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With an atmospheric concentration of approximately 2000 parts per billion (ppbV, 10−9) methane (CH4) is the second most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere after carbon dioxide (CO2). The task of long-term and spatially resolved GHG monitoring to verify whether climate policy actions are effective, is becoming more crucial as climate change progresses. In this paper we report the CH4 concentration readings of our photoacoustic (PA) sensor over a five day period at Hohenpeißenberg, Germany. As a reference device a calibrated cavity ringdown spectrometer Picarro G2301 from the meteorological observatory was employed. Trace gas measurements with photoacoustic instruments promise to provide low detection limits at comparably low costs. However, PA devices are often susceptible to cross-sensitivities related to environmental influences. The obtained results show that relaxation effects due to fluctuating environmental conditions, e.g. ambient humidity, are a non-negligible factor in PA sensor systems. Applying algorithm compensation techniques, which are capable of calculating the influence of relaxational effects on the photoacoustic signal, increase the accuracy of the photoacoustic sensor significantly. With an average relative deviation of 1.11 % from the G2301, the photoacoustic sensor shows good agreement with the reference instrument.
With an atmospheric concentration of approximately 2000 parts per billion (ppbV, 10−9), methane (CH4) is the second most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere after carbon dioxide (CO2). The task of long-term and spatially resolved GHG monitoring to verify whether climate policy actions are effective is becoming more crucial as climate change progresses. In this paper we report the CH4 concentration readings of our photoacoustic (PA) sensor over a 5 d period at Hohenpeißenberg, Germany. As a reference device, a calibrated cavity ring-down spectrometer, Picarro G2301, from the meteorological observatory of the German Weather Service (DWD) was employed. Trace gas measurements with photoacoustic instruments promise to provide low detection limits at comparably low costs. However, PA devices are often susceptible to cross-sensitivities related to fluctuating environmental conditions, e.g. ambient humidity. The obtained results show that for PA sensor systems non-radiative relaxation effects induced by varying humidity are a non-negligible factor. Applying algorithm compensation techniques, which are capable of calculating the influence of non-radiative relaxation effects on the photoacoustic signal, increase the accuracy of the photoacoustic sensor significantly. With an average relative deviation of 1.11 % from the G2301, the photoacoustic sensor shows good agreement with the reference instrument.
Subacromiales Impingment
(2021)
Extraction of the characteristics of current-limiting elements from field emission measurement data
(2017)
In this contribution, the authors will present an algorithm to extract the characteristics of nonideal field emission circuit elements from saturation-limited field emission measurement data. The method for calculating the voltage drop on current-limiting circuit elements is based on circuit theory as well as Newton's method. Since the only assumption the authors make on the current-limiting circuit is a connection in series, this method is applicable to most field emission data showing saturation. To be able to determine the significance of any parameter output, the uncertainties of data and extracted parameters as well as the parameter correlations are fully taken into account throughout the algorithm. N-type silicon samples with varying external serial resistors are analyzed. All results show a good agreement to the nominal resistor values. Additionally, several p-type samples are analyzed, showing a diodelike behavior. The extracted current-limiting characteristics of the p-type samples are in good agreement with a pn-junction model. The stability of the emission current of the p-type samples is measured by constant voltage measurements and compared to the extracted current-limiting characteristics. The application of the algorithm to measurement data shows that the given algorithm is a valuable tool to analyze field emission measurement data influenced by nonemissive processes.
Precisely aligned arrays of sharp tip structures on top of elongated pillars were realized by using an improved fabrication process including an additional inductively-coupled-plasma reactive-ion etching step. Arrays of n-type and p-type silicon with 271 tips have been fabricated and investigated. Those structures have a total height of 5–6 µm and apex radii less than 20nm. Integral field emission measurements of the arrays yielded low onset-fields in the range of 8–12V=µm and field enhancement factors between 300 and 700. The I-E curves of n-type structures showed the usual Fowler-Nordheim behaviour, whereas p-type structures revealed a significant saturation region due to the limited number of electrons in the conduction band and a further carrier depletion effect caused by the pillar. The maximum integral current in the saturation region was 150 nA at fields above 30V=µm. An excellent stability of the emission current of less than ± 2% fluctuation was observed in the saturation region. For n-type Si a maximum integral current of 10 µA at 24V=µm and an average current stability with a fluctuation of ± 50% were measured.
