62,949 research outputs found
Wideband digital phase comparator for high current shunts
A wideband phase comparator for precise measurements of phase difference of
high current shunts has been developed at INRIM. The two-input digital phase
detector is realized with a precision wideband digitizer connected through a
pair of symmetric active guarded transformers to the outputs of the shunts
under comparison. Data are first acquired asynchronously, and then transferred
from on-board memory to host memory. Because of the large amount of data
collected the filtering process and the analysis algorithms are performed
outside the acquisition routine. Most of the systematic errors can be
compensated by a proper inversion procedure.
The system is suitable for comparing shunts in a wide range of currents, from
several hundred of milliampere up to 100 A, and frequencies ranging between 500
Hz and 100 kHz. Expanded uncertainty (k=2) less than 0.05 mrad, for frequency
up to 100 kHz, is obtained in the measurement of the phase difference of a
group of 10 A shunts, provided by some European NMIs, using a digitizer with
sampling frequency up to 1 MHz. An enhanced version of the phase comparator
employs a new digital phase detector with higher sampling frequency and
vertical resolution. This permits to decrease the contribution to the
uncertainty budget of the phase detector of a factor two from 20 kHz to 100
kHz. Theories and experiments show that the phase difference between two high
precision wideband digitizers, coupled as phase detector, depends on multiple
factors derived from both analog and digital imprint of each sampling system.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figure
A Microfluidic Platform for Precision Small-volume Sample Processing and Its Use to Size Separate Biological Particles with an Acoustic Microdevice.
A major advantage of microfluidic devices is the ability to manipulate small sample volumes, thus reducing reagent waste and preserving precious sample. However, to achieve robust sample manipulation it is necessary to address device integration with the macroscale environment. To realize repeatable, sensitive particle separation with microfluidic devices, this protocol presents a complete automated and integrated microfluidic platform that enables precise processing of 0.15-1.5 ml samples using microfluidic devices. Important aspects of this system include modular device layout and robust fixtures resulting in reliable and flexible world to chip connections, and fully-automated fluid handling which accomplishes closed-loop sample collection, system cleaning and priming steps to ensure repeatable operation. Different microfluidic devices can be used interchangeably with this architecture. Here we incorporate an acoustofluidic device, detail its characterization, performance optimization, and demonstrate its use for size-separation of biological samples. By using real-time feedback during separation experiments, sample collection is optimized to conserve and concentrate sample. Although requiring the integration of multiple pieces of equipment, advantages of this architecture include the ability to process unknown samples with no additional system optimization, ease of device replacement, and precise, robust sample processing
Recommended from our members
TAO Conceptual Design Report: A Precision Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum with Sub-percent Energy Resolution
The Taishan Antineutrino Observatory (TAO, also known as JUNO-TAO) is a
satellite experiment of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). A
ton-level liquid scintillator detector will be placed at about 30 m from a core
of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor antineutrino spectrum will be
measured with sub-percent energy resolution, to provide a reference spectrum
for future reactor neutrino experiments, and to provide a benchmark measurement
to test nuclear databases. A spherical acrylic vessel containing 2.8 ton
gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator will be viewed by 10 m^2 Silicon
Photomultipliers (SiPMs) of >50% photon detection efficiency with almost full
coverage. The photoelectron yield is about 4500 per MeV, an order higher than
any existing large-scale liquid scintillator detectors. The detector operates
at -50 degree C to lower the dark noise of SiPMs to an acceptable level. The
detector will measure about 2000 reactor antineutrinos per day, and is designed
to be well shielded from cosmogenic backgrounds and ambient radioactivities to
have about 10% background-to-signal ratio. The experiment is expected to start
operation in 2022
The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso
Borexino, a large volume detector for low energy neutrino spectroscopy, is
currently running underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso,
Italy. The main goal of the experiment is the real-time measurement of sub MeV
solar neutrinos, and particularly of the mono energetic (862 keV) Be7 electron
capture neutrinos, via neutrino-electron scattering in an ultra-pure liquid
scintillator. This paper is mostly devoted to the description of the detector
