Method and apparatus for characterizing the barrier...

Measuring and testing – Gas analysis – By vibration

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C073S031060, C073S030040, C073S03200R, C073S054240, C073S054380, C073S054410, C073S061490, C073S061750, C073S061790, C422S068100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06684683

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for characterizing the barrier properties of members of combinatorial libraries. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing real-time measurements of the permeability of water vapor into an array of coating materials and coatings, the method and the apparatus utilizing an array of acoustic wave devices.
In the combinatorial discovery of coating materials, such as barrier coating materials, the rapid characterization of the barrier properties of the coating materials and the evaluation of the moisture permeability of the coating materials are of primary importance. The transport of vapors, such as analyte vapors and water vapor, in and through the coatings is typically measured by exposing one side of a given coating to an analyte vapor while nitrogen gas sweeps the other side of the coating and any analyte vapor present in the atmosphere to a detector. The detector measures the rate at which the analyte vapor permeates the coating. Another method measures the amount of an out-gassed vapor present when a coating is deposited onto a non-permeable substrate and exposed to a vapor of interest. These methods, although marginally effective, require the utilization of large areas of coating in order to obtain a measurable signal, provide low measurement sensitivity, and make it difficult to simultaneously characterize the barrier properties of a plurality of coatings, especially to moisture.
Thus, what is needed is a method and an associated apparatus that require the utilization of only small areas of coating in order to obtain a measurable signal, provide relatively high measurement sensitivity, and make it possible to simultaneously characterize the barrier properties of a plurality of coatings, especially to moisture.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and an associated apparatus for the real-time characterization of the barrier properties of an array of coatings, the method and the apparatus utilizing an array of acoustic wave devices.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for characterizing the barrier properties of an array of coatings includes providing a plurality of acoustic wave devices, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices comprises at least one surface, and providing a plurality of coating materials suitable for forming a plurality of coatings on the at least one surface of each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices. The method also includes coating each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices with at least one of the plurality of coating materials to form a plurality of coated acoustic wave devices and measuring a predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices. The method further includes exposing the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to an analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration, measuring the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices, and correlating a change in the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to a barrier property of interest or the moisture permeability of each of the plurality of coatings.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for characterizing the barrier properties of an array of coatings includes a plurality of acoustic wave devices, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices comprises at least one surface, and wherein the plurality of acoustic wave devices are arranged in an array. The apparatus also includes a plurality of coating materials suitable for forming a plurality of coatings on the at least one surface of each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices. The apparatus further includes means for coating each of the plurality of acoustic wave devices with at least one of the plurality of coating materials to form a plurality of coated acoustic wave devices and an array of coatings, and a means for measuring a predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices. The apparatus further includes means for exposing the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to an analyte vapor of a predetermined concentration and a correlation factor operable for correlating a change in the predetermined output parameter of each of the plurality of coated acoustic wave devices to a barrier property of interest or moisture permeability of each of the plurality of coatings of the array of coatings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5015843 (1991-05-01), Seitz et al.
patent: 5591898 (1997-01-01), Mayer
patent: 5891398 (1999-04-01), Lewis et al.
patent: 5985356 (1999-11-01), Schultz et al.
patent: 6009743 (2000-01-01), Mayer
patent: 6030917 (2000-02-01), Weinberg et al.
patent: 6045671 (2000-04-01), Wu et al.
patent: 6182499 (2001-02-01), McFarland et al.
patent: 6321588 (2001-11-01), Bowers et al.
patent: WO 98/15501 (1998-04-01), None
Rharbi, Y,; Yekta, A.; Winnik, M. A. , A method for measuring oxygen diffusion and oxygen permeation in polymer films based on fluorescence quenching,Anal. Chem.1999, 71, 5045-5053.
Ward, M.; Buttry, D. A., In situ interfacial mass detection with piezoelectric transducers,Science1990, 249, 1000-1007.
Ballantine, D. S., Jr.; White, R. M.; Martin, S. J.; Ricco, A. J.; Frye, G. C.; Zellers, E. T.; Wohltjen, H.Acoustic Wave Sensors: Theory, Design, and Physico-Chemical Applications; Academic Press: San Diego, CA, 1997, pp 150-221.
Potyrailo, R. A.; May, R. J.; Sivavec, T. M.; Recognition and quantitation of closely related chlorinated organic vapors and with acoustic wave chemical sensor arrays, Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 3856(Internal Standardization and Calibration Architectures for Chemical Sensors) 80-87 (1999).
Potyrailo, R. A.; Sivavec, T. M.; Bracco, A. A., Field evaluation of acoustic wave chemical sensors for monitoring of organic solvents in groundwater, Proc. SPIE-Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 3856(Internal Standardization and Calibration Architectures for Chemical Sensors) 140-147 (1999).
Ranucci, E.; Ferruti, P.; Opelli, P.; Ferrari, V.; Marioli, D.; Taroni, A., Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) as moisturesorbing material for relative humidity sensors,Sens. Mater.1994, 5, 221-229.
Freud, M. S.; Lewis, N. S., A chemically diverse conducting polymer-based “electronic nose”,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA1995, 92, 2652-2656.
Woolfson, A. D., Moisture-activated, electrically conducting bioadhesive interfaces for biomedical sensor applications,Analyst1996, 121, 711-714.
Vaid, T. P.; Burl, M. C.; Lewis, N.S., Comparison of the performance of different discriminant algorithms in analyte discrimination tasks using an array of carbon black-polymer composite vapor detectors,Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 321-331/.
Matsuguchi, M.; Umeda, S.; Sadaoka, Y.; Sakai, Y., Characterization of polymers for a capacitive-type humidity sensor based on water sorption behavior,Sens. Actuators B1998, 49, 179-185.
Gauglitz, G., Optical Sensor Array Based On Microtiterplate Dimensions, Mikrochim, Acta 131, 9-17 (1999).
Woolfson, D.A., Moisture-activated, Electrically Conducting Bioadhesive Interfaces for Biomedical Sensor Applications, Analyst, Jun. 1996, vol. 121 (711-714).
Hubert, T., Humidity-Sensing Materials, MRS Bulletin, Jun. 1999, vol. 24, No. 6, pp. 49-54.
Hinkers, J.; Hermes, T.; Sundermeier, C.; Borchardt, M.; Dumschat, C.; Bucher, S.; Buhner, M.; Cammann, K.; Knoll, M., An amperometric microsensor array with 1024 individually addressable elements for two-dimensional concentration mapping, Elsevier Scioence S.A. , Sensors and Actuators B 24-25 (1995) 300-303.
Brecht, A.; Burckardt, R.; Rickert, J.; Stemmler, I.; Schuetz, A.; Fischer, S.; Friedrich, T.; Gauglitz, G.; Goepel, W., Transducer-Based Approaches for Parallel Binding Assays in HTS, Journal of Biomolecular Screening, vol. 1, No. 4, 1996, pp. 191-201.
Ogura, K.; Shiigi, J.; Nakayama, M., A New Humidity Sensor Using the Composite Film Derived from Poly(o-phenylenediamine) and Poly(viny

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method and apparatus for characterizing the barrier... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for characterizing the barrier..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for characterizing the barrier... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3339295

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.