대표
청구항
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1. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising;at least one measurement unit, and a sample flow path for flowing a sample medium towards an inlet of the measurement unit the sample flow path comprising at least one heating unit for heating the flowing sample medium prior to entering the measurement unit through said inlet,said at least one measurement unit comprising a plurality of sensor elements each configured...
1. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising;at least one measurement unit, and a sample flow path for flowing a sample medium towards an inlet of the measurement unit the sample flow path comprising at least one heating unit for heating the flowing sample medium prior to entering the measurement unit through said inlet,said at least one measurement unit comprising a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one predetermined foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, each of the sensor elements being mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of said sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment and from other compartments in said measurement unit, thereby increasing concentration of the sample medium in the vicinity of each of the sensor elements, wherein the compartments with the sensor elements are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to one another and said inlet of the measurement unit and are mounted on a measurement matrix configured to ensure substantially uniform distribution of the heated sample medium among all the compartments. 2. The sensing system of claim 1, comprising at least two sensor units. 3. The system of claim 1, comprising a control system connectable to the sensor unit for receiving and analyzing the response signal and generating output signal indicative thereof. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the compartments with the sensor elements are equally distanced from an actuator utility of the control system. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the compartments are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship along a circular path, the actuator utility being located on a central axis of the circle. 6. The system of claim 5, comprising a disc formed with a circular array of the compartments with the sensor elements, the control system comprising an actuator utility located in the center of the disc. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the compartments are arranged within the measurement unit in a spaced-apart relationship along a predetermined path. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the compartments are arranged within the measurement unit in a spaced-apart relationship along a circular path. 9. The system of claim 1, comprising a feeding unit configured and operable for providing an input flow of a sample medium from the region of interest towards and through the sample flow path, and the heating and measurement units. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the compartments are arranged within the measurement unit in a spaced-apart relationship along a circular path, the sample medium being concurrently supplied to all the compartments. 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the compartments are arranged in a one-dimensional array, the sample medium being sequentially supplied to all the compartments. 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the sample feeding unit comprises a suction assembly. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the suction assembly comprises a first pump-like unit connected to an outlet of the measurement unit. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the suction assembly comprises a second pump-like unit interconnected between the region of interest and an inlet of the measurement unit. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second pump-like units are operable synchrony to provide a desired flow of the sample medium through the measurement unit. 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the feeding unit comprises a sample preparation unit connectable to the sensor unit. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sample preparation unit is configured as a separator for separating and filtering out a purified air medium and collecting particles from the sample medium and flowing the collected particles to the measurement unit. 18. The system of claim 9, wherein the feeding unit comprises a sample preparation unit connectable to the measurement unit. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the sample preparation unit comprises a pre-concentrate for collecting the sample medium, and a heating unit for heating the sample medium. 20. The system of claim 9, configured for identifying one or more substances in a liquid medium. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the sensor unit comprises two measurement units configured such that the first measurement unit is located outside the liquid medium during the system operation and is capable of identifying one or more foreign substances in a vapor coming from said liquid medium, and the second measurement unit is driven for movement into and out of the liquid medium and is capable of identifying one or more foreign substances in the liquid medium. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the compartments are arranged in a one-dimensional array. 23. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is a two-unit assembly configured to enable operation of one sensor unit during regeneration of the other. 24. The system of claim 1, configured for identifying one or more substances in a liquid medium. 25. The system of claim 24, comprising a lift-like assembly associated with the measurement unit for moving the measurement unit into and out of the liquid medium. 26. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a piezoelectric crystal resonator characterized by a certain resonance frequency value and carrying reactive molecules of a kind capable of interacting with said at least one foreign material to yield a reaction product that effects a change in the resonance frequency of said crystal resonator from said certain resonance frequency value, said change being indicative of the identity of said at least one foreign material. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein said piezoelectric crystal resonator is configured as an inverted mesa structure having a membrane-like region. 28. The system of claim 26, wherein said crystal resonator is a quartz crystal. 29. The system of claim 27, wherein the membrane-like region is coated with metal electrodes on opposite sides thereof. 30. The system of claim 26, wherein the crystal resonators of different sensor elements are modified with different reactive molecules, thereby enabling detection of various foreign materials. 