SAGAS: gas analyzing sensor systems based on surface acoustic wavedevices-an issue of commercialization of SAW sensor technology

摘要

In this work the potential of commercialization of sensor systemsbased on SAW devices in contrast to other sensor principles isdiscussed. After given motivation for this sensor technology a firstseries of three different prototypes of analytical sensor systems fororganic gas detection based on commercially available SAW devices ispresented. Central component is an array of eight polymer coated SAWdevices working at a frequency of 433.92 MHz. By an adequate selectionof polymers and the use of neuronal networks for automatic patternrecognition of sensor signals a broad variety of gaseous organicanalytes can be determined. Of particular interest are realistic tasksof organic gas detection for the industrial process control. Examples ofa quantitative determination of the composition of ternary gas mixturesare shown as well as a qualitative discrimination of typical complex gasmixtures arising from raw food products in different states of spoilage