Biosensing by “Growing” Antennas and Error-correcting Codes

Food-borne disease outbreaks not only cause numerous fatalities every year but also contribute to significant economic losses. While end-to-end supply chain monitoring can be one of the keys to preventing these outbreaks, screening every food product in the supply chain is not feasible considering the sheer volume and prohibitive test costs. Fortunately, two converging economic trends promise to make this end-to-end supply chain monitoring possible. The first trend is that passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and quick response (QR) codes are now widely accepted for food packaging. The second trend is that smartphones are now equipped with the capability to interrogate RFID tags or to decode QR codes. Together, they have opened up the possibility of monitoring food quality by endowing these tags and error-correcting codes with the capability to detect pathogenic contaminants. This dissertation investigates a biosensing paradigm of growing\u27\u27 transducer structures, such as RFID tags and QR codes, which is triggered only when analytes of interest are present in the sample. This transducer growth or self-assembly process relies on a silver enhancement technique through which silver ions reduce into metallic form in the presence of a target analyte, which in turn leads to changes in electrical or optical properties. By exploiting this, we first demonstrate two remote biosensor platforms, a RFID tag-based biosensor and a QR code-based biosensor, respectively. For the RFID-based biosensor, a chain of silver-shelled particles is assembled during the analyte detection process, which directly modulates the antenna\u27s effective impedance, and hence leads to an improvement in the tag\u27s reflection efficiency. For the QR code-based biosensor, the operating principle relies on the optical absorption changes resulting from silver enhancement. The target detection process assembles an invalid code-word into a valid QR code. This self-assembly sensing approach should produce few false positives since it is a process which transits from a high entropy state (disassembled transducer) to a low entropy state (assembled transducer). While there can be numerous states of a disassembled transducer structure, there are only a few configurations representing the assembled transducer state. Given that there are no active power sources on the RFID tag or the QR code, it is challenging for the proposed biosensors to perform sample acquisition and pre-processing since they are envisioned to be embedded inside food packages eventually. Paper-based microfluidics have been explored and integrated on the biosensors to provide a self-powered approach for reagent sampling and processing. One use case is to trigger target detection remotely by an end consumer. Thermal absorption properties of graphite have been exploited such that the end user can initiate the process of analyte sampling in paper-based biosensors by shining a beam of light on the sensor

Optical-based smart structures for tamper-indicating applications

This report is a compilation of several related projects performed from 1991 through 1996 concerning the design, construction, and application of optical-based smart structure to tamper-indicating and sensing secure containers. Due to several influences, the projects were carried through to varying degrees of completion. Cancellation of the overall project at the client level motivated the authors to gather all of the technology and ideas about smart structures developed during these several projects, whether completed or just conceptualized, into one document. Although each section individually discusses a specific project, the overall document is written chronologically with each successive section showing how increased smart structure complexity was integrated into the container

Effect of Rubber Compound Treatment and PTFE Extension Beam on Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Power Density / Mohd Sofwan Mohd Resali and Hanim Salleh

Due to a number of advantages for small power applications (milliwatts), many researchers have begun to focus on usable energy harvesting from ambience. Over the years, to further expand the applications of vibration energy harvesting technology, many researchers have focused on how to improve the reliability and efficiency of the harvester. This paper presents work on improving piezoelectric energy harvesters based on structural modifications. Two different strategies of structural modification are proposed for optimization by using additional beam structure and additional rubber compound layer on the origin of the piezoelectric beam. This work summarizes the optimum performance of the strategies at a resonance frequency of 50±2 Hz at 0.25g ms-2 of acceleration. The parameters compared among the strategies are resonance frequency, voltage and power output. In general, the structural modification PZT-MER by clamped PTFE cantilever beam at the free end of piezoelectric and rubber compound gives the best power output of 2.87mW compared to PZT-ME (0.72 mW) and PZT-M (22μW)

Aura recognizing digital information of everyday environment

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64).Many ubiquitous computing scenarios are enabled by the ability to detect and identify objects in a user's environment, and recently Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been considered an affordable technology for providing such ability. However, RFID approaches have been flawed: when they operate at long range, they fail to provide adequate context as to which tagged objects are the subject of the user's interest; and when tuned for short range operation, they require the user to explicitly scan the tagged object. In addition, the knowledge gained from the user interacting with the object is limited to identification. This thesis proposes an ambient metaphor for detecting daily environments suitable for the upcoming far-field UHF RFID infrastructure. A user carries a mobile RFID reader, which creates a sphere of detection field to monitor RFID tags surrounding the user. The reader silently monitors the objects and functions as an agent that supports the user's consciousness of events happening outside of the user's attention. With sensor-enhanced RFID tags, our system does not limit itself to identification, but also provides the status of the corresponding item. The data from the sensors are used to distinguish a tag in a multiple tag environment and to describe the interactions between the user and the host object. This improves the selectivity and the context-awareness of the system.by Sanghoon Lee.S.M

