1 research outputs found
The EcoChip : a wireless multi-sensor platform for comprehensive environmental monitoring
This paper presents the EcoChip, a new system
based on state-of-the-art electro-chemical impedance (EIS)
technologies allowing the growth of single strain organisms
isolated from northern habitats. This portable system is a complete
and autonomous wireless platform designed to monitor and
cultivate microorganisms directly sampled from their natural
environment, particularly from harsh northern environments.
Using 96-well plates, the EcoChip can be used in the field for realtime monitoring of bacterial growth. Manufactured with highquality electronic components, this new EIS monitoring system is
designed to function at a low excitation voltage signal to avoid
damaging the cultured cells. The high-precision calibration
network leads to high-precision results, even in the most limiting
contexts. Luminosity, humidity and temperature can also be
monitored with the addition of appropriate sensors. Access to
robust data storage systems and power supplies is an obvious
limitation for northern research. That is why the EcoChip is
equipped with a flash memory that can store data over long
periods of time. To resolve the power issue, a low-power microcontroller and a power management unit control and supply all
electronic building blocks. Data stored in the EcoChip’s flash
memory can be transmitted through a transceiver whenever a
receiver is located within the functional transmission range. In this
paper, we present the measured performance of the system, along
with results from laboratory tests in-vitro and from two field tests.
The EcoChip has been utilized to collect bio-environemental data
in the field from the northern soils and ecosystems of
Kuujjuarapik and Puvirnituq, during two expeditions, in 2017 and
2018, respectively. We show that the EcoChip can effectively carry
out EIS analyses over an excitation frequency ranging from 750
Hz to 10 kHz with an accuracy of 2.35%. The overall power
consumption of the system was 140.4 mW in normal operating
mode and 81 µW in sleep mode. The proper development of the
isolated bacteria was confirmed through DNA sequencing,
indicating that bacteria thrive in the EcoChip’s culture wells while
the growing conditions are successfully gathered and stored