WSN). Los conectores eléctricos se encuentran entre las partes más críticas de cualquier sistema eléctrico y, por lo tanto, pueden actuar como nodos de dicho VVSN. Por lo tanto, el objetivo fundamental de esta tesis es el diseño, desarrollo y validación experimental de una solución IOT autoalimentada para la supervisión en tiempo real del estado de salud de un conector de subestación de alta tensión y componentes relacionados de la subestación eléctrica. Esta nueva familia de conectores de alimentación se llama SmartConnector e incorpora un sistema de recolección de energía térmica que alimenta un microcontrolador que controla un transmisor y varios sensores electrónicos para medir la temperatura, la corriente y la resistencia del contacto eléctrico (ECR) del conector. Esta nueva familia de conectores de alimentación se llama SmartConnector e incorpora un sistema de recolección de energía térmica que alimenta un microcontrolador que controla un transmisor y varios sensores electrónicos para medir la temperatura, la corriente y la resistencia al contacto eléctrico (ECR) del conector. De esta manera, después del procesamiento de datos adecuado, el estado de salud del conector puede estar disponible en tiempo real, permitiendo diferentes funciones atractivas, como evaluar la correcta instalación del conector, el estado de salud actual o su vida útil restante (RUL) en tiempo real. El mismo principio también se puede utilizar para otros componentes de la subestación como espaciadores, aislantes, conductores, etc. Por lo tanto, para demostrar la universalidad de este enfoque novedoso, se aplica una estrategia similar a un espaciador, que es capaz de medir la distribución de corriente desigual en tres conductores estrechamente situados. Hay que tener cuidado de que este desarrollo técnico y científico tenga que sea compatible con las barras y "busbars" de subestación existentes, y sobre todo para ser compatible con las altas tensiones de funcionamiento, es decir, de decenas a cientos de kilovoltios (kV), y con corrientes en el orden de algunos kilo-Amperes (kA). Aunque algunas empresas eléctricas y fabricantes han progresado en el desarrollo de este tipo de tecnologías, incluidos medidores inteligentes y sensores inteligentes, los fabricantes de dispositivos eléctricos, como los fabricantes de conectores de subestación, aún no han emprendido el avance tecnológico necesario para el desarrollo de una nueva familia de componentes intel

Analysis and design of rapid prototyped mechanisms using hybrid flexural pivots

The ability of fabricating flexure based mechanism is of great importance in modern technology fields such as nanotechnology and precision engineering. For an instance, a great number of nanopositioning systems are made out of flexures. Examples of these systems are those used in scanning probe microscopy and many other types of metrology tools. Not having friction is a requirement to achieve nanometer scale motion and thus flexural systems are preferred as they lack of sliding surfaces. Moreover, flexure hinges are able to produce accurate and repeatable motion when properly designed. Conventionally, flexure-type systems are manufactured from high performance metals such as stainless and alloyed steel or aluminum alloys for high material performance and durability. Functional requirements such as high bandwidth, accuracy performance and geometric complexity require them to be manufactured as monolithic structures using conventional precision machining and electro discharge machining (EDM). However, such an approach is expensive and not practical for mass production. They can only be used for custom and high-value added applications. Conventional and emerging additive manufacturing technologies such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) offer an opportunity to fabricate cost effective flexure-based mechanisms with complicated spatial structures. However, the reported limitations of this approach are: dimensional accuracy, low quality surface finish, anisotropic properties, thermal instability, low holding force capabilities and severely reduced durability of the flexural elements as most rapid prototyping materials are unsuitable in fatigue loading conditions. This thesis work envisions an approach to manufacture hybrid mechanisms that uses i) economic methods like casting and molding (for high volume production) or 3-D printing (for custom, one-off systems) for manufacturing the mechanism structures/skeletons and ii) inserts of simple geometry with specialized materials (e.g. spring steel, etc.) to get the right material properties where need it. The objective of this research is to develop and exemplify a methodology that integrates a host material (rapid prototyping) with a flexure material and combines them to create a much more easy to produce mechanism. For this purpose, we focus on the design of the interfaces between the two materials and, particularly, the penetration depth of the insert into the host. Using Finite Element simplified model and tracking mechanical variables such as stress, pressure and elastic energy we arrived to the functions relating the optimum penetration depth (insertion iii distance where the elastic work done by the host material is minimum relative to that one done by the flexure) with the thickness of the flexure and the elastic properties of the two materials. For example, in the case of an aluminum host and steel inserts; the optimum penetration distance is six times the thickness of the insert whereas in the case of an ABS structure and steel inserts, the optimum penetration distance is ten times greater than the insert thickness. Further results include the study of extra compliance introduced to the system in design scenarios considering materials and manufacturing consideration for the fabrication, alignment and assembly of the mechanism. Finally, we demonstrate a piezoelectric-actuated four-bar mechanism, and an XYZ force sensor for suture training as general applications of these devices to the precision motion field and the medical industry. The methodology implemented in this work poses a simple and affordable way to fabricate, assemble and customize low-cost devices for precision motion application and it applies to both, systems fabricated by polymer and metal rapid prototyping technologies