A new bone substitute, consisting of hydroxylapatite and calcium sulphate, was prepared in two formulations and analysed for its mechanical strength and antibiotic elution.The bone substitute PerOssal has osteoconductive and degradable properties. The material has a built-in capillary structure, which results in an immediate fluid uptake. Antibiotics absorbed to the bone substitute resulted in a prolonged release rate. Mechanical strength was investigated by an unconfined compression test up to failure under both wet and dry conditions for both formulations of the bone substitute. Antibiotic release was analysed microbiologically for two antibiotics, vancomycin and gentamicin, over an elution period of 10 days using the agar diffusion method.The drug release analysis resulted in a prolonged release rate of both antibiotics over 10 days. In vitro the amount of gentamicin and vancomycin eluted at day 10. From one pellet still exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration of most aetiologically important pathogens. Formulation two of the present bone substitute is significantly harder in both wet and dry conditions when compared to formulation one. Both formulations lose strength in the wet condition relative to their performance in the dry condition. However, formulation two is as hard under wet conditions as formulation one is when dry.PerOssal is a suitable new degradable osteoconductive bone substitute that can be loaded with antibiotic solutions, which are released in effective doses over 10 days. The mechanical strength of PerOssal is sufficient to support cancellous bone defects in non-weight-bearing areas or in combination with osteosynthesis.
Semiconductor field emitters are suitable candidates for applications, which require a very stable field emission (FE) current and a high emission uniformity over the entire emission area. By using different materials and geometries, we are able to vary the FE characteristics within a wide range. Each specific application requires its own optimized design for the cathode as well as for the other parts of the FE electron source. To meet as many of these requirements as possible while using only a limited number of different prefabricated components, we established a modular system concept for our FE electron source. This allows the implementation of almost every cathode material. For first characterizations, we used gated p-type Si cathodes with 16 tips. We obtained stable FE currents of 0.4 μA for a grid-potential of 400 V and a gate potential of 100 V. Almost 100% of the electrons are emitted towards the grid-electrode. Parasitic leakage paths, as well as the electron emission towards the gate-electrode can be neglected. Approximately 10% of the electrons are transmitted through the grid and reach the external anode. This is in good agreement with the optical transmission through the grid-mesh.
The precise knowledge of the diffraction condition, i.e., the angle of incidence and electron energy, is crucial for the study of surface morphology through spot profile analysis low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). We demonstrate four different procedures to determine the diffraction condition: employing the distortion of the LEED pattern under large angles of incidence, the layer-by-layer growth oscillations during homoepitaxial growth, a G(S) analysis of a rough surface, and the intersection of facet rods with 3D Bragg conditions.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study was to find a suitable method of labelling cartilage samples for the measurement of distraction distances in biomechanical testing.
METHODS:
Samples of bovine cartilage were labelled using five different methods: hydroquinone and silver nitrate (AgNO3), potassium permanganate (KMnO4) with sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3), India ink, heat, and laser energy. After the labelling, we analysed the cartilage samples with regard to cytotoxity by histochemical staining with ethidiumbromide homodimer (EthD-1) and calcein AM. Furthermore, we tested cartilages labelled with India ink and heat in a T-peel test configuration to analyse possible changes in the mechanical behaviour between marked and unlabelled samples.
RESULTS:
Only the labelling methods with Indian ink or a heated needle showed acceptable results in the cytotoxity test with regard to labelling persistence, accuracy, and the influence on consistency and viability of the chondrocytes. In the biomechanical T-peel configuration, heat-labelled samples collapsed significantly earlier than unlabelled samples.
CONCLUSION:
Labelling bovine cartilage samples with Indian ink in biomechanical testing is a reliable, accurate, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform method. This labelling method influenced neither the biomechanical behaviour nor the viability of the tissue compared to untreated bovine cartilage.
Arrays of black silicon field emission pillar structures were fabricated on p-type silicon substrates. Two types of samples with the same number of pillars (arrays of 10 × 10) but different pillar heights (8 and 20 μm) were prepared as well as a black silicon reference sample without pillars. The field emission properties of these cathodes were investigated both by means of integral current-voltage measurements and by field emission scanning microscopy. Samples with a pillar height of 20 μm revealed onset fields as low as 6.4 V/μm, field enhancement factors up to 800, and emission currents up to 8 μA at an applied field of 20 V/μm. Due to the p-type material, a saturation of the emission current for fields above 11 V/μm was observed. This saturation leads to a stable operation with a current fluctuation of less than ±8%. It was found that samples with a pillar height of 20 μm showed improved emission characteristics compared to samples with a pillar height of 8 μm or without pillars. The voltage maps revealed an increased emission homogeneity after a “burn-in” sequence of the sample. The current map showed that a few of the pillars dominate the emission. Integral current stability measurements were performed under different vacuum pressures, in order to investigate altered emission behavior and a potential degradation of the emitters. At pressures above 10−6 mbar, the sample starts to degrade irreversibly. Nevertheless, even after a harsh treatment over 30 min at 5 × 10−5 mbar and at an applied field of 23 V/μm, the cathode was still operating, and did not fail during further operation over 20 h at 5 × 10−8 mbar and at an applied field of 28 V/μm.
