Cartridge, cartridge enclosing package, device body, and air quality rating system

Abstract

To provide a cartridge with a sensing part capable of being easily replaced, a cartridge enclosing package, a device body, and an air quality rating system.SOLUTION: A cartridge 1 includes a sensing unit 11 and a circuit board 10. In the sensing unit 11, the electrical properties change in response to one or more types of molecules. The circuit board 10 is provided with a sensing unit 11. The circuit board 10 is configured so as to be detachably mounted on the device body 2 that includes an acquisition unit 231 that acquires the electrical characteristic value of the sensing unit 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a cartridge, a cartridge-enclosed package, a device body, and an air quality evaluation system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cartridge, a cartridge-enclosed package, a device body, and an air quality evaluation system, each of which includes a sensitive part whose electrical characteristic value changes in response to a molecule. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air quality determination system including multiple sensor modules, an exposure unit, a temperature control element, a control unit, an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The multiple sensor modules each change their electrical characteristic values ​​in response to one or more types of molecules. The exposure unit exposes the multiple sensor modules to a sample gas for a predetermined measurement period. The temperature control element at least heats and cools the multiple sensor modules. The acquisition unit acquires the electrical characteristic values ​​of the multiple sensor modules for the predetermined measurement period. The determination unit uses a trained model for determining the air quality state of the sample gas and determines the air quality state of the sample gas based on changes in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the multiple sensor modules. The output unit outputs the determination result of the determination unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 114158 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the air quality determination system (air evaluation system) described above, it is required that the sensor module (sensing part) whose electrical characteristic value changes in response to molecules be easily replaceable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cartridge, a cartridge-enclosing package, an apparatus body, and an air quality evaluation system that allow the sensitive part to be easily replaced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cartridge according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensitive part and a substrate. The sensitive part changes an electrical characteristic value in response to one or more types of molecules. The sensitive part is provided on the substrate. The substrate is configured to be detachable from an apparatus main body that includes an acquisition unit that acquires the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part.

[0007] A cartridge sealed package according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-described cartridge and a bag containing the cartridge, wherein a dry inert gas is sealed in the bag.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the device main body includes a connection section to which the substrate of the cartridge can be detachably attached, the acquisition section, and a heat sink. The connection section is electrically connected to the sensor section when the substrate is attached. The heat sink is thermally connected to a second surface of the substrate, which is different from the first surface on which the sensor section is provided, when the substrate is attached to the connection section.

[0009] An air quality evaluation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the cartridge described above, the device main body, and an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit evaluates the air quality state of the sample gas based on a pattern of change in the electrical characteristic value of the sensor unit exposed to the sample gas. The device main body includes a connection unit to which the substrate can be detachably attached, the acquisition unit, and a heat sink. The connection unit is electrically connected to the sensor unit when the substrate is attached. When the substrate is attached to the connection unit, the heat sink is thermally connected to a second surface of the substrate, which is different from the first surface on which the sensor unit is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure has the advantage of making the sensitive part easily replaceable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1A is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the device main body before and after the cartridge is attached to the device main body in the air quality evaluation system of the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the device main body after the cartridge is attached to the device main body in the same air quality evaluation system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic system configuration diagram of the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cartridge in the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the cartridge in the air quality evaluation system with the housing removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a sensor provided in a cartridge in the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the states before and after the sensitive part of the above absorbs the molecules to be detected. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of the cartridge in the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cartridge sealing package in the air quality evaluation system. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the device main body after the cartridge has been attached to the device main body in the air quality evaluation system of the first modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the device main body after the cartridge has been attached to the device main body in the air quality evaluation system of the second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications, and various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure. The drawings described in the following embodiments and modifications are schematic drawings, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0013] (Embodiment) (1) Overview An outline of the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2. FIG.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the cartridge 1 of this embodiment has a sensitive part 11 and a substrate 10. The sensitive part 11 changes its electrical characteristic value in response to one or more types of molecules to which it is sensitive. The substrate 10 is provided with the sensitive part 11. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the substrate 10 is configured to be detachable from the device main body 2, which includes an acquisition unit 231 (see FIG. 2) that acquires the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11. Note that the "electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11" referred to in the present disclosure is, for example, electrical resistance, or a current value or voltage value corresponding to the electrical resistance.

[0015] The cartridge 1 of this embodiment functions as part of an air quality evaluation system 100 (see FIG. 2) when attached to the device main body 2. The air quality evaluation system 100 is used, for example, to detect odor molecules as detection target molecules. The detection target odor molecules may include, for example, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzaldehyde, nonanal, and pyrrol, which are contained in human body odor components, as well as ammonia.

[0016] The air quality evaluation system 100 detects VOCs, which are odor molecules contained in sample gases such as gases containing body odor collected from the body of a subject or exhaled breath, or air collected from a room in a building. Note that the molecules to be detected by the air quality evaluation system 100 are not limited to VOCs, and multiple types of odor molecules including VOCs may be detected.

[0017] The air quality assessment system 100 can be used to assess the health status of a subject by evaluating the air quality of a sample gas, such as a gas containing body odor collected from the subject's body or exhaled breath. If the subject is a driver of a vehicle such as a car, train, airplane, or ship, the air quality assessment system 100 can be used to assess the driver's fatigue level or alertness by evaluating the air quality of the sample gas. The air quality assessment system 100 can also perform biometric authentication by evaluating the air quality of the sample gas collected from the subject, or can be used to search for rescue recipients trapped under rubble at disaster sites by detecting gas containing body odor or exhaled breath emitted by such recipients. The sample gas is not limited to gas (such as exhaled breath) emitted from the human body. The air quality assessment system 100 can also be used to control the quality of food by detecting the presence or absence of gas emitted during food spoilage. The air quality evaluation system 100 may also evaluate the state of air quality in a room by detecting the presence or absence of VOCs emitted from building materials in the room, etc. The air quality evaluation system 100 may also evaluate the presence or absence of gases generated by fire, gases emitted from explosives or drugs, or toxic gases.

[0018] In the comparative example, the cartridge is not detachably attached to the device body, and the cartridge and device body are considered to be an integrated device. Therefore, in the comparative example, when it becomes necessary to replace the sensor part due to factors such as deterioration or end of life of the sensor part, it is necessary to replace both the cartridge and the device body.

[0019] On the other hand, in the cartridge 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the substrate 10 is configured to be detachable from the device main body 2. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to replace the sensitive part 11, the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 on which the sensitive part 11 is provided can be easily removed from the device main body 2. Then, the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 on which a new sensitive part 11 different from the sensitive part 11 is provided can be attached to the device main body 2. In other words, the cartridge 1 of this embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part 11 can be easily replaced.

