Liquid Specimen Sensor Layout for Equal Electric Lengths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid specimen sensors have complex configurations that increase costs and may compromise detection accuracy due to variations in permittivity caused by liquid specimen contact with IDT electrodes and connection conductors.
Innovation Solution
A liquid specimen sensor with a simple configuration featuring a flow path that guides the specimen to contact the IDT electrodes and connection conductors evenly, ensuring equal electric lengths and reducing interference, achieved through a hydrophilized surface and capillary action without the need for covers or hydrophilic/hydrophobic regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If covers or hydrophilic/hydrophobic regions are provided to guide the liquid specimen and suppress contact with IDT electrodes and connection conductors, then contact of the liquid specimen with IDT electrodes and connection conductors is suppressed, but the configuration becomes complex and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the complex cover structures and hydrophilic/hydrophobic region patterns from the sensor design. Instead of using these additional components, the patent relies on the natural capillary action of the porous substrate material to guide the liquid specimen, thereby simplifying the overall configuration while maintaining contact suppression functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous substrate material inherently possesses capillary action properties that automatically guide the liquid specimen through the sensor without requiring external control mechanisms. The material self-regulates the liquid flow path based on its porous structure, eliminating the need for complex hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterning or cover structures.
2Device complexity
If the liquid specimen contacts the IDT electrodes and connection conductors, then the configuration can be simplified, but the permittivity at the periphery of the connection conductors varies due to fluctuation of contact length, reducing detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The porous substrate acts as an intermediary medium between the liquid specimen and the IDT electrodes/connection conductors. It allows controlled interaction where the liquid can be guided through the sensor via capillary action while the substrate's porous structure regulates the contact interface, maintaining stable permittivity conditions without requiring complete isolation or direct contact.
3Reliability
If covers are provided to form a flow path, then the liquid specimen is guided between IDT electrodes, but the configuration becomes complex and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the cover components entirely from the sensor design. The flow path guidance function previously performed by physical covers is replaced by the inherent capillary action of the porous substrate material, which naturally channels the liquid specimen through the sensor along the intended path without requiring additional structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical cover-based flow path guidance system with a material-based capillary action mechanism. Instead of using physical structures to constrain and guide the liquid, the porous substrate's surface tension and capillary forces naturally direct the liquid flow, eliminating the need for mechanical covers and simplifying manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration improves detection accuracy by minimizing the impact of liquid specimen contact on the sensor's permittivity, reducing errors, and simplifying the sensor design while maintaining effective signal propagation.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid specimen sensor with a simple configuration featuring a flow path that guides the specimen to contact the IDT electrodes and connection conductors evenly, ensured through a hydrophilized surface and capillary action
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A liquid specimen sensor 1 includes a pair of first IDT electrodes 29A and a pair of second IDT electrodes 29B, a pair of first input connection conductors 37AI connected to one of the pair of first IDT electrodes 29A and extending to the outside of the flow path 3, a pair of first output connection conductors 37AO connected to the other of the pair of first IDT electrodes 29A and extending to the outside of the flow path 3, a pair of second input connection conductors 37BI connected to one of the pair of second IDT electrodes 29B and extending to the outside of the flow path 3, and a pair of second output connection conductors 37BO connected to the other of the pair of second IDT electrodes 29B and extending to the outside of the flow path 3. The sum of the line lengths in the flow path 3 of the pair of first input connection conductors 37AI and the pair of first output connection conductors 37AO and the sum of the line lengths in the flow path 3 of the pair of second input connection conductors 37BI and the pair of second output connection conductors 37BO are equal.