1. A sensor comprising:
a substrate (14);
an aromatic amine compound coupled to the substrate (14);
a gas flow system (42) in fluid communication with the substrate (14); and
an optical detection system (46) configured to detect optical changes of the aromatic amine compound.
2. The sensor of claim 1, where the substrate (14) comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of: cellulose, cellulose derivatives, glass, plastic, metallic mesh, zeolites, silica particles, sol-gel, and alumina particles.
3. The sensor of claim 1, where the substrate (14) comprises a porous membrane (78) and where the aromatic amine compound is embedded in the porous membrane (78).
4. The sensor of claim 3, where the porous membrane (78) comprises a cellulosepolyester membrane that includes alumina particles.
5. The sensor of claim 3, where the porous membrane (78) defines a sensing area, and where the aromatic amine is confined by a material to the porous membrane (78).
6. The sensor of claim 5, where the material comprises polydimethylsiloxane.
7. The sensor of claim 1, where the aromatic amine compound comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: aromatic monoamines, aromatic monoamine derivatives, aromatic diamines, 1,2-diaminobenzene, aromatic diamine derivatives, naphthalenediamines, and naphthalenediamine derivatives.
8. The sensor of claim 1, where the gas flow system (42) comprises an inlet and an outlet.
9. The sensor of claim 8, where the gas flow system (42) comprises a filter.
10. The sensor of claim 1, where the optical detection system (46) comprises a light source and an optical detector (74).
11. The sensor of claim 10, where the light source and the optical detector (74) are located on the same side of the substrate (14).
12. The sensor of claim 10, where the substrate (14) comprises a porous membrane (78), and the light source is located on one side of the porous membrane (78) and the optical detector (74) is located on an opposite side of the porous membrane (78) from the light source.
13. The sensor of claim 10, where the optical detection system (46) comprises an optical waveguide.
14. The sensor of claim 10, where the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).
15. The sensor of claim 10, where the optical detector (74) comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera.
16. The sensor of claim 10, where the optical detector (74) is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera.
17. A sensor comprising:
a first electrode (22) coupled to a substrate (14);
a second electrode (26) coupled to the substrate (14) and spaced apart from the first electrode (22);
a coupler (30) coupling the first electrode (22) to the second electrode (26);
an electrolyte coupled to the substrate (14);
a detector substance coupled to the substrate (14), the detector substance configured to be sensitive to nitrogen oxides;
a counter electrode coupled to the substrate (14);
a reference electrode (38) coupled to the substrate (14);
a gas flow system (42) in fluid communication with the substrate (14); and
an electrical detector (50) coupled to at least two of the first electrode (22), second electrode (26), counter electrode, and reference electrode (38), the electrical detector (50) configured to detect electrical changes in the coupler (30).
18. The sensor of claim 17, where the coupler (30) comprises a conducting or semiconducting material.
19. The sensor of claim 18, where the conducting or semiconducting material comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of:
metal oxides, metal oxide derivatives, polypyrroles, polypyrrole derivatives, polyanilines, polyaniline derivatives, polythiophenes, polythiophene derivatives, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).
20. The sensor of claim 17, where the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid or a low vapor pressure solvent having an electrolyte.
21. The sensor of claim 17, where the detector substance is disposed on the reference electrode (38).
22. The sensor of claim 17, where the detector substance is disposed in the electrolyte.
23. The sensor of claim 17, where the detector substance comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of:
aromatic monoamines, aromatic monoamine derivatives, aromatic diamines, 1,2-diaminobenzene, aromatic diamine derivatives, naphthalenediamines, naphthalenediamine derivatives, hemoproteins, hemopeptides, metal phtalocyanines, metal phtalocyanine derivatives, metal porphyrins, metal porphyrins derivatives, iron (11) carbamates, and iron (11) carbamate derivatives.
24. The sensor of claim 17, where the detector substance is disposed on the reference electrode (38), and where the detector substance comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: silver, aromatic monoamines, aromatic monoamine derivatives, aromatic diamines, 1,2-diaminobenzene, aromatic diamine derivatives, naphthalenediamines, naphthalenediamine derivatives, hemoproteins, hemopeptides, metal phtalocyanines, metal phtalocyanine derivatives, metal porphyrins, metal porphyrin derivatives, iron (11) carbamates, and iron (11) carbamate derivatives.
