Dual sensor and method for detection of an analyte gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823616-B2
Application number	US-201916290219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A dual sensor, includes: one or more analyte detectors, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a specific analyte; an optical source generating a first frequency comb spectrum directed to an environment to be scanned, the first frequency comb spectrum having multiple optical frequencies at a first frequency range; an optical spectrum analyzer analyzing an optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment; and a controller that is configured, where an analyte detector indicates presence of a specific analyte, to adjust the first frequency comb spectrum to increase sensitivity for detecting the specific analyte.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual sensor comprising:
one or more analyte detectors, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a specific analyte;
an optical source configured to generate a first frequency comb spectrum directed to an environment to be scanned, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum has multiple optical frequencies at a first frequency range;
an optical spectrum analyzer configured to analyze an optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment, wherein the analyzed optical spectrum includes a backscattered optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment; and
a controller configured, where an analyte detector indicates presence of a specific analyte, to adjust the first frequency comb spectrum to increase sensitivity for detecting the specific analyte.

2. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises a first light source providing light at the first frequency range.

3. The dual sensor of claim 2 wherein the optical source further comprises a first micro-resonator coupled to the first light source, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum is generated by a first micro-resonator coupled to the first light source.

4. The dual sensor of claim 3 wherein the optical source further comprises a first heater, wherein the first micro-resonator has a resonance adjustable by the first heater for adjusting the multiple optical frequencies of the first frequency comb spectrum.

5. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to identify presence of an analyte based on an analyte detector and to adjust the first frequency comb spectrum to a predetermined spectral range corresponding to the identified analyte.

6. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured, where analysis of the optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment indicates presence of an analyte, to adjust a corresponding analyte detector to increase sensitivity for detecting the analyte.

7. The dual sensor of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to identify presence of an analyte based on the analyzed optical spectrum and to adjust a corresponding analyte detector for the identified analyte to increase sensitivity for detecting the identified analyte.

8. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the analyzed optical spectrum includes a fraction of the first frequency comb spectrum transmitted through the environment.

9. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the one or more analyte detectors is a plurality of analyte detectors, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a different specific analyte.

10. The dual sensor of claim 1 wherein the one or more analyte detectors include at least one of a molecularly imprinted polymer and a functionalized carbon nanotube.

11. A dual sensor, comprising:
a plurality of analyte detectors, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a different specific analyte;
an optical source configured to generate a first frequency comb spectrum and a second frequency comb spectrum directed to the environment to be scanned, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum has multiple optical frequencies at a first frequency range and the second frequency comb spectrum having multiple optical frequencies at a second frequency range different from the first frequency range;
an optical spectrum analyzer configured to analyze an optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first and second frequency comb spectrums with the environment, wherein the optical spectrum analyzer is configured to receive backscattered optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment; and
a controller configured, where an analyte detector indicates presence of a specific analyte, to adjust the first and second frequency comb spectrums to increase sensitivity for detecting the specific analyte.

12. The dual sensor of claim 11 wherein the optical source comprises a first light source providing light at the first frequency range for the first frequency comb spectrum and a second light source providing light at the second frequency range for the second frequency comb spectrum.

13. The dual sensor of claim 12 wherein the optical source further comprises a first micro-resonator coupled to the first light source and a second micro-resonator coupled to the second light source, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum is generated by a first micro-resonator coupled to the first light source and the second frequency comb spectrum is generated by a second micro-resonator coupled to the second light source.

14. The dual sensor of claim 13 wherein the optical source further comprises a first heater and a second heater, wherein the first micro-resonator has a resonance adjustable by the first heater for adjusting the multiple optical frequencies of the first frequency comb spectrum, and wherein the second micro-resonator has a resonance adjustable by the second heater for adjusting the multiple optical frequencies of the second frequency comb spectrum.

15. The dual sensor of claim 11 wherein the plurality of analyte detectors include at least one of a molecularly imprinted polymer and a functionalized carbon nanotube.

16. The dual sensor of claim 11 wherein the first frequency comb spectrum has the multiple optical frequencies at a frequency range of 37-100 THz, and wherein the second frequency comb spectrum has the multiple optical frequencies at a frequency range of 214-400 THz.

17. A method for detection of an analyte gas, the method comprising:
exposing one or more analyte detectors to an environment, each analyte detector having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a specific analyte;
identifying presence of a specific analyte based on an analyte detector;
optically scanning the environment with a first frequency comb spectrum, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum is adjusted to a predetermined spectral range corresponding to the identified specific analyte to increase sensitivity for detecting the identified specific analyte; and
analyzing an optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment, wherein the analyzed optical spectrum includes a backscattered optical spectrum resulting from interaction of the first frequency comb spectrum with the environment.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of exposing one or more analyte detectors to the environment includes exposing a plurality of analyte detectors to the environment, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a different specific analyte.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising identifying presence of an analyte based on an analyzed optical spectrum and adjusting a corresponding analyte detector for the identified analyte to increase sensitivity for detecting the identified analyte.

20. A dual sensor comprising:
one or more analyte detectors, each having an analyte-specific binding site for interacting with a specific analyte;
an optical source configured to generate a first frequency comb spectrum directed to an environment to be scanned, wherein the first frequency comb spectrum has multiple optical frequencies at a first frequency range, wherein the optical source comprises:
a first light source configured to provide light at the first frequency range;

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Smith Robert A
• Mefford David K

Classifications

• G01J3/4338 Primary

  Frequency modulated spectrometry · CPC title

• G01N33/5306

  Improving reaction conditions, e.g. reduction of non-specific binding, promotion of specific binding · CPC title

• G01J2003/104

  Monochromatic plural sources · CPC title

• G01J2003/423

  Spectral arrangements using lasers, e.g. tunable · CPC title

• G01J3/42

  Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08) · CPC title