[0020] (2) Detailed configuration (2-1) Air quality evaluation system The detailed configuration of the air quality evaluation system 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A to 9. FIG.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the air quality evaluation system 100 includes a cartridge 1, an apparatus main body 2, and an evaluation unit 312. The evaluation unit 312 evaluates the air quality state of the sample gas based on the change pattern of the electrical characteristic value of the sensor unit 11 exposed to the sample gas. In this disclosure, "evaluating the air quality state of the sample gas" may refer to evaluating whether or not target molecules are present in the sample gas, in other words, whether or not target molecules exceed a predetermined concentration in the sample gas, or to evaluating the types of target molecules present in the sample gas. Furthermore, the number of target molecules is not limited to one type. When there are multiple types of target molecules, evaluating the air quality state may refer to evaluating the presence or absence and concentration of each type of molecule. Furthermore, evaluating the air quality state may also refer to evaluating the odor quality of the sample gas (e.g., pleasant odor, unpleasant odor, etc.).

[0022] 2 and 3, the air quality evaluation system 100 of this embodiment includes, in addition to the cartridge 1 and the device main body 2, an evaluation device 3, which has the above-mentioned evaluation unit 312. A more detailed configuration of the evaluation unit 312 will be described in the section "(2-4) Display Device."

[0023] In this embodiment, the device main body 2 and the evaluation device 3 are electrically connected via a wired cable CB1. The wired cable CB1 is a cable that can supply power and perform communication.

[0024] (2-2) Cartridge As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 2, and 4, the cartridge 1 of this embodiment includes a substrate 10, a sensitive part 11, a heater part 12, a temperature sensor 13, a connection terminal 14, a plurality of conductor parts 16, and a housing 17.

[0025] (substrate) The substrate 10 is a flat member. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the substrate is a printed wiring board having connection terminals 14, which are wiring patterns, and a plurality of conductor portions 16. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the substrate 10 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 that face each other in the thickness direction. More specifically, the first surface 101 is the upper surface of the substrate 10, and the second surface 102 is the lower surface of the substrate 10. The first surface 101 corresponds to the predetermined surface in this disclosure.

[0026] The substrate 10 is configured to be detachably attached to a connection portion 21 (described later) of the device main body 2. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , the cartridge 1 is inserted into a receptacle 27 of the device main body 2, and the substrate 10 is inserted into the connection portion 21, thereby attaching the substrate 10 to the device main body 2. With the substrate 10 inserted into the connection portion 21, the connection terminal 14 of the substrate 10 is electrically connected to the connection portion 21. Meanwhile, the cartridge 1 is removed from the receptacle 27 of the device main body 2, and the substrate 10 is removed from the connection portion 21, thereby removing the substrate 10 from the device main body 2. With the substrate 10 attached to the device main body 2, the cartridge 1 of this embodiment is driven by power supplied to the connection terminal 14 from a power supply portion 34 (described later) of the evaluation device 3 via the device main body 2.

[0027] (sensing part) As shown in FIG. 5, a sensitive portion 11 is provided on the first surface 101 of the substrate 10. The sensitive portion 11 changes its electrical characteristic value in response to one or more types of molecules to which it is sensitive. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sensitive portion 11 has a plurality of sensitive elements Ax (x is a natural number) with different sensitive characteristics. In this embodiment, the sensitive portion 11 has 16 sensitive elements Ax, and hereinafter, each of the 16 sensitive elements Ax may be referred to as a sensitive element A1 to A16 (see FIG. 6). The 16 sensitive elements A1 to A16 are arranged in four rows and four columns on the flat substrate 10. The sensitive portion 11 of this embodiment is housed in an internal space Sp1 of a housing 17 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each of the multiple sensor elements Ax is formed into a film-like structure, including an organic composition 111 formed by molding an organic material into a disk shape and conductive particles 112 dispersed within the organic composition 111. When the sensor element Ax is exposed to a sample gas containing target molecules, the organic composition 111 absorbs the target molecules and expands. In FIG. 7, the left side of the figure shows the sensor element Ax in a state before absorbing the target molecules M1, while the right side shows the sensor element Ax in a state after absorbing the target molecules M1. When the sensor element Ax absorbs the target molecules M1, the organic composition 111 expands. Therefore, after the sensor element Ax absorbs the target molecules M1, the spacing between the conductive particles 112 becomes wider than before absorbing the target molecules M1, and the electrical resistance of the sensor element Ax increases. In this embodiment, the target molecules are odor molecules such as benzaldehyde, nonanal, and pyrrole. In other words, the sensor element Ax has an organic composition 111 that is sensitive to odor molecules, and when the sensor part 11 is exposed to a sample gas containing odor molecules, the organic composition 111 expands by adsorbing the odor molecules, and the electrical resistance of the organic composition 111 increases.

[0029] The sensitive element Ax has temperature dependency, whereby its electrical characteristic value (electrical resistance) changes depending on the temperature. Here, the sensitive element Ax includes a sensitive element Ax having a positive resistance coefficient (hereinafter also referred to as a positive characteristic sensitive element) Ax, where the electrical resistance increases with increasing temperature, and a sensitive element Ax having a negative resistance coefficient (hereinafter also referred to as a negative characteristic sensitive element) Ax, where the electrical resistance decreases with increasing temperature.

[0030] In this embodiment, the sensitive part 11 includes a negative characteristic sensitive element having a negative resistance coefficient in the temperature range of -20°C or higher and 50°C or lower, and the sensitive elements A1 to A11 correspond to the negative characteristic sensitive elements. The sensitive part 11 also includes a positive characteristic sensitive element having a positive resistance coefficient in the temperature range of -20°C or higher and 50°C or lower, and the sensitive elements A12 to A16 correspond to the positive characteristic sensitive elements. A heater control part 241 (described later) of the device main body 2 controls the temperature of the sensitive part 11 by passing a pulsed current through the heater part 12. By passing a pulsed current through the heater part 12, the temperature of the sensitive part 11 is controlled according to a temperature change pattern in which a temperature rise period in which the temperature of the sensitive part 11 rises and a temperature fall period in which the temperature of the sensitive part 11 falls are alternately repeated. Here, in response to the temperature change of the sensor unit 11, the temperature of the internal space of the housing 17 also changes in a temperature change pattern in which a temperature rise period in which the temperature rises and a temperature fall period in which the temperature falls are alternately repeated. The length of the temperature rise period is the time required for the odor molecules to desorb, and is, for example, several tens of seconds, but this time can be changed as appropriate. The length of the temperature fall period is the time required for the fluctuations in the electrical characteristic values ​​due to the adsorption of the odor molecules to stabilize, and is, for example, several tens of seconds, but this time can be changed as appropriate.

[0031] The sensor element A1 is a negative-temperature-characteristic sensor element whose resistance decreases with increasing temperature. Therefore, when the temperature of the sensor element A1 is changed according to the temperature change pattern described above, the resistance of the sensor element A1 decreases with increasing temperature during the temperature rise period, and increases with decreasing temperature during the temperature fall period. Here, when the sensor element A1 is exposed to a sample gas containing odor molecules, the resistance decreases during the temperature rise period due to the desorption of odor molecules, and increases during the temperature fall period due to the absorption of odor molecules. Therefore, the resistance of the sensor element A1 changes with a variation due to temperature change superimposed on a variation due to the amount of odor molecules adsorbed by the sensor element A1.