31. The system of claim 26, comprising a control system connectable to the sensor unit and configured and operable for actuating the crystal resonators, measuring the change in the resonance frequency of the crystal resonators, and generating measured data indicative of the identity of said at least one foreign material. 32. The system of claim 1, configured for identifying one or more foreign materials carried by a person, the system comprising a gate having side and top walls defining the region of interest inside the gate, said gate carrying on its side and top walls a plurality of the sensor units such that the sensor units are exposed to air medium of the region of interest. 33. The system of claim 32, wherein the gate is formed with air outlets formed in the side and top walls thereof, the sensor unit being mounted in the vicinity of the respective air outlets to be thereby exposed to air medium of the region of interest. 34. A sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit and at least one heating unit, each measurement unit comprising a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein: each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of said sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment and from other compartments in said measurement unit, thereby increasing concentration of a sample medium drawn through the at least one heating unit for inspection by each of the sensor elements, and wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship along a predetermined path, and wherein said at least one heating unit is configured and located for heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit. 35. A sensor unit according to claim 34 as one of said certain number of the sensing units, the sensor unit further comprising: an additional measurement unit configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign material in its surroundings and generating a response signal indicative thereof,a drive assembly associated with one of the measurement units for movement moving it into and out of a liquid medium,a sample feeding unit configured and operable for providing a flow of vapor from said liquid medium towards and through the other measurement unit. 36. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit and at least one heating unit, each measurement unit comprising an array of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of the sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment and from the other compartments containing the other sensor elements in said measurement unit, thereby increasing concentration of a sample medium to be inspected when supplied to each of the sensor elements, and wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged within the measurement unit in a spaced-apart relationship along a circular path with respect to an inlet of the measurement unit to provide substantially concurrent supply of the sample medium to all the sensor elements and provide uniform distribution of the sample medium between all the compartments for inspection by the sensor elements accommodated in said compartments; and said at least one heating unit being configured for carrying out at least one of the following: heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit, and heating inner surfaces of the sensor unit to prevent adsorption of the sample medium thereon. 37. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising: a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit and at least one heating unit, each measurement unit comprising: a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of the sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment, the compartments being arranged within the measurement unit in a spaced-apart relationship along a circular path with respect to an inlet of the measurement unit to provide uniform distribution of the a sample medium drawn through the at least one heating unit into the inlet of the measurement unit and concurrently supplied to all the compartments for inspection by the sensor elements accommodated in the compartments; said at least one heating unit being configured for carrying out at least one of the following: heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit, and heating inner surfaces of the sensor unit to prevent adsorption of the sample medium thereon; anda feeding unit configured and operable for providing an input flow of a sample medium from the region of interest towards and through the heating and measurement unit. 38. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit and at least one heating unit, each measurement unit comprising: a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of the sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment, thereby increasing concentration of a sample medium in the vicinity of the sensor element inside the compartment, and wherein the compartments are arranged in a linear array; said at least one heating unit being configured and located for heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit. 39. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising: a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit and at least one heating unit, each measurement unit comprising a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of said sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment and from the other compartments, wherein the compartments are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship in a linear array, a sample medium being sequentially supplied to all the compartments; said at least one heating unit being configured and located for heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit;anda feeding unit configured and operable for providing an input flow of the sample medium from the region of interest towards and through the heating and measurement units. 40. A sensing system for use in identifying at least one foreign substance in a region of interest, the sensing system comprising: a certain number of sensor units, each sensor unit comprising at least one measurement unit, each measurement unit comprising: a plurality of sensor elements each configured and operable to be responsive to at least one foreign substance in the vicinity thereof and to generate a response signal indicative thereof, wherein each of the sensor elements is mounted in its own compartment having an inlet and an outlet thus defining an environmental region in the vicinity of the sensor element separated from the surroundings of the compartment and from the other compartments, thereby increasing concentration of a sample medium to be inspected in the compartment; said at least one heating unit being configured and located for heating the sample medium while flowing towards the measurement unit; anda feeding unit configured and operable for providing an input flow of a sample medium from the region of interest towards and through the measurement unit, the feeding unit comprising a sample preparation unit connectable to the sensor unit, the sample preparation unit comprising a pre-concentrate for collecting the sample medium.
