Mold detecting device using sensor to measure pH of a surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11567012-B2
Application number	US-201916711961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A mold sensor is configured with an enclosed chamber in which a nutrient-treated substrate is positioned. The mold sensor includes a sensing system that is configured to measure a property of the substrate that corresponds to a pH value of the substrate. A controller operates the sensing system and is programmed to detect a presence of mold growing in the chamber by estimating the pH value from the measured property.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mold sensor comprising:
a housing defining a chamber;
a substrate coated with a hydrogel that includes nutrients to promote mold growth and exposed within the chamber;
at least one electrical sense device including a sense electrode, a reference electrode, and a working electrode contacting the hydrogel; and
a controller programmed to supply a current to the working electrode to maintain a pH level of the hydrogel at a predetermined pH level, to receive a feedback signal from the sense electrode, and to output a mold growth signal in response to the feedback signal exceeding a predetermined threshold.

2. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pH level is configured to encourage growth of one or more predetermined types of mold.

3. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is segmented into a plurality of zones and there is at least one electrical sense device in each of the zones.

4. The mold sensor of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of zones is configured to be in a different temperature zone.

5. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to change the current to maintain the sense electrode at a predetermined reference voltage representing a predetermined pH value.

6. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical sense device is embedded in the hydrogel.

7. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sense electrode has a proportional electrical potential response to pH with respect to the reference electrode.

8. The mold sensor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical sense device is a pre-printed electrical sense device.

9. A mold sensor comprising:
a housing defining a chamber;
a substrate coated with a hydrogel that includes nutrients to promote mold growth and exposed within the chamber;
at least one electrical sense device including a sense electrode, a reference electrode, and a working electrode contacting the hydrogel;
an amplifier receiving inputs from the sense electrode and the reference electrode; and
a controller programmed to supply a current to the working electrode to maintain a pH level of the hydrogel at a predetermined pH level, and to output a mold growth signal in response to the inputs from the sense electrode and the reference electrode output by the amplifier.

10. The mold sensor of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined pH value is configured to encourage growth of one or more predetermined types of mold on the hydrogel.

11. The mold sensor of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to adjust the current based on a difference in voltage between the sense electrode and a reference electrode attached to the substrate.

12. The mold sensor of claim 9 further comprising measuring the current prior to mold growth to establish a baseline pH level.

13. The mold sensor of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to change the current to maintain the sense electrode at a predetermined reference voltage representing a predetermined pH value.

14. The mold sensor of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is segmented into a plurality of zones and there is at least one electrical sense device in each of the zones.

15. The mold sensor of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of zones is configured to be in a different temperature zone.

16. The mold sensor of claim 9 , wherein the at least one electrical sense device is embedded in the hydrogel.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Yee Seow Yuen
• Laermer Franz
• Rocznik Thomas
• Wang Ning

Classifications

• G06T7/90

  Determination of colour characteristics · CPC title

• G01N21/80 Primary

  Indicating pH value · CPC title

• G01N27/041

  of a solid body · CPC title

• C12Q1/04

  Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N1/2208

  with impactors · CPC title