Kmg2 Sensors Corporation

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

University of Kentucky Research Foundation

Michigan Technological University

Sentech Biomed Corporation

Keat Ghee Ong

Craig A Grimes

Kefeng Zeng

Kai-Nan An

Chunfeng Zhao

Andrew DeRouin

Xiping Yang

Systems and methods for monitoring a mechanical force applied to a wound site repairing structure are disclosed. In an embodiment, the systems include a wound site repairing structure, a magnetoelastic sensor coupled to the wound site repairing structure, and a detection system. The detection system includes an excitation coil configured to transmit a signal to the magnetoelastic sensor and a detection coil configured to detect a signal indicative of a mechanical force applied to the wound site repairing structure. The detection system also includes a detection unit configured to detect the signal indicative of the mechanical force applied to the wound repairing structure.

System and method for monitoring of a mechanical force

Circuitry and program code adapted for carrying out an associated technique for characterizing the response of one or more magnetoelastic sensor elements during exposure to an excitation field generated by an interrogation coil: including: (a) measuring a total sensor signal from the coil with the sensor element positioned within the excitation field within a spacing created by a winding of the coil; and (b) automatically determining: (i) a total measured impedance spectrum from said total sensor signal so measured, and (ii) a plurality of magnitude values representing the real part of a reconstructed impedance spectrum for the sensor element. The reconstructed impedance spectrum for the sensor element, having been calculated by subtracting an impedance generally attributable to the coil during the time an AC excitation signal is provided, from the total measured impedance. Subtraction of coil impedance from total complex impedance is accomplished by separate subtraction of the real part and of the imaginary part, represented as follows(&#x3c9;)]=(&#x3c9;)]&#x2212;(&#x3c9;)]&#x2003;&#x2003;Equation (12)and(&#x3c9;)]=(&#x3c9;)]&#x2212;(&#x3c9;)]&#x2003;&#x2003;Equation (13)where subscript 't' indicates total complex impedance, 's' indicates sensor element impedance, and &#x201c;c&#x201d; indicates coil impedance.

Impedance analysis technique for frequency domain characterization of magnetoelastic sensor element by measuring steady-state vibration of element while undergoing constant sine-wave excitation

A network of remote sensing node assemblies, a first and second of which each has a sensor element, as well as associated technique and program code for transmitting information collected about a liquid environment. The network provides the capability of sensing the liquid to collect a wide variety of types of information/data about the liquid and any surrounding environments, and transmitting from the originating node assembly to a different node within acoustic transmission range, and then transmitting further to a third node assembly where the information may be processed and communicated to a user, or further transmitted by way of suitable medium, preferably as electromagnetic signals, to a host location for processing into a compilation of data. Each of at least two sensing node assemblies has at least one sensor element adapted for operation while immersed within the liquid, a source of power, and a transducer for receiving acoustic waves/signals transmitted from another node assembly. The transducer is adapted for emitting sensor information collected by one or more sensor element(s) at that node, as well as acting as a pass-through node for information collected at other nodes. A third node assembly of the network is adapted for receiving and processing sensor information acoustically transmitted from other nodes. The third node can have its own processor unit(s) and means for transmitting sensor information to a remote host, whether originating at the third node (if so equipped) or another node assembly.

Network of sensor nodes assemblies and method of remote sensing within liquid environments

Circuitry adapted for carrying out associated techniques for: (a) calculating a damping factor, e.g., a damping ratio represented by &#x3b6;, or a quality factor Q, where &#x3b6;&#x2248;1/2Q, for a transient signal received, having been emitted from a resonator-type sensor element; (b) determining amplitude, A, of the transient signal; or (c) generating a frequency response dataset of interrelated points for the transient signal. A threshold comparison circuit is included for converting the transient signal received into a first and second digital waveform; the first digital waveform represents cycle crossings of the transient signal associated with a first threshold value, and the second digital waveform represents cycle crossings of the transient signal associated with a second threshold value. The transient signal may be converted, likewise, into third, and so on, digital waveforms, whereby the third digital waveform represents cycle crossings of the transient signal associated with a third threshold value. Respective digital counters are included, each of which is adapted for determining a total number of cycles of the first, second, third, and so on, digital waveform. A processing unit of suitable speed and capacity is employed for the calculating of the damping factor, determining an amplitude, and/or generating a frequency response dataset.

Technique and electronic circuitry for quantifying a transient signal using threshold-crossing counting to track signal amplitude

A temperature sensing apparatus including a sensor element made of a magnetically soft material operatively arranged within a first and second time-varying interrogation magnetic field, the first time-varying magnetic field being generated at a frequency higher than that for the second magnetic field. A receiver, remote from the sensor element, is engaged to measure intensity of electromagnetic emissions from the sensor element to identify a relative maximum amplitude value for each of a plurality of higher-order harmonic frequency amplitudes so measured. A unit then determines a value for temperature (or other parameter of interst) using the relative maximum harmonic amplitude values identified. In other aspects of the invention, the focus is on an apparatus and technique for determining a value for of stress condition of a solid analyte and for determining a value for corrosion, using the relative maximum harmonic amplitude values identified. A magnetically hard element supporting a biasing field adjacent the magnetically soft sensor element can be included.

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Houghton, MI, United States of America

Keat Ghee Ong