[0032] Furthermore, the sensor element A16 is a positive temperature coefficient sensor element whose resistance increases with increasing temperature. Therefore, when the temperature of the sensor element A16 is changed according to the temperature change pattern described above, the resistance of the sensor element A16 changes in a pattern such that the resistance increases with increasing temperature during the temperature rise period and decreases with decreasing temperature during the temperature fall period. Here, when the sensor element A16 is exposed to a sample gas containing odor molecules, the resistance decreases during the temperature rise period due to the desorption of odor molecules, and increases during the temperature fall period due to the absorption of odor molecules. Therefore, the change pattern of the resistance of the sensor element A16 is a pattern in which the fluctuation due to temperature change (increase during the temperature rise period, decrease during the temperature fall period) is superimposed on the fluctuation due to the amount of odor molecules adsorbed by the sensor element A16.

[0033] (heater part) The heater unit 12 heats the sensor unit 11. More specifically, the heater unit 12 generates heat by passing an electric current through it under the control of a heater control unit 241 (described later) in the device main body 2, thereby heating the sensor unit 11. In the air quality evaluation system 100 of this embodiment, the cartridge 1 is provided with the heater unit 12, which allows the heater unit 12 to heat the sensor unit 11 more stably than in the comparative air quality evaluation system in which the device main body is provided with the heater unit. As a result, the sensor unit 11 has the advantage of being able to stably desorb odor molecules. In other words, the evaluation unit 312 of the air quality evaluation system 100 has the advantage of being able to stably evaluate the air quality state of the sample gas.

[0034] The heater section 12 of this embodiment is provided by printing an exothermic ink material on the first surface 101 of the substrate 10. That is, the heater section 12 of this embodiment is made of an exothermic ink material. This configuration has the advantage that the heater section 12 can be easily provided. Note that the "exothermic ink material" referred to here is an ink material that has the property of generating heat when an electric current is passed through it, and is, for example, an ink material whose main component is carbon. The "exothermic ink material" may also be a paste-like material whose main component is carbon. The exothermic ink material can be printed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 10 by, for example, screen printing, inkjet printing, or gravure printing, but the printing method is not limited thereto.

[0035] The heater section 12 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10 so as to transfer heat directly to the sensitive section 11. In the present disclosure, "direct transfer of heat" means that the heat generated by the heater section 12 is transferred to the sensitive section 11 without passing through any other member. Specifically, the heat generated by the heater section 12 is transferred to the sensitive section 11 through a gap provided to insulate the heater section 12 from the sensitive section 11. In other words, the heater section 12 is provided so that no other member is disposed between the heater section 12 and the sensitive section 11. This configuration improves the efficiency with which the heat from the heater section 12 is transferred to the sensitive section 11. As a result, the sensitive section 11 has the advantage of being able to efficiently desorb odor molecules. In other words, the evaluation section 312 of the air quality evaluation system 100 has the advantage of being able to efficiently evaluate the air quality state of the sample gas.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the heater unit 12 of this embodiment is provided in a plate shape on the first surface 101 of the substrate 10, and has a plurality of openings so that each of the plurality of sensory elements Ax in the sensory unit 11 is exposed. That is, the heater unit 12 of this embodiment is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10 so as to surround the sensory unit 11. More specifically, the heater unit 12 of this embodiment is provided on the first surface 101 of the substrate 10 so as to surround each of the plurality of sensory elements Ax in the sensory unit 11. This configuration further improves the efficiency with which heat from the heater unit 12 is transferred to the sensory unit 11. As a result, the sensory unit 11 has the advantage of being able to more efficiently desorb odor molecules. That is, the evaluation unit 312 of the air quality evaluation system 100 has the advantage of being able to more efficiently evaluate the air quality state of the sample gas.

[0037] (Temperature sensor) The temperature sensor 13 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10, near the sensitive portion 11. As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature sensor 13 of this embodiment is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10, in the center of the range in which the multiple sensitive elements Ax are provided in the sensitive portion 11. More specifically, the temperature sensor 13 of this embodiment is provided between the sensitive elements A6, A7 and the sensitive elements A10, A11 in the front-rear direction. The temperature sensor 13 is a sensor for detecting the temperature of the sensitive portion 11, and in this embodiment, the temperature of the sensitive portion 11 is indirectly detected by detecting the temperature around the sensitive portion 11. The temperature sensor 13 is, for example, a thermistor.

[0038] (Connection terminal, conductor part) The connection terminals 14 and the plurality of conductor portions 16 are wiring patterns (for example, copper foil patterns) provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10.

[0039] The connection terminal 14 is electrically connected to the connection portion 21 of the device body 2 when the substrate 10 is attached to the device body 2. The connection terminal 14 is provided at the rear end of the first surface 101 of the substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, the connection terminal 14 is provided at a portion of the first surface 101 of the substrate 10 that is not housed in the housing 17, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The connection terminal 14 has a plurality of electrodes aligned in the left-right direction.

[0040] Each of the plurality of conductors 16 is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of electrodes in the connection terminal 14. Each of the plurality of sensitive elements Ax, heater section 12, and temperature sensor 13 in the sensitive section 11 corresponds one-to-one to a combination of two of the plurality of conductors 16, and is electrically connected to the corresponding two conductors 16.

[0041] That is, when the substrate 10 is attached to the device body 2, the sensitive part 11 is electrically connected to the connection part 21 of the device body 2 via the connection terminal 14 and the two corresponding conductor parts 16. Similarly, when the substrate 10 is attached to the device body 2, each of the heater part 12 and the temperature sensor 13 is electrically connected to the connection part 21 of the device body 2 via the connection terminal 14 and the two corresponding conductor parts 16.

[0042] 5, the heater section 12 of this embodiment further includes two heater electrodes 121 and 122. The heater section 12 of this embodiment is electrically connected to one of the two corresponding conductor sections 16 via the heater electrode 121, and is electrically connected to the remaining conductor section 16 via the heater electrode 122. The heater section 12 of this embodiment is not electrically connected to the two conductor sections 16 corresponding to each of the multiple sensitive elements Ax in the sensitive section 11, and the two conductor sections 16 corresponding to the temperature sensors 13.

[0043] In the substrate 10 of this embodiment, a protective layer 18 (see FIG. 5) that protects at least the plurality of conductors 16 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101. The protective layer 18 is provided in the thickness direction of the substrate 10 between the plurality of conductors 16 and the plurality of sensitive elements Ax of the sensitive portion 11, the heater portion 12, and the temperature sensor 13. The protective layer 18 covers from above the plurality of conductors 16 except for the portions that are electrically connected to the plurality of sensitive elements Ax of the sensitive portion 11, the heater portion 12, and the temperature sensor 13.