Successful transfer of photoacoustic gas sensors from laboratory to real-life applications requires knowledge about potential cross-sensitivities towards environmental and gas matrix changes. Multi-dimensional calibration in case of cross-sensitivities can become very complex or even unfeasible. To address this challenge, we present a novel algorithm to compute the collision based non-radiative efficiency and phase lag of energy relaxation on a molecular level (CoNRad) for photoacoustic signal calculation. This algorithmic approach allows to calculate the entire elaxation cascade of arbitrarily complex systems, yielding a theoretical photoacoustic signal. In this work the influence of varying bulk compositions, i.e. nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2) and water (H2O) on the photoacoustic signal during methane (CH4) detection is demonstrated. The applicability of the algorithm to other photoacoustic setups is shown exemplary by applying it to the relaxational system investigated in [1]. Hayden et al. examined the effect of water on photoacoustic carbon monoxide (CO) detection.
Digital Twin of a Photoacoustic Trace Gas Sensor for Monitoring Methane in Complex Gas Compositions
(2022)
The digitalization of industrial processes requires smart sensor systems. Photoacoustic spectroscopy is well suited for this purpose as it allows for small-sized and low-cost trace gas analysis. However, the method is susceptible to changes in measurement conditions and standard calibration routines often fail to correct for all changes. We therefore created a Digital Twin (DT) of a photoacoustic trace gas sensor for methane and evaluated it regarding variations in gas composition (CH4, N2, O2, CO2, H2O), temperature and pressure. With a mean absolute percentage error of 0.8 % the accuracy of the sensor after DT compensation significantly exceeds the 24 % achieved based on standard calibration in nitrogen. For the first time, we can fully analytically compute the photoacoustic signal under moderate ambient conditions with an error in the ppbV range by taking a holistic approach. Assuming knowledge of the underlying energy transfer processes, the model of this Digital Twin can be adapted to any microphone based photoacoustic sensor for monitoring any analyte species.
Creating a Digital Twin of a Photoacoustic Gas Sensor for Methane Detection in Complex Gas Matrices
(2022)
We present the calculation results from a digital twin (DT) of our photoacoustic (PA) sensor for methane detection, regarding gas composition, temperature and pressure variations.
Trace gas analysis in breath is challenging due to the vast number of different components. We present a highly sensitive quantum cascade laser based photoacoustic setup for breath analysis. Scanning the range between 8260 and 8270 nm with a spectral resolution of 48 pm, we are able to quantify acetone and ethanol within a typical breath matrix containing water and CO2. We photoacoustically acquired spectra within this region of mid-infra-red light and prove that those spectra do not suffer from non-spectral interferences. The purely additive behavior of a breath sample spectrum was verified by comparing it with the independently acquired single component spectra using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. A previously presented simulation approach is improved and an error attribution study is presented. With a 3σ detection limit of 6.5 ppbV in terms of ethanol and 250 pptV regarding acetone, our system is among the best performing presented so far.
Clot formation within membrane oxygenators (MOs) remains a critical problem during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The composition of the clots—in particular, the presence of von Willebrand factor (vWF)—may be an indicator for prevalent nonphysiological flow conditions, foreign body reactions, or coagulation abnormalities in critically ill patients. Mats of interwoven gas exchange fibers from randomly collected MOs (PLS, Maquet, Rastatt, Germany) of 21 patients were stained with antibodies (anti‐vWF and anti‐P‐selectin) and counterstained with 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole. The extent of vWF‐loading was correlated with patient and technical data. While 12 MOs showed low vWF‐loadings, 9 MOs showed high vWF‐loading with highest accumulations close to crossing points of adjacent gas fibers. The presence and the extent of vWF‐fibers/“cobwebs,” leukocytes, platelet–leukocyte aggregates (PLAs), and P‐selectin‐positive platelet aggregates were independent of the extent of vWF‐loading. However, the highly loaded MOs were obtained from patients with a significantly elevated SOFA score, severe thrombocytopenia, and persistent liver dysfunction. The coagulation abnormalities of these critically ill patients may cause an accumulation of the highly thrombogenic and elongated high‐molecular‐weight vWF multimers in the plasma which will be trapped in the MOs during the ECMO therapy.
Coagulative disorders, especially clotting during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, are frequent complications. Direct visualization and analysis of deposits in membrane oxygenators using computed tomography (CT) may provide an insight into the underlying mechanisms causing thrombotic events. However, the already established multidetector CT1 (MDCT) method shows major limitations. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying industrial micro-CT (μCT) to circumvent these restrictions. Three clinically used membrane oxygenators were investigated applying both MDCT and μCT.
