Enabling environmental fingerprinting with an NFC-powered sensor board

Abstract. In recent times, people have become concerned about their environmental conditions, amid deteriorating global statistics on bad air quality, global warming and UV light exposure. Conventional technologies for reading environmental conditions are expensive, bulky and situated, yet, people are mobile and need portable tools to be aware of their immediate environmental conditions on demand. Smartphones are now widely used, endowed with sensors and wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth, and Near Field Communication (NFC) for external sensor connectivity, making smartphones a viable tool for fingerprinting the environment. This thesis outlines the design, evaluation and implementation of a mobile-enabled system for environmental data collection using a portable NFC powered sensor board. The name of the system developed in this thesis is the S3 system. The S3 system is a two-tier system which consists of S3 Android application and an online dashboard with a data repository. The S3 Android application is used for collecting and visualising environmental data; temperature, humidity, UV, ambient light, with a smartphone and a credit card-size NFC powered sensor board. The sensor data is then periodically synced to the online data repository. Additional features of the S3 application include automated feedback sampling, introductory tutorial, and user preference settings. The thesis further details the design and implementation process with scenarios, use cases, paper sketches, expert review of sketches, interface mockups, evaluation of prototype with a user study, quantitative and qualitative analysis of user study data, and finally the implementation of the S3 application. The thesis also presents a test run to demonstrate the capabilities of the S3 system as a mobile-enabled solution for crowdsourced environmental fingerprint datasets. To the end user, the work in this thesis provides the S3 application and the NFC powered sensor card as a portable tool for personalised environmental fingerprinting. On the other hand, the intervention in this thesis will have an impact on research since the crowdsourced environmental fingerprint datasets can be valuable datasets for research. As a TEKES project, the solution also provides a proof of concept for further improvement and deployment into the commercial software market

Wearable wireless optical chemical sensors

Nosivi bežični optički kemijski senzori omogućavaju analizu uzoraka koji se ne mogu analizirati klasičnim analitičkim metodama i instrumentima. U ovom radu, kroz niz primjera, objašnjen je princip djelovanja te je navedeno područje primjene takve vrste kemijskih senzora. Spektrofotometrijski je provedena karakterizacija 4-[4-(2-hidroksietansulfonil)-fenilazo]-2,6-dimetoksifenola, skraćeno GJM-534, imobiliziranog na poliesterskoj foliji kako bi se odredila njegova primjenjivost kao pH osjetljivog bojila. Objašnjena je mogućnost daljnje primjene dobivene membrane kao osjetilnog dijela nosivog bežičnog optičkog kemijskog senzora koji bi se zasnivao na RFID tehnologiji bežične komunikacije za praćenje pH vrijednosti bioloških uzoraka poput znoja ili rane. Ovakva vrsta senzora mogla bi olakšati život ljudi oboljelih od kroničnih rana, te poboljšati učinak sportaša.Wearable wireless optical chemical sensors allow analysis of samples which can not be analyzed by conventional analytical methods and instruments. In this work, the operating principle and area of application of this type of chemical sensor are explained through numerous examples. Spectrophotometric characterization of 4-[4-(2-hydroxyethanesulfonyl)-phenylazo]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, abbreviated GJM-534, immobilized on a polyester film, was performed in order to determine its applicability as a pH-sensitive dye. The possibility of further use of the obtained membrane as the sensing part of a wearable wireless optical chemical sensor based on RFID technology for monitoring the pH value of biological samples such as sweat or wounds is also explained. This type of sensor could improve the lives of people suffering from chronic wounds and to enhance the performance of athletes

Wearable wireless optical chemical sensors

Nosivi bežični optički kemijski senzori omogućavaju analizu uzoraka koji se ne mogu analizirati klasičnim analitičkim metodama i instrumentima. U ovom radu, kroz niz primjera, objašnjen je princip djelovanja te je navedeno područje primjene takve vrste kemijskih senzora. Spektrofotometrijski je provedena karakterizacija 4-[4-(2-hidroksietansulfonil)-fenilazo]-2,6-dimetoksifenola, skraćeno GJM-534, imobiliziranog na poliesterskoj foliji kako bi se odredila njegova primjenjivost kao pH osjetljivog bojila. Objašnjena je mogućnost daljnje primjene dobivene membrane kao osjetilnog dijela nosivog bežičnog optičkog kemijskog senzora koji bi se zasnivao na RFID tehnologiji bežične komunikacije za praćenje pH vrijednosti bioloških uzoraka poput znoja ili rane. Ovakva vrsta senzora mogla bi olakšati život ljudi oboljelih od kroničnih rana, te poboljšati učinak sportaša.Wearable wireless optical chemical sensors allow analysis of samples which can not be analyzed by conventional analytical methods and instruments. In this work, the operating principle and area of application of this type of chemical sensor are explained through numerous examples. Spectrophotometric characterization of 4-[4-(2-hydroxyethanesulfonyl)-phenylazo]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, abbreviated GJM-534, immobilized on a polyester film, was performed in order to determine its applicability as a pH-sensitive dye. The possibility of further use of the obtained membrane as the sensing part of a wearable wireless optical chemical sensor based on RFID technology for monitoring the pH value of biological samples such as sweat or wounds is also explained. This type of sensor could improve the lives of people suffering from chronic wounds and to enhance the performance of athletes