[0044] (Storage part) As shown in FIG. 2 , the cartridge 1 of this embodiment further includes a memory unit 19 storing characteristic data related to the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11. The memory unit 19 is a memory circuit storing characteristic data, such as a RAM, a ROM, or an EEPROM. In the present disclosure, the “sensing characteristic of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11” refers to the characteristic of the change pattern of the electrical characteristic value (electrical resistance) when each of the multiple sensitive elements Ax of the sensitive part 11 reacts to one or more types of molecules. In other words, the “characteristic data related to the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11” refers to data indicating the characteristic of the change pattern of the electrical characteristic value (electrical resistance) when each of the multiple sensitive elements Ax of the sensitive part 11 reacts to one or more types of molecules. With the above configuration, the heater control unit 241 can control the power supplied to the heater unit 12 based on the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 19, i.e., the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part 11. As a result, the sensor 11 has the advantage of being able to desorb odor molecules based on the sensing characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor 11. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 231 (described later) of the device main body 2 can acquire one cycle of pulse output from the sensor elements A1 to A16 based on the sensing characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor 11. As a result, the evaluation unit 312 of the air quality evaluation system 100 has the advantage of being able to evaluate the state of air quality of the sample gas based on the sensing characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor 11. Note that the memory unit 19 is omitted from the illustrations of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 5.

[0045] The characteristic data stored in the memory unit 19 includes data regarding the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions. In the present disclosure, "data regarding the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions" refers to data indicating the estimated variation in the change pattern of the electrical characteristic values ​​(electrical resistance) when each of the multiple sensor elements Ax of the sensor unit 11 reacts to one or more types of molecules under predetermined conditions. Note that the "predetermined conditions" here refer to pre-set conditions, specifically, pre-set conditions such as a temperature change pattern for controlling the temperature of the sensor unit 11 and the concentration of the sample gas to which the sensor unit 11 is exposed. With the above configuration, the heater control unit 241 can control the power supplied to the heater unit 12 based on the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions. This provides the advantage that the sensor unit 11 can desorb odor molecules based on the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 231 of the device body 2, which will be described later, can acquire one cycle of pulse output from the sensor elements A1 to A16 based on the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor part 11 under predetermined conditions. As described above, the evaluation unit 312 of the air quality evaluation system 100 has the advantage of being able to evaluate the air quality state of the sample gas based on the variation in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor part 11 under predetermined conditions.

[0046] (Housing) As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the housing 17 accommodates the sensitive portion 11 and at least a portion of the substrate 10. The housing 17 of this embodiment accommodates a portion of the substrate 10 (a portion of the substrate 10 excluding the portion where the connection terminal 14 is provided), the sensitive portion 11, the heater portion 12, the temperature sensor 13, and the plurality of conductor portions 16. On the other hand, the housing 17 of this embodiment does not accommodate the portion of the substrate 10 where the connection terminal 14 is provided. That is, in this embodiment, the portion of the substrate 10, the sensitive portion 11, the heater portion 12, the temperature sensor 13, and the plurality of conductor portions 16 are accommodated in an internal space Sp1 of the housing 17 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B), and the connection terminal 14 is not accommodated in the internal space Sp1 of the housing 17. The housing 17 of this embodiment has a rectangular box shape. The housing 17 is made of a resin material, for example.

[0047] The housing 17 has an opening 171 at a position that does not overlap with the sensitive part 11 (plurality of sensitive elements Ax) when viewed in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the substrate 10. The opening 171 is connected to the internal space Sp1 of the housing 17 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In other words, the internal space Sp1 of the housing 17 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B) is connected to the space outside the housing 17 via the opening 171. According to the above configuration, each of the plurality of sensitive elements Ax is exposed to the sample gas that enters the internal space Sp1 of the housing 17 from the opening 171 and is rectified inside the housing 17. This has the advantage that the sensitive part 11 can uniformly absorb the molecules to be detected that are contained in the sample gas.

[0048] (Cartridge enclosed package) The cartridge 1 of this embodiment is preferably transported or stored as a cartridge sealed package X1 shown in FIG. 9. The cartridge sealed package X1 includes the cartridge 1 and a bag X11 containing the cartridge 1, and the bag X11 is filled with dry inert gas. In other words, when the cartridge 1 of this embodiment is transported or stored, it is preferably placed inside the bag X11 filled with dry inert gas, as shown in FIG. 9. This configuration prevents the sensitive part 11 from reacting with one or more types of molecules during transportation or storage, thereby preventing changes in the electrical characteristic value. As a result, there is an advantage in that the time required for the sensitive part 11 to desorb odor molecules when the substrate 10 is attached to the device main body 2 can be shortened. Note that the "bag X11" here refers to a bag that can maintain its airtightness, specifically, a bag with a zipper made of a resin material. Furthermore, the "dry inert gas" refers to an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) that contains almost no moisture.

[0049] (2-3) Device body 2, the device main body 2 includes a housing 20, a connection unit 21, a fan 22, a processing unit 23, a control unit 24, and a communication unit 25. The device main body 2 of this embodiment is driven by power supplied from the evaluation device 3 via a wired cable CB1.

[0050] The housing 20 accommodates the connection unit 21, the processing unit 23, the control unit 24, and the communication unit 25. The housing 20 has a hollow rectangular box shape, as shown in Fig. 3. The housing 20 is made of, for example, a resin material.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 3, an opening 26 is provided on the top surface of the housing 20, and a fan 22 is disposed inside the opening 26. The opening 26 is connected to the internal space of the housing 20. The internal space of the housing 20 is connected to the space outside the housing 20 via the opening 26. When the fan 22 operates (rotates), the sample gas flows into the internal space of the housing 20 through the opening 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the opening 26 has a circular shape when viewed from above.

[0052] Furthermore, a slot 27 into which the cartridge 1 is inserted is provided on the side surface (front surface) of the housing 20. The slot 27 is connected to the internal space of the housing 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the slot 27 has a rectangular shape in a side view.

[0053] 1B, the housing 20 of this embodiment houses a part of the housing 17 of the cartridge 1 (more specifically, a part of the housing 17 excluding the front end) when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device main body 2 (i.e., when the cartridge 1 is inserted into the insertion port 27). In short, the housing 20 of this embodiment houses the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device main body 2. In other words, the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 is disposed in the internal space of the housing 20 of the device main body 2 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device main body 2.

[0054] The connection part 21 is configured to allow the board 10 to be attached and detached. The board 10 is attached to the connection part 21 by inserting the board 10 into the socket 27. On the other hand, the connection part 21 is detached from the board 10 by removing the inserted board 10 and pulling it out from the socket 27. The connection part 21 is electrically connected to each of the processing part 23 and the control part 24.

[0055] When the substrate 10 is attached (in a state in which the substrate 10 is attached), the connection unit 21 is electrically connected to each of the sensitive unit 11, the heater unit 12, and the temperature sensor 13. More specifically, when the substrate 10 is attached, the connection unit 21 is electrically connected to the electrodes of the connection terminals 14 of the cartridge 1, and thereby electrically connected to each of the sensitive unit 11, the heater unit 12, and the temperature sensor 13 via the connection terminals 14 and the multiple conductors 16. Therefore, when the substrate 10 is attached, the connection unit 21 electrically connects the sensitive unit 11 to the processing unit 23 (the acquisition unit 231). Furthermore, when the substrate 10 is attached, the connection unit 21 electrically connects each of the heater unit 12 and the temperature sensor 13 to the control unit 24 (the heater control unit 241). In other words, the connection unit 21 is an interface that connects the cartridge 1 and the device main body 2. FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate the connection unit 21.

