Wireless Chemical Sensor and Sensing Method for Use Therewith

NASA Langley Research Center has developed a wireless, open-circuit SansEC (Sans Electrical Connections) sensor that can detect the presence of chemicals without being in contact with the chemical it is detecting. This unique thin-film sensor is used in conjunction with a chemical reactant that detects the presence of the chemical. Because of the way the sensor operates, the reactant can be separated from the sensor itself and placed in caustic or harsh environments, and can still work to detect the specific chemical it was designed to discern. The ingenuity of the thin-film design with the elimination of all wires, connections, and electronic components enables the sensors to be produced cost-effectively. This is an application of the NASA award-winning SansEC sensor, which is damage-resilient and environmentally friendly to manufacture and use. The sensors use a NASA award-winning magnetic field response recorder to provide power to the sensors and to acquire physical property measurements from them.