Exploration of disruptive technologies for low cost RFID manufacturing

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83).Significant developments have taken place in defining technology standards and identifying avenues for technological innovations to reduce the cost of manufacturing RFID tags below the $0.05 price point. The Auto-ID center at MIT has been the central coordinating body with participation from 5 universities and over 100 industry partners. The primary focus of these efforts has been in developing a standard which minimizes the logic capability of on chip circuitry and using radical innovations to reduce the cost of assembly of the RFID tags. Various disruptive innovations are underway to explore lithographic techniques which can reduce the cost of fabrication in the sub 100 nm regime wherein photolithography faces significant challenges. This research analyzes the value chain in the RFID industry and reviews potential technology strategies using the double-helix model of business dynamics and Porter's five forces framework. It also explores the current state of the art in RFID tag manufacturing and proposes the application of disruptive technologies in conjunction with innovations in assembly and packaging to enable a low cost RFID system design. Five key emerging technologies which are examined in detail are Nanoimprint Lithography, Step and Flash Imprint Lithography, Inkjet Printing, Soft lithography and Spherical Integrated Circuit Processing. These are analyzed in terms of application to RFID tag manufacturing. Current innovations in high speed and low cost assembly and packaging techniques are also examined. Fluidic Self Assembly, Vibratory Assembly, Chip on Paper techniques are reviewed in terms of application to RFID manufacturing. A systems thinking approach is also pursued to explore the drivers for wider acceptance of RFID-based(cont.) applications in addition to just depending on cost reduction for crossing the chasm from early adopters to a wider market penetration.Badarinath Kommandur.S.M

Using Radio Frequency Identification Technology In Healthcare

In the healthcare industry, medical treatment can be a matter of life and death, so that any mistakes may cause irreversible consequences. As hospitals have sought to reduce these types of errors, Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) has become a solution in the healthcare industry to address these problems. Since 2005, RFID has generated a lot of interest in healthcare to make simpler the identification process for tracking and managing medical resources to improve their use and to reduce the need for future costs for purchasing duplicate equipment. There are rising concerns linked to the privacy and security issues, when RFID tags are used for tracking items carried by people. A tag by its design will respond to a reader\u27s query without the owner\u27s consent and without the owner even noticing it. When RFID tags contain patients\u27 personal data and medical history, they have to be protected to avoid any leaking of privacy-sensitive information. To address these concerns, we propose an Intelligent RFID System which is a RFID card system that embeds smart tags in insurance cards, medical charts, and medical bracelets to store medical information. Patient data is sent to the insurance providers by way of a clearinghouse that translates the information from the healthcare facility into a format that the insurance company can process. To ensure data protection, an additional security layer was added to secure the communication between the tags and the readers. This security layer will allow only authorized readers to poll tags for the patient\u27s medical tags and prevent unauthorized access to tag data. It will simplify the maintenance and transfer of patient data in a secure, feasible and cost effective way

RFID REAL TIME TRACKER

The author has successfully completed Dissertation on RFID Real Time Tracker. A brief introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is introduced including objectives, problem statement, scope of study, methodology and finding based on the research on RFID techniques. The purpose of this Dissertation is mainly to allow supervisor and examiners to evaluate her work on RFID Real Time Tracker based on the report which explain in writing about the contents of the project and its significance, like the problem statement, objective, scope, literature review, methodology used, results, conclusions and recommendations. Gain experience with applying the RFID knowledge and also to use the RFID concepts to solve in students tracking in real time. This Dissertation can be divided into five (5) chapters: Introduction, Literature review/Theory, Methodology/project work, Results and Discussion, lastly with Conclusion and Recommendation. In these the author learnt how to carry out simple support tasks which enhanced the author Professional Knowledge and Soft Skill Improvement. RFID Real Time Tracker is a system that applies the advantages of RFID technology to track the students that entering building 1 in real time which can help the security guard to solve the problem of stealing cases that always happen in UTP. From the research work from FYP I - II, the author divided methodology used into 5 stages: Design system, Software Development (Interface), Hardware Testing (Hyper Terminal), Hardware and Software Integration and Model Development. In order to make sure that system is working, testing is needed. The fmding can prove that system is really work as objective desired

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2008

Topics covered inclde: Deployable Wireless Camera Penetrators; Hand-Held Units for Short-Range Wireless Biotelemetry; Wearable Wireless Telemetry System for Implantable BioMEMS Sensors; Electronic Escape Trails for Firefighters; Architecture for a High-to-Medium-Voltage Power Converter; 24-Way Radial Power Combiner/Divider for 31 to 36 GHz; Three-Stage InP Submillimeter-Wave MMIC Amplifier; Fast Electromechanical Switches Based on Carbon Nanotubes; Solid-State High-Temperature Power Cells; Fast Offset Laser Phase-Locking System; Fabricating High-Resolution X-Ray Collimators; Embossed Teflon AF Laminate Membrane Microfluidic Diaphragm Valves; Flipperons for Improved Aerodynamic Performance; System Estimates Radius of Curvature of a Segmented Mirror; Refractory Ceramic Foams for Novel Applications; Self-Deploying Trusses Containing Shape-Memory Polymers; Fuel-Cell Electrolytes Based on Organosilica Hybrid Proton Conductors; Molecules for Fluorescence Detection of Specific Chemicals; Cell-Detection Technique for Automated Patch Clamping; Redesigned Human Metabolic Simulator; Compact, Highly Stable Ion Atomic Clock; LiGa(OTf)(sub 4) as an Electrolyte Salt for Li-Ion Cells; Compact Dielectric-Rod White-Light Delay Lines; Single-Mode WGM Resonators Fabricated by Diamond Turning; Mitigating Photon Jitter in Optical PPM Communication; MACOS Version 3.31; Fiber-Optic Determination of N2, O2, and Fuel Vapor in the Ullage of Liquid-Fuel Tanks; Spiking Neurons for Analysis of Patterns; Symmetric Phase-Only Filtering in Particle-Image Velocimetry; Efficient Coupler for a Bessel Beam Dispersive Element; and Attitude and Translation Control of a Solar Sail Vehicle