[0056] The control unit 24 is a control circuit that controls the operations of the cartridge 1 and the apparatus main body 2. The control unit 24 can be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. In other words, the one or more processors execute one or more programs (applications) stored in one or more memories to function as the control unit 24.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 24 includes a heater control unit 241 and a fan control unit 242.

[0058] The heater control unit 241 controls the power supplied to the heater unit 12 of the cartridge 1 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 13. More specifically, the heater control unit 241 controls the power supplied to the heater unit 12 of the cartridge 1 based on the temperature of the sensitive unit 11 detected by the temperature sensor 13.

[0059] The heater control unit 241 controls the power supplied to the heater unit 12 to change the temperature of the sensor unit 11 between a first temperature, which is the ambient temperature, and a second temperature, which is higher than the ambient temperature. The second temperature is set, for example, to a temperature approximately 7°C to 35°C higher than the first temperature. The difference between the first and second temperatures is preferably a temperature difference that allows adsorption and desorption of odor molecules to occur and minimizes changes in resistance value caused by temperature changes. Here, the difference between the first and second temperatures should be at least 7°C or more and 35°C or less. The difference between the first and second temperatures is preferably 20°C or more and 35°C or less, and more preferably 20°C or more and 25°C or less.

[0060] For example, when the first temperature is 25°C, the heater control unit 241 controls the temperature of the sensory unit 11 between the first temperature of 25°C and the second temperature of 50°C. When the first temperature is 0°C, the temperature control unit 51 controls the temperature of the sensory unit 11 between the first temperature of 0°C and the second temperature of 25°C. When the first temperature is -20°C, the heater control unit 241 controls the temperature of the sensory unit 11 between the first temperature of -20°C and the second temperature of 5°C. The temperature change pattern in which the heater control unit 241 changes the temperature of the sensory unit 11 is not limited to the above-mentioned temperature change pattern, and the heater control unit 241 may change the temperature of the sensory unit 11 in a temperature change pattern that causes greater fluctuations in the change pattern of the output of the sensory unit 11 depending on the air quality of the sample gas.

[0061] The heater control unit 241 of this embodiment controls the power supplied to the heater unit 12 based on the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 19 of the cartridge 1, i.e., the sensitivity characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11. More specifically, the heater control unit 241 of this embodiment sets the second temperature based on the sensitivity characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11 so as to achieve a temperature difference that more reliably causes adsorption and desorption of odor molecules. The heater control unit 241 of this embodiment controls the power supplied to the heater unit 12, thereby changing the temperature of the sensor unit 11 between a first temperature, which is the ambient temperature, and a second temperature set based on the sensitivity characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11.

[0062] The fan control unit 242 controls the operation (rotation) of the fan 22 by controlling the power flowing to the fan 22. More specifically, the fan control unit 242 controls whether or not to rotate the fan 22, or the rotation amount of the fan 22. As an example, the fan control unit 242 has a function of detecting whether or not the cartridge 1 is inserted into the insertion port 27, and may control the fan 22 to rotate when it detects that the cartridge 1 has been inserted into the insertion port 27. On the other hand, the fan control unit 242 may control the fan 22 to stop when it detects that the cartridge 1 has been removed from the insertion port 27.

[0063] The processing unit 23 is a processing circuit that processes part of the operation of the air quality evaluation system 100. The processing unit 23 can be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. In other words, the one or more processors function as the processing unit 23 by executing one or more programs (applications) stored in one or more memories.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 23 includes an acquisition unit 231 and a calculation unit 232.

[0065] The acquisition unit 231 acquires data on the temperature change pattern of the sensitive unit 11 detected by the temperature sensor 13 and the pulse outputs of the sensitive elements A1-A16 for one cycle including one temperature rise period and one temperature fall period while the heater control unit 241 is passing a pulsed current through the heater unit 12. A constant DC voltage is applied to each of the sensitive elements A1-A16, and the acquisition unit 231 acquires changes in the electrical resistance of the sensitive elements A1-A16 as changes in the current flowing through the sensitive elements A1-A16. Therefore, the pulse outputs are current signals whose magnitudes change depending on the electrical resistance of the sensitive elements A1-A16. The acquisition unit 231 of this embodiment acquires the pulse outputs of the sensitive elements A1-A16 for one cycle including one temperature rise period and one temperature fall period based on the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 19 of the cartridge 1, i.e., the sensitivity characteristics of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensitive unit 11.

[0066] When the acquisition unit 231 acquires data on the temperature change pattern of the sensitive part 11 and one cycle of pulse outputs from the sensitive elements A1 to A16, the calculation unit 232 calculates a pulse train in which the pulse outputs are connected in a predetermined order as a plurality of output data (i.e., change patterns of electrical characteristic values) of the sensitive part 11. Since the 16 sensitive elements A1 to A16 have different sensitivity characteristics to molecules to be detected, each of the plurality of output data becomes a pulse train with a different change pattern of electrical characteristic values.

[0067] The communication unit 25 is a communication module capable of wired communication with a communication unit 35 (described later) of the evaluation device 3. That is, the communication unit 25 of this embodiment communicates with the communication unit 35 of the evaluation device 3 via a wired cable CB1. The communication unit 25 transmits a plurality of output data calculated by the calculation unit 232 to the communication unit 35.

[0068] (2-4) Evaluation device 2, the evaluation device 3 includes a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, a display unit 33, a power supply unit 34, and a communication unit 35. The evaluation device 3 is, for example, a laptop or desktop personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. In the present disclosure, the description will be given assuming that the evaluation device 3 is a laptop personal computer.

[0069] The memory unit 32 includes one or more storage devices. The storage device is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, or an EEPROM. The memory unit 32 stores a trained model 321 and the like used to evaluate the air quality state of the sample gas. The trained model 321 is a trained model that learns the relationship between the change pattern of the output of the sensor unit 11 and the air quality state of the sample gas, using as training data the change pattern of the output of the sensor unit 11 when a first condition related to the gas to which the sensor unit 11 is exposed and a second condition related to the temperature change pattern for raising and lowering the temperature of the sensor unit 11 are changed. The trained model 321 may be generated by the air quality evaluation system 100, or may be generated by a learning system other than the air quality evaluation system 100.

[0070] The display unit 33 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 33 displays the evaluation results input from the processing unit 31. For example, the display unit 33 displays the presence or absence of odor molecules in the sample gas, and if odor molecules are present, the amount of odor molecules, the quality of the odor, etc.

[0071] The processing unit 31 is a processing circuit that processes part of the operation of the air quality evaluation system 100. The processing unit 31 can be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. In other words, the one or more processors execute one or more programs (applications) stored in one or more memories to function as the processing unit 31. Here, the programs are pre-recorded in the memory of the processing unit 31 or in the storage unit 32, but they may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet or by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 31 includes a learning unit 311 and an evaluation unit 312.

