Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (10)
- conference proceeding (article) (6)
- Preprint (3)
- Working Paper (2)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (21)
Keywords
- Photoacoustic spectroscopy (3)
- Biomechanik (2)
- GEOMETRY (2)
- Iron (2)
- field emission (2)
- silicon (2)
- Acetone (1)
- Acoustic resonance monitoring (1)
- Anodes (1)
- Antibiotika (1)
Institute
- Fakultät Angewandte Natur- und Kulturwissenschaften (15)
- Sensorik-Applikationszentrum (SappZ) (7)
- Fakultät Maschinenbau (4)
- Labor Mikrosensorik (4)
- Labor Biofluidmechanik (2)
- Labor Biomechanik (LBM) (2)
- Regensburg Center of Biomedical Engineering - RCBE (2)
- Fakultät Angewandte Sozial- und Gesundheitswissenschaften (1)
- Fakultät Elektro- und Informationstechnik (1)
- Labor Nanoanalytik und Halbleiterchemie (Nanochem) (1)
Begutachtungsstatus
- peer-reviewed (11)
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.