Development of a wireless optical chemical sensor for wound status monitoring

Bežični optički kemijski senzori omogućavaju olakšanu analizu bioloških uzoraka. Neinvazivnost postupka i kontinuirano praćenje u realnom vremenu samo su neke od prednosti nosivih kemijskih senzora u odnosu na klasične laboratorijske instrumente. Idealna primjena takvih senzora je bezbolno praćenje stanja rana. U tu svrhu razvijeno je pH osjetljivo bojilo 4-[4-(2-hidroksietansulfonil)-fenilazo]-2,6-dimetoksifenol, GJM-534, čija konstanta disocijacije odgovara području pH vrijednosti akutnih i kroničnih rana. U radu je provedena spektrofotometrijska karakterizacija imobiliziranog pH osjetljivog bojila na klasični zavoj i poliestersku foliju. Razvijen je pametni zavoj integriranjem imobiliziranog bojila i bežične platforme temeljene na radiofrekvencijskoj identifikaciji (RFID). Ovakva vrsta kemijskih senzora olakšava život oboljelima od kroničnih oblika bolesti koje zahtijevaju kontinuirano praćenje.Wireless optical chemical sensors allow easier analysis of biological samples. Noninvasiveness of the procedure and continuous monitoring in real-time are only some of the advantages of wearable chemical sensors compared to conventional laboratory instruments. An ideal application of such sensors is painless monitoring of wounds. For that purpose it has been developed a pH sensitive dye 4-[4-(2-hydroxyethanesulfonyl)-phenylazo]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, GJM-534, which has an acid dissociation constant in the range of pH values of acute and chronic wounds. In this work, the spectrophotometric characterization of the immobilized pH sensitive dye on the classic bandage and polyester foil was performed. A smart bandage has been developed by integrating the immobilized dye with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) based wireless platform. This type of sensor improve lives of people suffering from chronic forms of diseases which require continuous monitoring

Development of a wireless optical chemical sensor for wound status monitoring

Bežični optički kemijski senzori omogućavaju olakšanu analizu bioloških uzoraka. Neinvazivnost postupka i kontinuirano praćenje u realnom vremenu samo su neke od prednosti nosivih kemijskih senzora u odnosu na klasične laboratorijske instrumente. Idealna primjena takvih senzora je bezbolno praćenje stanja rana. U tu svrhu razvijeno je pH osjetljivo bojilo 4-[4-(2-hidroksietansulfonil)-fenilazo]-2,6-dimetoksifenol, GJM-534, čija konstanta disocijacije odgovara području pH vrijednosti akutnih i kroničnih rana. U radu je provedena spektrofotometrijska karakterizacija imobiliziranog pH osjetljivog bojila na klasični zavoj i poliestersku foliju. Razvijen je pametni zavoj integriranjem imobiliziranog bojila i bežične platforme temeljene na radiofrekvencijskoj identifikaciji (RFID). Ovakva vrsta kemijskih senzora olakšava život oboljelima od kroničnih oblika bolesti koje zahtijevaju kontinuirano praćenje.Wireless optical chemical sensors allow easier analysis of biological samples. Noninvasiveness of the procedure and continuous monitoring in real-time are only some of the advantages of wearable chemical sensors compared to conventional laboratory instruments. An ideal application of such sensors is painless monitoring of wounds. For that purpose it has been developed a pH sensitive dye 4-[4-(2-hydroxyethanesulfonyl)-phenylazo]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, GJM-534, which has an acid dissociation constant in the range of pH values of acute and chronic wounds. In this work, the spectrophotometric characterization of the immobilized pH sensitive dye on the classic bandage and polyester foil was performed. A smart bandage has been developed by integrating the immobilized dye with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) based wireless platform. This type of sensor improve lives of people suffering from chronic forms of diseases which require continuous monitoring

In-Situ Measurements in Microscale Gas Flows—Conventional Sensors or Something Else?

Within the last few decades miniaturization has a driving force in almost all areas of technology, leading to a tremendous intensification of systems and processes. Information technology provides now data density several orders of magnitude higher than a few years ago, and the smartphone technology includes, as well the simple ability to communicate with others, features like internet, video and music streaming, but also implementation of the global positioning system, environment sensors or measurement systems for individual health. So-called wearables are everywhere, from the physio-parameter sensing wrist smart watch up to the measurement of heart rates by underwear. This trend holds also for gas flow applications, where complex flow arrangements and measurement systems formerly designed for a macro scale have been transferred into miniaturized versions. Thus, those systems took advantage of the increased surface to volume ratio as well as of the improved heat and mass transfer behavior of miniaturized equipment. In accordance, disadvantages like gas flow mal-distribution on parallelized mini- or micro tubes or channels as well as increased pressure losses due to the minimized hydraulic diameters and an increased roughness-to-dimension ratio have to be taken into account. Furthermore, major problems are arising for measurement and control to be implemented for in-situ and/or in-operando measurements. Currently, correlated measurements are widely discussed to obtain a more comprehensive view to a process by using a broad variety of measurement techniques complementing each other. Techniques for correlated measurements may include commonly used techniques like thermocouples or pressure sensors as well as more complex systems like gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, infrared or ultraviolet spectroscopy and many others. Some of these techniques can be miniaturized, some of them cannot yet. Those should, nevertheless, be able to conduct measurements at the same location and the same time, preferably in-situ and in-operando. Therefore, combinations of measurement instruments might be necessary, which will provide complementary techniques for accessing local process information. A recently more intensively discussed additional possibility is the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, which might be useful in combination with other, more conventional measurement techniques. NMR is currently undergoing a tremendous change from large-scale to benchtop measurement systems, and it will most likely be further miniaturized. NMR allows a multitude of different measurements, which are normally covered by several instruments. Additionally, NMR can be combined very well with other measurement equipment to perform correlative in-situ and in-operando measurements. Such combinations of several instruments would allow us to retrieve an “information cloud” of a process. This paper will present a view of some common measurement techniques and the difficulties of applying them on one hand in a miniaturized scale, and on the other hand in a correlative mode. Basic suggestions to achieve the above-mentioned objective by a combination of different methods including NMR will be given

Gas Flows in Microsystems

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