[0073] The learning unit 311 generates the trained model 321. In other words, the learning unit 311 is responsible for the learning phase. The learning unit 311 accumulates the temperature change pattern data acquired by the acquisition unit 231 and the output data of the sensor elements A1 to A16 as training data for generating the trained model 321. The learning unit 311 generates the trained model 321 using the collected training data. In other words, the learning unit 311 causes an artificial intelligence program (algorithm) to learn the relationship between the change pattern (output data) of the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor elements A1 to A16 and the air quality state of the sample gas using the machine learning training data acquired by the air quality evaluation system 100. The artificial intelligence program is a machine learning model, and for example, a neural network, which is a type of hierarchical model, is used. The learning unit 311 generates the trained model 321 by having the neural network perform machine learning (e.g., deep learning) using the training data, and stores the trained model 321 in the storage unit 32. In addition, the learning unit 311 may improve the performance of the trained model 321 by performing re-training using training data newly collected by the acquisition unit 231 after the trained model 321 is generated.

[0074] The evaluation unit 312 is responsible for the so-called inference phase. Using the trained model 321 stored in the storage unit 32, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the state of the air quality of the sample gas based on the output data calculated by the calculation unit 232. Specifically, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the state of the air quality of the sample gas by inputting the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensor unit 11, which are measured while the heater control unit 241 controls the heater unit 12 so that the temperature of the sensor unit 11 exposed to the sample gas changes according to a temperature change pattern, into the trained model 321 generated by machine learning. Here, in this embodiment, the sensor unit 11 includes multiple sensor elements Ax (sensor elements A1 to A16). Therefore, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the state of the air quality of the sample gas based on the change pattern in the electrical characteristics of the multiple sensor elements Ax, which are measured while the temperature of the multiple sensor elements Ax exposed to the sample gas is changed according to the temperature change pattern. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 312 inputs the measurement data of the temperature change pattern obtained by the temperature sensor 13 and the output data calculated by the calculation unit 232 into the trained model 321. The trained model 321 performs inference based on the output data when the temperature of the sensor 11 changes according to the above-mentioned temperature change pattern, and evaluates the air quality state of the sample gas. As described above, in the temperature range of -20°C or higher and 20°C or lower, the change in resistance value to odor molecules is greater in negative polarity sensor elements than in positive polarity sensor elements. Therefore, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the air quality state by placing emphasis on the output data of the sensor elements A1 to A11. Furthermore, in the temperature range of 20°C or higher and 50°C or lower, the change in resistance value to odor molecules is greater in positive polarity sensor elements than in negative polarity sensor elements. Therefore, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the air quality state by placing emphasis on the output data of the sensor elements A12 to A16.

[0075] In this embodiment, the evaluation unit 312 evaluates the air quality of the sample gas by evaluating whether or not odor molecules are present in the sample gas, and whether the amount of odor molecules contained in the sample gas is equal to or greater than a threshold. If the evaluation unit 312 evaluates that the sample gas contains odor molecules, it may further evaluate the concentration of odor molecules in the sample gas.

[0076] It should be noted that it is not essential for the air quality evaluation system 100 to include the learning unit 311, and the evaluation unit 312 may perform the inference phase using a trained model 321 generated by an external computer system.

[0077] The evaluation unit 312 outputs the evaluation result to the display unit 33, thereby displaying the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 312 on the display unit 33. Note that the output of the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 312 is not limited to displaying it on the display unit 33, and the evaluation result, such as the presence or absence of odor molecules, may be output as sound using a buzzer or speaker.

[0078] The power supply unit 34 supplies power to the device main body 2 via the wired cable CB1. Furthermore, when the board 10 is attached to the device main body 2, the power supply unit 34 supplies power to the cartridge 1 via the device main body 2. If the evaluation device 3 includes a battery that stores power to drive the evaluation device 3, the power stored in the battery is supplied to the device main body 2 or the cartridge 1. Furthermore, if the power to drive the evaluation device 3 is supplied from an external power source, the evaluation device 3 may supply power supplied from the external power source to the device main body 2 or the cartridge 1.

[0079] The communication unit 35 is a communication module capable of wired communication with the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2. That is, the communication unit 35 of this embodiment communicates with the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2 via a wired cable CB1. The communication unit 35 receives the plurality of output data transmitted by the communication unit 35 and outputs the received data to the processing unit 31.

[0080] (3) Effects In the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the substrate 10 is configured to be detachably attached to the device main body 2, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B . Thus, when it becomes necessary to replace the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 on which the sensitive part 11 is provided can be easily removed from the device main body 2. Then, the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 on which a new sensitive part 11 different from the sensitive part 11 described above is provided can be attached to the device main body 2. That is, the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment has the advantage of easily replacing the sensitive part 11. Specifically, for example, when it becomes necessary to replace the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 attached to the device main body 2 due to deterioration, end of life, or the like, the sensitive part 11 can be easily replaced with a new sensitive part 11. Furthermore, when the target molecules to be detected are changed, the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 attached to the device main body 2 can be easily replaced with a sensitive part 11 that is more suitable for the target molecules to be detected (i.e., one that better absorbs the target molecules).

[0081] The cartridge 1 according to this embodiment includes a heater unit 12 that heats the sensitive unit 11. This allows the heater unit 12 to stably heat the sensitive unit 11. As a result, the sensitive unit 11 has the advantage of being able to stably desorb odor molecules.

[0082] In the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the heater portion 12 is made of a heat-generating ink material, which has the advantage that the heater portion 12 can be easily provided.

[0083] In the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the heater section 12 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10 so as to directly transfer heat to the sensitive section 11. This improves the efficiency with which heat from the heater section 12 is transferred to the sensitive section 11. As a result, there is an advantage that the sensitive section 11 can efficiently desorb odor molecules.

[0084] In the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the sensitive part 11 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10, and the heater part 12 is provided on the first surface (predetermined surface) 101 of the substrate 10 so as to surround the sensitive part 11. This improves the efficiency with which heat from the heater part 12 is transferred to the sensitive part 11. As a result, the sensitive part 11 has the advantage of being able to more efficiently desorb odor molecules.

[0085] The cartridge 1 according to this embodiment further includes a memory unit 19 that stores characteristic data related to the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive unit 11. This allows the heater control unit 241 to control the power supplied to the heater unit 12 based on the characteristic data stored in the memory unit 19, i.e., the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive unit 11. As a result, the sensitive unit 11 has the advantage of being able to desorb odor molecules based on the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive unit 11.

[0086] In the cartridge 1 according to this embodiment, the characteristic data includes data relating to the variation in the electrical characteristic value of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions. This allows the heater control unit 241 to control the power supplied to the heater unit 12 based on the variation in the electrical characteristic value of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions. As a result, the sensor unit 11 has the advantage of being able to desorb odor molecules based on the variation in the electrical characteristic value of the sensor unit 11 under predetermined conditions.

