Monitoring Drinking Water Quality Using Differential Mobility Spectrometry
Patent # 7,470,898 B2    Date Issued: December 30, 2008

Continuous monitoring of fluid composition, e.g. drinking water supply, with improved detection sensitivity and selectivity to varying degrees of contamination at and below the predetermined maximum contaminant levels using pyrolysis- differential mobility spectrometry. 

Flexural Plate Wave Sensor
Patent # 7,468,138 B2    Date Issued: December 23, 2008

A method for manufacturing a flexural plate wave sensor, the method including the steps of depositing an etch-stop layer over a substrate, depositing a membrane layer over said etch stop layer, depositing a piezoelectric layer over said membrane layer, forming a comb pattern with drive teeth which span across an entire length of the piezoelectric layer on said piezoelectric layer, etching a cavity through the substrate, the cavity having substantially parallel interior walls, and removing a portion of the etch stop layer between the cavity and the membrane layer to expose a portion of the membrane layer.

Method and Apparatus for Electrospray-Augmented High Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry
Patent # 7,462,825 B2    Date Issued: December 9, 2008

A field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer apparatus and system including a sample preparation and introduction section, a head for delivery of ions from a sample, an ion filtering section, an output part, and an electronics part wherein the filter section includes surfaces defining a flow path, further including ion filter electrodes facing each other over the flow path that enables the flow of ions derived from the sample between the electrodes and wherein the electronics part applies controlling signals to the electrodes for generating a filter field for filtering the flow of ions in the flow path while being compensated to pass desired ion species out of the filter.

Micromachined Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Filter and Detection System
Patent # 7,435,950 B2    Date Issued: October 14, 2008

A micromechanical field asymmetric ion mobility filter for a detection system includes a pair of spaced substrates defining between them a flow path between a sample inlet and an outlet; an ion filter disposed in the path and including a pair of spaced filter electrodes, one electrode associated with each substrate; and an electrical controller for applying a bias voltage and an asymmetric periodic voltage across the ion filter electrodes for controlling the paths of ions through the filter.

Tuning Fork Gyroscopes, Accelerometers, and Other Sensors with Improved Scale Factor
Patent # 7,426,861 B2    Date Issued: September 23, 2008

A tuning fork gyroscope design where at least one proof mass is supported above a substrate. At least one drive electrode is also supported above the substrate adjacent the proof mass. Typically, the proof mass and the drive electrode include interleaved electrode fingers. A sense plate or shield electrode on the substrate beneath the proof mass extends completely under the extent of the electrode fingers of proof mass.

Disposable, Self-Administered Electrolyte Test
Patent # 7407570 B2    Date Issued:  August 5, 2008

A disposable, self-administered electrolyte test is affixed to the label of a commercially available electrolyte supplement, is available in the pharmacy section of a retail store, or is distributed by a physician or a clinic.

Stress-Based Electrostatic Monitoring of Chemical Reactions and Binding
Patent # 7402425 B2    Date Issued: July 22, 2008

Electrostatic capacitance measurements are used to detect chemical or biological analytes, or chemical interactions, with great sensitivity. A diaphragm is coated with a material capable of selectively interacting with an analyte of interest, and interaction of the analyte with the coating exerts stresses tangential to the diaphragm's surface. These stresses cause diaphragm displacements that are sensed as varying capacitance.

Micron Gap Thermal Photovoltaic Device and Method of Making the Same
Patent # 7,390,962 B2    Date: June 24, 2008

A method of making a micron gap thermal photovoltaic device wherein at least one standoff is formed on a photovoltaic substrate, a sacrificial layer is deposited on the photovoltaic substrate and about the standoff, an emitter is attached to the standoff and has a lower planar surface separated from the photovoltaic substrate by the sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layer is removed to form a sub-micron gap between the photovoltaic substrate and the lower planar surface of the emitter.

Apparatus and Systems for Processing Samples for Analysis Via Ion Mobility Spectrometry
Patent # 7,388,195 B2    Date Issued: June 17, 2008

The invention provides an interface assembly for delivering an ionized analyte from an ionization apparatus into an ion mobility spectrometer. This allows analysis of biological and non-biological samples, even non-volatile solids, via differential mobility spectrometry, without fragmentation of molecules. The invention also provides portable sample analysis systems that operate at ambient pressure. Systems of the invention may be used for high molecular weight species detection, for example, drinking water contaminants, pathogenic biological agents, bio-organic substances, nonbiological material, peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, polymers, bacteria, and hydrocarbons.