25. The sensor of claim 17, where the gas flow system (42) comprises an inlet and an outlet.
26. The sensor of claim 17, where the gas flow system (42) comprises a filter.
27. The sensor of claim 17, where the electrical detector (50) is configured to control and measure one or more electrical changes of the one or more coupled electrodes.
28. The sensor of claim 27, where the electrical detector (50) is coupled to at least the first electrode (22), and where the electrical detector (50) is configured to provide a potential perturbation.
29. The sensor of claim 27, where the electrical detector (50) comprises a bipotentiostat.
30. The sensor of claim 17, where the electrical detector (50) is coupled to the first electrode (22), the second electrode (26), and the reference electrode (38), and where the electrical detector (50) is configured to measure one or more electrical changes selected from the group consisting of potential shift, conductance, and electrical current.
31. The sensor of claim 30, where the detector substance is mixed into the electrolyte, and where the sensor is configured such that if one or more nitrogen oxides are introduced to the electrolyte, the detector substance will chemically react with at least one of the one or more nitrogen oxides and the one or more electrical changes can be measured simultaneously with the chemical reaction.
32. The sensor of claim 30, where the detector substance is disposed on the reference electrode (38), and where the sensor is configured such that if one or more nitrogen oxides are introduced to the reference electrode (38), the detector substance will chemically react with at least one of the one or more nitrogen oxides and the one or more electrical changes can be measured simultaneously with the chemical reaction.
33. A sensor comprising:
a substrate (14);
an aromatic amine compound coupled to the substrate (14);
a first electrode (22) coupled to the substrate (14);
a second electrode (26) coupled to the substrate and spaced apart from the first electrode (22);
a coupler (30) coupling the first electrode (22) to the second electrode (26);
an electrolyte coupled to the substrate;
a detector substance coupled to the substrate, the detector substance configured to be sensitive to nitrogen oxides;
a counter electrode coupled to the substrate;
a reference electrode (38) coupled to the substrate;
a gas flow system (42) in fluid communication with the substrate;
an optical detection system (46) configured to detect optical changes of the aromatic amine compound; and
an electrical detector coupled to at least two of the first electrode (22), second electrode (26), counter electrode, and reference electrode (38), the electrical detector configured to detect one or more electrical changes in the coupler (30).
34. A method comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a substrate (14);
an aromatic amine compound coupled to the substrate (14); and
an optical detection system (46) configured to detect optical changes of the aromatic amine compound;
directing a sample containing at least one nitrogen oxide to be in fluid communication with the substrate (14) such that the at least one nitrogen oxide chemically reacts with the aromatic amine compound coupled to the substrate (14);
detecting a reaction product of the chemical reaction;
detecting with the optical detection system (46) an optical change of the aromatic amine compound; and
detecting the at least one nitrogen oxide from the optical change.
35. The method of claim 34, where the substrate (14) comprises a porous membrane (78), the aromatic amine compound is embedded in the porous membrane (78), and directing a sample comprises directing a sample to be in fluid communication with the porous membrane (78).
36. The method of claim 35, where directing a sample comprises directing a sample through the porous membrane (78).
37. The method of claim 34, where the optical detection system (46) of the sensor comprises a light source and an optical detector (74), and where detecting with the optical detection system (46) comprises transmitting light with the light source from a first side of the porous membrane (78) through the porous membrane (78) and receiving at least a portion of the transmitted light with the optical detector (74) on an opposite side of the porous membrane (78).
38. The method of claim 34, where the optical detection system (46) of the sensor comprises a light source and an optical detector (74), and where detecting with the optical detection system (46) comprises transmitting light with the light source from a first side of the porous membrane (78) such that at least a portion of the light is reflected by the porous membrane (78) and receiving the at least a portion of the reflected light with the optical detector (74) on the same first side of the porous membrane (78).
39. The method of claim 34, where the optical detection system (46) of the sensor comprises a light source and an optical detector (74), and where the optical detector (74) is configured to receive light via a waveguide.
40. A method comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a first electrode (22) coupled to a substrate (14);
a second electrode (26) coupled to the substrate (14) and spaced apart from the first electrode (22);
a coupler (30) coupling the first electrode (22) to the second electrode (26);
an electrolyte coupled to the substrate (14);
a detector substance coupled to the substrate (14), the detector substance configured to be sensitive to nitrogen oxides;
a counter electrode coupled to the substrate (14);
a reference electrode (38) coupled to the substrate (14); and
an electrical detector coupled to at least two of the first electrode (22), second electrode (26), counter electrode, and reference electrode (38), the electrical detector configured to detect electrical changes in the coupler (30);
directing a sample containing at least one nitrogen oxide to be in fluid communication with the substrate (14) such that the at least one nitrogen oxide chemically reacts with the detector substance coupled to the substrate (14);
detecting a reaction product of the chemical reaction;
detecting with the electrical detector an electrical change of the coupler (30); and
detecting the at least one nitrogen oxide from the electrical change.