[0087] The cartridge 1 according to this embodiment includes a housing 17 that houses the sensitive part 11 and at least a part of the substrate 10, and the housing 17 is provided with an opening 171 at a position that does not overlap with the sensitive part 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the substrate 10. As a result, each of the multiple sensitive elements Ax is exposed to the sample gas that has entered the housing 17 through the opening 171 and has been rectified inside the housing 17. This has the advantage that the sensitive part 11 can uniformly absorb the molecules to be detected that are contained in the sample gas.

[0088] The cartridge sealed package X1 according to this embodiment includes a cartridge 1 and a bag X11 containing the cartridge 1, and the bag X11 is filled with a dry inert gas. This prevents the sensor 11 from reacting with one or more types of molecules and changing its electrical characteristics during transportation or storage. This has the advantage of shortening the time required for the sensor 11 to desorb odor molecules when the substrate 10 is attached to the device body 2.

[0089] (4) Variations The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. The following modifications may be implemented in appropriate combination. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] (4-1) First Modification As shown in FIG. 10, in an air quality evaluation system 100A of the first modified example, the device main body 2A may have a heat sink 4A.

[0091] The detailed configuration of the air quality evaluation system 100A of the first modified example will be described below.

[0092] The air quality evaluation system 100A of the first modified example includes a cartridge 1A, an apparatus main body 2A, and an evaluation apparatus 3.

[0093] The cartridge 1A includes a substrate 10, a sensitive part 11, a heater part 12, a temperature sensor 13, a connection terminal 14, a plurality of conductor parts 16, a housing 17A, and a heat conduction member 5.

[0094] The housing 17A of the first modified example houses a part of the substrate 10 (a part excluding the part where the connection terminal 14 of the substrate 10 is provided), the sensitive part 11, the heater part 12, the temperature sensor 13, and a plurality of conductor parts 16. A heat conductive member 5 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 17A. The housing 17A of the first modified example differs from the housing 17 of the above-described embodiment in that a heat conductive member 5 is provided on the bottom surface.

[0095] The heat conducting member 5 is provided on the lower surface of the housing 17A so as to be in contact with a second surface 102 of the substrate 10, which is different from the first surface 101 on which the sensitive part 11 is provided. The heat conducting member 5 has a rectangular plate shape, and the upper surface of the heat conducting member 5 is in contact with the second surface 102 of the substrate 10. More specifically, the upper surface of the heat conducting member 5 is in contact with a portion of the second surface 102 of the substrate 10 that overlaps with the sensitive part 11 and the heater part 12 when viewed in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the substrate 10. The heat conducting member 5 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity (for example, a metal material, etc.).

[0096] The device main body 2A includes a housing 20, a connection section 21, a fan 22, a processing section 23, a control section 24, a communication section 25, and a heat sink 4A.

[0097] When the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4A is thermally connected to the second surface 102 of the substrate 10. In the first modification, when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4A is thermally connected to the second surface 102 of the substrate 10 via the thermally conductive member 5. That is, when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4A is thermally connected to the second surface 102 of the substrate 10 by contacting the thermally conductive member 5. In this disclosure, "thermally connected" means being connected so that heat can be transferred directly or indirectly. With the above structure, heat transferred from the sensitive portion 11 or the heater portion 12 to the substrate 10 can be further transferred to the heat sink 4B via the thermally conductive member 5. This has the advantage of efficiently cooling the sensitive portion 11 and the heater portion 12. That is, it has the advantage of allowing the heater control portion 241 to accurately change the temperature of the sensitive portion 11.

[0098] The heat sink 4A has heat dissipation fins 41A. The heat dissipation fins 41A dissipate heat transferred from at least one of the sensor unit 11 and the heater unit 12 to the substrate 10 to the rear side of the housing 20 of the device main body 2A. The heat sink 4A is made of a material with high thermal conductivity (for example, a metal material).

[0099] (4-2) Second Modification 11, in the air quality evaluation system 100B of the second modification, the device main body 2B may have a heat sink 4B, similar to the air quality evaluation system 100A of the first modification. The air quality evaluation system 100B of the second modification differs from the air quality evaluation system 100A of the first modification in that the heat sink 4B is in contact with the second surface 102 of the substrate 10.

[0100] The detailed configuration of the air quality evaluation system 100B of the second modified example will be described below.

[0101] The air quality evaluation system 100B of the second modified example includes a cartridge 1B, an apparatus main body 2B, and an evaluation apparatus 3.

[0102] The cartridge 1B includes a substrate 10, a sensitive part 11, a heater part 12, a temperature sensor 13, a connection terminal 14, a plurality of conductor parts 16, and a housing 17B.

[0103] The housing 17B is open at the bottom so as to expose a part of the second surface 102 of the substrate 10. More specifically, the housing 17B is open at the bottom so as to expose a part of the second surface 102 of the substrate 10 that overlaps with the sensitive part 11 and the heater part 12 when viewed in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the substrate 10.

[0104] The device main body 2B includes a housing 20, a connection section 21, a fan 22, a processing section 23, a control section 24, a communication section 25, and a heat sink 4B.

[0105] When the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4B is thermally connected to the second surface 102 of the substrate 10. In the second modification, when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4A contacts the second surface 102 of the substrate 10. More specifically, when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the connecting portion 21, the heat sink 4A contacts the portion of the second surface 102 of the substrate 10 that is exposed from the housing 17B. With the above structure, heat transferred from the sensitive portion 11 or the heater portion 12 to the substrate 10 can be further transferred to the heat sink 4B. This has the advantage that the sensitive portion 11 and the heater portion 12 can be cooled efficiently. In other words, it has the advantage that the heater control portion 241 can accurately change the temperature of the sensitive portion 11.

[0106] The heat sink 4B has heat dissipation fins 41B. The heat dissipation fins 41B dissipate heat transferred from at least one of the sensor unit 11 and the heater unit 12 to the substrate 10 to the rear side of the housing 20 of the device main body 2B. The heat sink 4B is made of a material with high thermal conductivity (for example, a metal material).

[0107] (4-3) Other Modifications Other variations of the above-described embodiment are listed below. The following variations may be realized in appropriate combination.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the housing 20 accommodates a part of the housing 17 of the cartridge 1 (more specifically, a part excluding the front end of the housing 17) when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device main body 2. However, the housing 20 may accommodate the entire housing 17 of the cartridge 1 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device main body 2.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the housing 20 houses the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device body 2. However, the housing 20 does not have to house the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device body 2. In other words, the sensitive part 11 of the cartridge 1 may be located outside the housing 20 of the device body 2 when the substrate 10 of the cartridge 1 is attached to the device body 2. In the above-described case, the device body 2 does not need to have an opening 26 provided in the housing 20.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the device main body 2 has the fan 22, but it does not have to have the fan 22. In other words, the fan 22 is not an essential component.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 23 of the device main body 2 has the calculation unit 232, but the processing unit 31 of the evaluation device 3 may have the calculation unit 232. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 31 of the evaluation device 3 has the learning unit 311 and the evaluation unit 312, but the processing unit 23 of the device main body 2 may have at least one of the learning unit 311 and the evaluation unit 312.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the device main body 2 and the evaluation device 3 are electrically connected via a wired cable CB1. However, the device main body 2 and the evaluation device 3 may be connected via wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). That is, the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2 in this embodiment may be a communication module capable of wireless communication with the communication unit 35 of the evaluation device 3, and the communication unit 35 of the evaluation device 3 may be a communication module capable of wireless communication with the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2.