Method for Integrating MEMS Device and Interposer
Patent # 7,381,630 B2    Date Issued: June 3, 2008

A method for producing Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) and related devices using Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafer includes providing an SOI wafer, performing a mesa etch to at least partially define the MEMS device, bonding the SOI wafer to an interposer by direct boding, removing the handle layer of the SOI wafer, removing the oxide layer of the SOI wafer, and further etching the device layer of the SOI wafer to define the MEMS device. A structure manufactured according to the above described processes includes an interposer comprising an SOI wafer and a MEMS device mounted on the interposer. The MEMS device comprises posts extending from a silicon plate. The MEMS device is directly mounted to the interposer by bonding the posts of the MEMS device to the device layer of the interposer.

High Speed Piezoelectric Optical System with Tunable Focal Length
Patent # 7,369,723 B1    Date Issued: May 6, 2008

A varifocal optical system includes a substantially circular membrane deposited on a substrate, and a ring-shaped PZT thin film deposited on the outer portion of the circular membrane. The membrane may be a MEMS-micromachined membrane, made of thermal oxide, polysilicon, ZrO2 and SiO2. The membrane is initially in a buckled state, and may function as a mirror or a lens. Application of an electric voltage between an inner and outer electrode on the piezoelectric thin film induces a lateral strain on the PZT thin film, thereby altering the curvature of the membrane, and thus its focal length. Focal length tuning speeds as high as 1 MHz have been demonstrated. Tuning ranges of several hundred microns have been attained. The varifocal optical system can be used in many applications that require rapid focal length tuning, such as optical switching, scanning confocal microscopy, and vibration compensation in optical storage disks. 

Method and apparatus for chromatography-high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry 
Patent # 7,365,316    Date Issued: April 29, 2008  

Method and apparatus for chromatographic high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry, including a gas chromatographic analyzer section intimately coupled with an ionization section, an ion filter section, and an ion detection section, in which the sample compounds are at least somewhat separated prior to ionization, and ion filtering proceeds in a planar chamber under influence of high field asymmetric periodic signals, with detection integrated into the flow path, for producing accurate, real-time, orthogonal data for identification of a broad range of chemical compounds.

Systems for differential ion mobility analysis
Patent # 7,355,170    Date Issued: April 8, 2008  

Disclosed herein are systems, methods and apparatus, for detection and identification of analytes in a volatilized or volatilizable sample, using the mobility-based signature that is produced when the volatilized sample is passed through an ion mobility based analyzer.

Method for Microfabricating Structures Using Silicon-on-Insulator Material
Patent # 7,335,527 B2    Date Issued: February 26, 2008

The invention provides a general fabrication method for producing MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) and related devices using Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafer. The method includes providing an SOI wafer that has (i) a handle layer, (ii) a dielectric layer, and (iii) a device layer, wherein a mesa etch has been made on the device layer of the SOI wafer, providing a substrate, wherein a pattern has been  etched onto the substrate, bonding the SOI wafer and the substrate together, removing the handle layer of the SOI wafer, removing the dielectric layer of the SOI wafer, then performing a structural etch on the device layer of the SOI wafer to define the device.

Fluorescence detection system including a photonic band gap structure
Patent # 7,314,751    Date Issued: January 1, 2008

A fluorescence detection system includes a photonic band gap structure. An internal surface of the photonic band gap structure defines a core region, and is coated with a film formed of conjugated polymer molecules. The core region is filled with a sample fluid or gas having a plurality of either chemical or biological analytes dispersed therein. An optical source generates excitation light directed to the sample fluid. In response, a binding event between a bacterium or chemical species in the fluid or gas and one or more of the conjugated polymer molecules generates a fluorescent signal whose wavelength falls within the photonic band gap. The fluorescent signal is guided through said core region by resonant reflections, and is guided onto a detector. A plurality of photonic band gap structures may be combined so as to form a biosensor array.