초록 ▼

A fluid contamination analyzer employs one or more micro-miniature sensors which provide for a substantial reduction in sensor dimensions form prior art dimensions of approximately 2 in..times.2 in. to approximately 1 mm.times.1 mm. The sensors are incorporated into probes for easy lubricant fluid a

A fluid contamination analyzer employs one or more micro-miniature sensors which provide for a substantial reduction in sensor dimensions form prior art dimensions of approximately 2 in..times.2 in. to approximately 1 mm.times.1 mm. The sensors are incorporated into probes for easy lubricant fluid accessibility or alternatively may be employed in an on-line analyzer residing in the fluid flow path. The sensors sense an impedance of the fluid which is a function of its contamination and communicates the impedance to analysis circuitry via either a hard-wired or RF data link. An array of sensors may also be utilized in conjunction with a magnetic field intensity gradient to obtain a particulate distribution across the array. Impedance information, which is indicative of the particulate distribution, is communicated to analysis circuitry individually or in a multiplexed format for fluid contamination analysis. The use of micro-miniature sensors allows for substantial improvements in fluid contamination analysis by making fluid analysis procurement easy while increasing the number of applications in which such analysis may be employed.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a probe; andat least one micro-miniature sensor at one end of the probe, wherein the at least one sensor includes:a substrate;a plurality of conductors formed over the substrate, wherein each is coupled to one of two leads; andan insulating layer disposed between the plural

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a probe; andat least one micro-miniature sensor at one end of the probe, wherein the at least one sensor includes:a substrate;a plurality of conductors formed over the substrate, wherein each is coupled to one of two leads; andan insulating layer disposed between the plurality of conductors and the substrate;wherein the conductors form electrodes of the sensor and when a fluid contacts the sensor an impedance of the fluid may be determined using the leads of the sensor, thereby providing an indication of fluid contamination.