[0113] The device main body 2 and the evaluation device 3 may be connected via a network. That is, the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2 in this embodiment may be a communication module capable of communicating with the communication unit 35 of the evaluation device 3 via a network, and the communication unit 35 of the evaluation device 3 may be a communication module capable of communicating with the communication unit 25 of the device main body 2 via a network.

[0114] The evaluation device 3 of the above-described embodiment includes a power supply unit 34 that supplies power to the device main body 2 via a wired cable CB1. However, the evaluation device 3 does not necessarily have to include the power supply unit 34, and the device main body 2 may have a battery that stores power to drive the device main body 2. Furthermore, the device main body 2 may receive power to drive the device main body 2 from an external power source.

[0115] (summary) The cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the first embodiment includes a sensitive part (11) and a substrate (10). The sensitive part (11) changes an electrical characteristic value in response to one or more types of molecules. The sensitive part (11) is provided on the substrate (10). The substrate (10) is configured to be detachable from the device main body (2, 2A, 2B) that includes an acquisition part (231) that acquires the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part (11).

[0116] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can be easily replaced.

[0117] The cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the second embodiment is the cartridge of the first embodiment, further comprising a heater part (12) for heating the sensitive part (11).

[0118] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can stably desorb odor molecules.

[0119] In the cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the third embodiment, the heater portion (12) is made of a heat-generating ink material in the second embodiment.

[0120] This embodiment has the advantage that the heater portion (12) can be easily provided.

[0121] In the cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the fourth embodiment, in the second or third embodiment, the heater part (12) is provided so as to directly transfer heat to the sensitive part (11).

[0122] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can efficiently desorb odor molecules.

[0123] In the cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the fifth embodiment, the sensitive part (11) is provided on a predetermined surface (101) of the substrate (10) in the fourth embodiment. The heater part (12) is provided on the predetermined surface (101) so as to surround the sensitive part (11).

[0124] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can more efficiently desorb odor molecules.

[0125] The cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a memory section (19) that stores characteristic data relating to the sensitive characteristic of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive section (11).

[0126] This embodiment has the advantage that odor molecules can be desorbed based on the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part (11).

[0127] In the cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the characteristic data includes data on the variation of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part (11) under predetermined conditions.

[0128] This embodiment has the advantage that odor molecules can be desorbed based on the variation in the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive part (11) under predetermined conditions.

[0129] The cartridge (1, 1A, 1B) of an eighth aspect is any one of the first to seventh aspects, and further includes a housing (17, 17A, 17B) that houses the sensitive part (11) and at least a part of the substrate (10). The housing (17, 17A, 17B) has an opening (171) at a position that does not overlap with the sensitive part (11) when viewed in the thickness direction of the substrate (10).

[0130] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can uniformly absorb the molecules to be detected contained in the sample gas.

[0131] A cartridge sealed package (X1) of a ninth aspect includes the cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects and a bag (X11) containing the cartridge. A dry inert gas is sealed in the bag (X11).

[0132] This embodiment has the advantage of shortening the time required for the sensitive part (11) to desorb odor molecules when the substrate (10) is attached to the device body (2, 2A, 2B).

[0133] The device main body (2A, 2B) of the tenth aspect includes a connection part (21) to which the substrate (10) of the cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects can be attached / detached, an acquisition part (231), and a heat sink (4A, 4B). The connection part (21) is electrically connected to the sensitive part (11) when the substrate (10) is attached. When the substrate (10) is attached to the connection part (21), the heat sink (4A, 4B) is thermally connected to a second surface (102) of the substrate (10) that is different from the first surface (101) on which the sensitive part (11) is provided.

[0134] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can be cooled efficiently.

[0135] An air quality evaluation system (100A, 100B) of an eleventh aspect includes a cartridge (1A, 1B) according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, an apparatus main body (2A, 2B), and an evaluation unit (312). The evaluation unit (312) evaluates the air quality state of the sample gas based on a change pattern in an electrical characteristic value of a sensitive part (11) exposed to the sample gas. The apparatus main body (2A, 2B) includes a connection part (21) to which a substrate (10) can be detachably attached, an acquisition part (231), and a heat sink (4A, 4B). The connection part (21) is electrically connected to the sensitive part (11) when the substrate (10) is attached. When the substrate (10) is attached to the connection portion (21), the heat sink (4A, 4B) is thermally connected to a second surface (102) of the substrate (10) that is different from the first surface (101) on which the sensitive portion (11) is provided.

[0136] This embodiment has the advantage that the sensitive part (11) can be cooled efficiently. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 100A, 100B Air Quality Rating System 1, 1A, 1B cartridges 10 Substrate 101 1st side (prescribed side) 102 2nd page 11 Sensing part 12 Heater section 17, 17A, 17B housing 171 Aperture 19 Memory section 2, 2A, 2B Device body 21 Connection 231 Acquisition Department 312 Evaluation Department 4A, 4B heat sink x1 cartridge package x11 bag

Claims

1. a sensitive part whose electrical characteristic value changes in response to one or more types of molecules; a substrate on which the sensitive part is provided, the substrate is configured to be detachable from a device body including an acquisition unit that acquires the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive unit; cartridge.

2. Further comprising a heater unit for heating the sensitive unit. The cartridge of claim 1 .

3. the heater portion is made of a heat-generating ink material; The cartridge of claim 2.

4. the heater unit is provided so as to directly transfer heat to the sensitive unit; The cartridge according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the sensitive part is provided on a predetermined surface of the substrate, The heater unit is provided on the predetermined surface so as to surround the sensitive unit.

5. The cartridge of claim 4.

6. The sensor further includes a storage unit that stores characteristic data relating to the sensitivity of the electrical characteristic value of the sensor. The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the characteristic data includes data regarding variations in the electrical characteristic values ​​of the sensitive part under predetermined conditions; The cartridge of claim 6.

8. a housing that accommodates the sensitive part and at least a part of the substrate; an opening is provided in the housing at a position that does not overlap with the sensitive part when viewed in a thickness direction of the substrate; The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a bag containing the cartridge; The bag is filled with a dry inert gas. Cartridge enclosed package.

10. a connecting part to which the substrate of the cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8 can be attached and detached, and which is electrically connected to the sensitive part when the substrate is attached; The acquisition unit; a heat sink that is thermally connected to a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being different from a first surface on which the sensitive portion is provided, when the substrate is attached to the connection portion; The device itself.

11. A cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8; the device main body; an evaluation unit that evaluates the air quality state of the sample gas based on a change pattern of the electrical characteristic value of the sensitive unit exposed to the sample gas, The device body includes: a connecting part that is detachable from the substrate and electrically connected to the sensitive part when the substrate is attached; The acquisition unit; a heat sink that is thermally connected to a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being different from a first surface on which the sensitive portion is provided, when the substrate is attached to the connection portion; Air quality rating system.

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