structure, the photomultipliers, the electronics, and the trigger and
calibration systems. The real performance of the detector, which always meets,
and sometimes exceeds, design expectations, is also shown. Some important
aspects of the Borexino project, i.e. the fluid handling plants, the
purification techniques and the filling procedures, are not covered in this
paper and are, or will be, published elsewhere (see Introduction and
Bibliography).Comment: 37 pages, 43 figures, to be submitted to NI
Study of Adjustable Gains for Control of Oscillation Frequency and Oscillation Condition in 3R-2C Oscillator
An idea of adjustable gain in order to obtain controllable features is very useful for design of tuneable oscillators. Several active elements with adjustable properties (current and voltage gain) are discussed in this paper. Three modified oscillator conceptions that are quite simple, directly electronically adjustable, providing independent control of oscillation condition and frequency were designed. Positive and negative aspects of presented method of control are discussed. Expected assumptions of adjustability are verified experimentally on one of the presented solution
Fully integrated digital microfluidics platform for automated immunoassay; a versatile tool for rapid, specific detection of a wide range of pathogens
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.With the tangible threat posed by the release of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents, detection of airborne pathogens is a critical military and security concern. Recent air sampling techniques developed for biocollection take advantage of Electrowetting on Dielectric (EWOD) to recover material, producing highly concentrated droplet samples. Bespoke EWOD-based digital microfluidics platforms are very well suited to take full advantage of the microlitre concentrated droplet resulting from this recovery process. In this paper we present a free-standing, fully automated DMF platform for immunoassay. Using this system, we demonstrate the automated detection of four classes of CBW agent simulant biomolecules and organisms each representing credible threat agents. Taking advantage of the full magnetic separation process with antibody-bound microbeads, rapid and complete separation of specific target antigen can be achieved with minimal washing steps allowing for very rapid detection. Here, we report clear detection of four categories of antigens achieved with assay completion times of between six and ten minutes. Detection of HSA, Bacillus atrophaeus (BG spores), MS2 bacteriophage and Escherichia coli are demonstrated with estimated limit of detection of respectively 30 ng ml -1, 4 × 10 4 cfu ml -1, 10 6 pfu ml -1 and 2 × 10 7 cfu ml -1. The fully-integrated portable platform described in this paper is highly compatible with the next generation of electrowetting-coupled air samplers and thus shows strong potential toward future in-field deployable biodetection systems and could have key implication in life-changing sectors such as healthcare, environment or food security.Peer reviewe
Parametrical study of miniature generators for large motion applications
Designing a generator for large amplitude motion has lead to an energy-consistent model that also considers the finite dimensions of the device. Using SPICE software we have studied the influence of several design parameters on the output of the generator, including the limited motion of the seismic mass imposed by small system dimensions. Three different types of load circuits are presented, as well as their optimization towards output voltage and power
Microchip electrophoresis bioanalytical applications
Microchip electrophoresis (MCE) is a novel analytical technique resulting from
miniaturization of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to a planar microfabricated separation
device. The consequences of the transfer of CE to MCE in terms of benefits and
drawbacks have been identified and commented. The strategies developed to overcome
the unfavourable features of the chip with respect to the capillary are briefly described.
A method for simultaneous separation of catecholamines and their cationic metabolites
has been developed on the microchip. The addition of three modifiers was required to
resolve all analytes. The sensitivity of on-chip amperometric detection has been
improved by employing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction on the amperometric electrode,
as well as by using a carbon nanotube-modified electrode. The developed analytical
methodology has been successfully applied for a direct on-chip determination of
catecholamines and their metabolites in a mouse brain homogenate. The feasibility of
performing affinity measurements as well as isoelectric focusing on the microchip has
been demonstrated and available applications of these two electrophoretic modes on a
chip have been reviewed. A commercial Shimadzu microchip station has for the first
time been applied for high-throughput microchip isoelectric focusing of therapeutic
proteins and obtained results have been compared to conventional capillary isoelectric
focusing
- …