41. The method of claim 40, where the detector substance is disposed in the electrolyte such that the reaction product is formed in the electrolyte.
42. The method of claim 40, where the detector substance is disposed on the reference electrode (38) such that the reaction product is formed on the reference electrode (38).
43. A method comprising:
providing a sensor comprising:
a substrate (14);
an aromatic amine compound coupled to the substrate (14);
a first electrode (22) coupled to the substrate (14);
to a second electrode (26) coupled to the substrate (14) and spaced apart from the first electrode (22);
a coupler (30) coupling the first electrode (22) to the second electrode (26);
an electrolyte coupled to the substrate (14); a detector substance coupled to the substrate (14), the detector substance configured to be sensitive to nitrogen oxides;
a counter electrode coupled to the substrate (14); a reference electrode (38) coupled to the substrate (14);
a gas flow system (42) in fluid communication with the substrate (14);
an optical detection system (46) configured to detect optical changes of the aromatic amine compound; and
an electrical detector coupled to at least two of the first electrode (22), second electrode (26), counter electrode, and reference electrode (38), the electrical detector configured to detect one or more electrical changes in the coupler (30);
directing a sample containing at least one nitrogen oxide to be in fluid communication with the substrate (14) such that the at least one nitrogen oxide chemically reacts with the aromatic amine compound and the detector substance;
detecting a reaction product of at least one of the chemical reactions;
detecting with the optical detection system (46) an optical change of the aromatic amine compound;
detecting with the electrical detector an electrical change of the coupler (30); and
detecting the at least one nitrogen oxide from at least one of the optical change and the electrical change.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A collaborative system for monitoring imported and exported goods, the system comprising:
a database for storing information on import and export business activities; and
a web server for exchanging information between users and the database via an electronic communications network, the web server comprising:
a goods recording module for obtaining from the database that is required to be put on record in a customs authority;
a purchasing module for obtaining from the database purchasing information and declaration information on imported goods;
a sales module for accessing the database for sales information and declaration information on exported goods; and
an inventory module for accessing the database for information on finished goods, usage of materials and current inventory.
2. The collaborative system for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a database server for sending data to and receiving data from the database.
3. The collaborative system for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 2, wherein the database server is connected with an internal system via the electronic communications network, and automatically obtains information related to import and export business activities from the internal system.
4. The collaborative system for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 3, wherein the internal system is an Enterprise Resource Planning system.
5. The collaborative system for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 1, wherein the business activities include purchase, production, storage, sales and declarations for import and export.
6. A collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a database for storing information on import and export business activities; and
providing a web server for exchanging information between users and the database via an electronic communications network, the web server comprising:
a goods recording module for obtaining from the database information that is required to be put on record in a customs authority;
a purchasing module for obtaining from the database purchasing information and declaration information on imported goods;
a sales module for accessing the database for sales information and declaration information on exported goods; and
an inventory module for accessing the database for information on finished goods, usage of materials and current inventory.
7. The collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the following steps:
sending a query to the web server through a client computer;
receiving the query and automatically transforming the query into a predetermined standard format;
searching the database thoroughly in order to generate a query result; sending the query result to the web server; and
transforming the query result into another predetermined standard format and transmitting the query result to the client computer.
8. The collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a step of providing a database server for sending data to and receiving data from the database.
9. The collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 8, wherein the database server is connected with an internal system via the electronic communications network, and automatically obtains information related to import and export business activities from the internal system.
10. The collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 9, wherein the internal system is an Enterprise Resource Planning system.
11. The collaborative method for monitoring imported and exported goods as claimed in claim 6, wherein the business activities include purchase, production, storage, sales and declarations for import and export.
12. A method of monitoring imported and exported goods for a customs authority, comprising the steps of:
providing a database server cooperating with an internal system and a corresponding storing database for storing information on import and export business activities of an enterprise; and
providing a web server through which both the customs authority and the enterprise are able to approach the database server.