The scans were analyzed in terms of clot volume and local clot distribution. As validation, the clot volume was also determined from the fluid volume, which could be filled into the respective used oxygenator compared to a new device. In addition, cross-sectional CT images were compared with crosscut oxygenators. Based on the μCT findings, a morphological measure (sphericity) for assessing clot structures in membrane oxygenators is introduced. Furthermore, by comparing MDCT and μCT results, an augmentation of the MDCT method is proposed, which allows for improved clot volume determination in a clinical setting.
Trace gas analysis in breath is challenging due to the vast number of different components. We present a highly sensitive quantum cascade laser based photoacoustic setup for breath analysis. Scanning the range between 8263 and 8270 nm with a spectral resolution of 48 pm, we are able to quantify acetone and ethanol within a typical breath matrix containing water and CO2. We photoacoustically acquired spectra within this region of mid-infra-red light and prove that those spectra do not suffer from non-spectral interferences. The purely additive behavior of a breath sample spectrum was verified by comparing it with the independently acquired single component spectra using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. A previously presented simulation approach is improved and an error attribution study is presented. With a 3σ detection limit of 6.5 ppbv in terms of ethanol and 250 pptv regarding acetone, our system is among the best performing presented so far.
Digital Twin of a Photoacoustic Trace Gas Sensor for Monitoring Methane in Complex Gas Compositions
(2023)
The digitalization of industrial processes requires smart sensor systems. Photoacoustic spectroscopy is well suited for this purpose as it allows for small-sized and low-cost trace gas analysis. However, the method is susceptible to changes in measurement conditions and standard calibration routines often fail to correct for all changes. We therefore created a Digital Twin (DT) of a photoacoustic trace gas sensor for methane and evaluated it regarding variations in gas composition (CH4, N2, O2, CO2, H2O), temperature and pressure. With a mean absolute percentage error of 0.8 % the accuracy of the sensor after DT compensation significantly exceeds the 24 % achieved based on standard calibration in nitrogen. For the first time, we can fully analytically compute the photoacoustic signal under moderate ambient conditions with an error in the ppbV range by taking a holistic approach. Assuming knowledge of the underlying energy transfer processes, the model of this Digital Twin can be adapted to any microphone based photoacoustic sensor for monitoring any analyte species.
The Exoplanet Imaging Data Challenge is a community-wide effort meant to offer a platform for a fair and common comparison of image processing methods designed for exoplanet direct detection. For this purpose, it gathers on a dedicated repository (Zenodo), data from several high-contrast ground-based instruments worldwide in which we injected synthetic planetary signals. The data challenge is hosted on the CodaLab competition platform, where participants can upload their results. The specifications of the data challenge are published on our website https://exoplanet-imaging-challenge.github.io/. The first phase, launched on the 1st of September 2019 and closed on the 1st of October 2020, consisted in detecting point sources in two types of common data-set in the field of high-contrast imaging: data taken in pupil-tracking mode at one wavelength (subchallenge 1, also referred to as ADI) and multispectral data taken in pupil-tracking mode (subchallenge 2, also referred to as ADI+mSDI). In this paper, we describe the approach, organisational lessons-learnt and current limitations of the data challenge, as well as preliminary results of the participants’ submissions for this first phase. In the future, we plan to provide permanent access to the standard library of data sets and metrics, in order to guide the validation and support the publications of innovative image processing algorithms dedicated to high-contrast imaging of planetary systems.
Precisely aligned high-aspect-ratio (HAR) silicon tip arrays were fabricated using enhanced reactive ion etching with an inductively-coupled-plasma followed by a sharpening oxidation. A gold thin film was then sputtered only on the tips of the HAR structures. Field-emission (FE) properties from Au-coated HAR p-Si tip array cathodes have been systematically investigated by means of field emission scanning microscopy (FESM). A rather high efficiency of the HAR Si structures (71% at 550 V), but limited homogeneous FE with currents of 1-600 nA might be correlated with the varying geometry of the tips and the presence of oxides. I-V measurements of single Au-coated HAR emitters revealed activation effects and the saturation current region at 3 nA. An increase of the saturation current by 4 orders of magnitude was observed during 20 hours of conditioning at constant voltage, which finally resulted in nearly reproducible FN curves with a ß-factor of 473. An excellent stability of the emission current of less than 1 % was obtained during the additional long-time conditioning at constant voltage. Optical switching under halogen lamp illumination resulted in at least 2 times higher saturation currents and showed a linear dependence of the FE current on the light color temperature.