Reliable Chemical Sensing with Inert Layer Protection

Introduction

This advanced chemical sensor technology offers precise and reliable detection by incorporating a patterned sensor with an inert occluding layer. This design ensures the sensor remains contamination-free, maintaining high sensitivity and accuracy in detecting chemical changes in various environments. Ideal for industries such as environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and healthcare diagnostics, this sensor technology is essential for applications where precise chemical detection is critical for safety and performance.

The Challenge: Ensuring Accurate Chemical Detection in Harsh Environments

Many chemical sensors struggle with maintaining accuracy and reliability when exposed to harsh or contaminated environments. In industrial safety and environmental monitoring, false readings or sensor degradation due to contamination can have serious consequences. The need for sensors that not only detect minute chemical changes but also withstand adverse conditions is growing across multiple industries. Current sensor technologies often lack the robustness required for long-term use in such environments, leading to higher maintenance costs and potential safety risks.

Inert Layer for Reliable and Durable Sensing

This patterned chemical sensor technology addresses these challenges by introducing an inert occluding layer that shields the sensor from environmental contaminants, ensuring reliable and accurate readings over time. The inert layer acts as a barrier, protecting the sensor’s sensitive components from interference while allowing the detection of targeted chemical substances. This durability extends the sensor’s lifespan and reduces the need for frequent maintenance or replacement. Whether monitoring air quality, detecting hazardous substances in industrial settings, or ensuring accurate diagnostic results in healthcare, this sensor’s reliability offers peace of mind to users across industries.

Key Benefits for Multiple Industries

For environmental monitoring, this sensor enables precise detection of pollutants or harmful chemicals in air, water, or soil, helping to ensure compliance with safety standards and environmental regulations. In healthcare diagnostics, the sensor’s sensitivity and durability allow for more accurate detection of biomarkers, supporting early diagnosis and treatment in critical care situations. Industrial safety applications benefit from its ability to detect hazardous gases or chemicals with high precision, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring worker safety. Biotechnology and research fields can leverage this sensor technology to enhance chemical analyses and experimental accuracy.

Investing in Precision and Durability

Licensing this reliable chemical sensing technology provides your organization with a competitive advantage in offering durable, high-performance sensors that maintain accuracy in challenging environments. This technology represents an essential tool for industries that rely on precise chemical detection for safety, compliance, and performance. By incorporating this innovative sensor into your product line, your company can deliver trusted solutions that meet the growing demand for reliable, contamination-free chemical sensing across various sectors. It’s an investment in innovation, accuracy, and long-term reliability for critical applications.

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Abstract
Claims

A sensor 40 that detects a chemical such as an organic vapor. The sensor 40 includes a film that has a film body 58 that includes a detection layer 48 and that is responsive to the presence of a chemical by providing a color change. The film also includes an occluding layer 54 that has a first major surface 59 and that is bound to the film body 58 but is inert to the detection layer 48 to preclude the occluding layer 54 and the chemical from causing a color change in the film body 58 in an area 42 normal to the first major surface 59 of the occluding layer 54. A sensor having this construction can provide a distinctly visible image on the sensor, which may be helpful in evaluating the remaining life of a filter cartridge.

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor that detects a chemical, the sensor comprising:

a film that includes a film body that is responsive to the presence of a chemical by providing a color change and that comprises:

(a) a detection layer;

(b) an occluding layer that has a first major surface and that is bound to the film body but is inert to the detection layer to preclude the occluding layer and the chemical from causing a color change in the film body in an area normal to the first major surface of the occluding layer;

(d) a semi-reflective layer located on a side of the detection layer opposite the reflective layer;

wherein the semi-reflective layer is less reflective than the reflective layer.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the occluding layer comprises an adhesive.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the occluding layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA).

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the occluding layer is a PSA, and wherein the sensor detects organic vapors.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the PSA comprises polyisobutylene, a polyisobutylene copolymer, or an acrylic polymer, or combination thereof.

6. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the PSA comprises polyisobutylene, a polyisobutylene copolymer, an acrylic, or combination thereof.

7. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the occluding layer comprises a hot-melt adhesive.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the occluding layer comprises a water-soluble polymer or copolymer.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the occluding layer comprises an epoxy.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the occluding layer comprises a wax.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the occluding layer comprises a resin.

12. The sensor of claim 1 being an end-of-service-life indicator.

13. The sensor of claim 1 being a remaining-life-indicator.

14. A filter cartridge that comprises a housing, filter media disposed within the housing, and the sensor of claim 1 visible through a sidewall of the housing.

15. The filter cartridge of claim 14, wherein the filter cartridge comprises one or more markings that indicate filter cartridge remaining life.

16. The filter cartridge of claim 15, wherein the marking(s) are molded into the sidewall of the cartridge housing.

17. A respirator that comprises a mask body and one or more filter cartridges of claim 14.

18. A filter cartridge that comprises:

(a) the sensor of claim 1;

(b) a housing that comprises a sidewall;

(d) filter media that is disposed within the housing;

wherein the sensor is juxtapositioned against an inner surface of the housing sidewall, the housing sidewall being transparent at least in an area where the sensor is located, the housing sidewall including one or more markings to convey remaining life of the cartridge to the user.

19. The filter cartridge of claim 18, wherein the marking(s) are molded into the housing sidewall.

20. A respirator that comprises a mask body, a harness that is secured to the mask body, and one or more cartridges of claim 18 attachable to the mask body.

21. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a substrate onto which the film body is disposed, the film body being oriented on the substrate such that the semi-reflective layer is located between the substrate and the detection layer.

Title

Patterned chemical sensor having inert occluding layer

Inventor(s)

Neal A. Rakow, Thomas W. Holmquist-Brown, Brian L. Linzie, John C. Hulteen, Duane D. Fansler, Richard J. Poirier, Vivek Bharti

Assignee(s)

3M Innovative Properties Co

Patent #

8955515

Patent Date

February 17, 2015