Abstract: The design and structure of a fluidic concentration metering device with a full dynamic range utilizing micro-machined thermal time-of-flight sensing elements is exhibited in this disclosure. With an additional identical sensing chip but packaged at the different locations in the measurement fluidic chamber with a closed conduit, the device can simultaneously measure the fluidic concentration and the fluidic flowrate. With a temperature thermistor integrated on the same micro-machined thermal sensing chip, the disclosed device will be able to provide the key processing parameters for the fluidic applications.

Abstract: The invention discloses a noninvasive spontaneous respiratory monitoring device, which comprises a sensing patch that can be placed in proximity to the nasal airway of a patient. The sensing patch measures both the flow profile and carbon dioxide concentration of a patient and wirelessly transmits the acquired data to the control circuitry for synchronizing the respiratory support of a mechanical ventilator. The device can also be used as a standalone unit for monitoring for the diagnosis purposes the spontaneous respiratory function of a patient with respiratory dysfunction.

Abstract: The design and structure of a fluidic concentration metering device with a full dynamic range utilizing micro-machined thermal time-of-flight sensing elements is exhibited in this disclosure. With an additional identical sensing chip but packaged at the different locations in the measurement fluidic chamber with a closed conduit, the device can simultaneously measure the fluidic concentration and the fluidic flowrate. With a temperature thermistor integrated on the same micro-machined thermal sensing chip, the disclosed device will be able to provide the key processing parameters for the fluidic applications.

Abstract: An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal time-of-flight flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer mass flowrate and an additional MEMS gas sensor to measure the combustion gas composition for the correlations to the acquisition of gas high heat value simultaneously is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed for the applications in the city utility gas consumption in compliance with the current tariff while metering the true thermal value of the delivered gases for future upgrades. Data safety, remote data communication, and other features with state-of-the-art electronics are also included in the design.

Abstract: The design of a vacuum gauge utilizing a micromachined silicon vacuum sensor to measure the extended vacuum range from ambient to ultrahigh vacuum by registering the gas thermal properties at each vacuum range is disclosed in the present invention. This single device is capable of measuring the pressure range from ambient and above to ultrahigh vacuum. This device applies to all types of vacuum measurement where no medium attack silicon is present. The disclosed vacuum gauge operates with thermistors and thermopile on a membrane of the thermal isolation diaphragm structure with a heat isolation cavity underneath.

Abstract: An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal mass flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer and MEMS gas thermal property sensor to compensate the metering values due to gas composition variations is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed to have a MEMS mass flow sensor to meter the city utility gas consumption independent of environmental temperature and pressure while a MEMS gas thermal property or dual gas thermal property sensors to compensate the tariff due to the gas composition variations for compliance with the current regulation requirements of tariff and remove the major concerns for the wide deployment of the thermal mass MEMS utility gas meters.

Abstract: The design and structure of an integrated MEMS mass flow meter with a conventional pressure regulator for fuel gas cylinder enabled with wireless data communication is exhibited in this disclosure. The battery-powered MEMS mass flow meter integrated with a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a Bluetooth as well as one long-distance communication devices is packed by the conventional fuel gas cylinder mechanical pressure regulator to form a new integrated apparatus. Such an apparatus can digitize the fuel gas consumption supplied by a cylinder to provide such consumption information to the fuel gas cylinder suppliers or the third-party service providers, and will also timely stream the cylinder status such as leakage and location data which will significantly improve the efficiency of fuel gas usage, control, and its supply logistics.

Abstract: The design of a vacuum gauge utilizing a micromachined silicon vacuum sensor to measure the extended vacuum range from ambient to ultrahigh vacuum by registering the gas thermal properties at each vacuum range is disclosed in the present invention. This single device is capable of measuring the pressure range from ambient and above to ultrahigh vacuum. This device applies to all types of vacuum measurement where no medium attack silicon is present. The disclosed vacuum gauge operates with thermistors and thermal pile on a membrane of the thermal isolation diaphragm structure with a heat isolation cavity underneath.

Abstract: An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal time-of-flight flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer mass flowrate and an additional MEMS gas sensor to measure the combustion gas composition for the correlations to the acquisition of gas high heat value simultaneously is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed for the applications in the city utility gas consumption in compliance with the current tariff while metering the true thermal value of the delivered gases for future upgrades. Data safety, remote data communication, and other features with state-of-the-art electronics are also included in the design.

Abstract: An electronic utility gas meter using MEMS thermal mass flow sensor to meter gas custody transfer and MEMS gas thermal property sensor to compensate the metering values due to gas composition variations is disclosed in the present invention. The meter is designed to have a MEMS mass flow sensor to meter the city utility gas consumption independent of environmental temperature and pressure while a MEMS gas thermal property or dual gas thermal property sensors to compensate the tariff due to the gas composition variations for compliance with the current regulation requirements of tariff and remove the major concerns for the wide deployment of the thermal mass MEMS utility gas meters.

Abstract: The design and structure of a fully automatic oxygen therapy apparatus is exhibited in this disclosure. The apparatus integrates a MEMS mass flow meter, an oximeter, a proportional valve and a smart liquid bottle. The control unit of the apparatus is embedded with a wireless communication device and powered by a battery pack. This apparatus is designed to replace the mechanical oxygen rotameter used in today's hospital or homecare oxygen therapy applications. With a set recipe or parameters locally or remotely, the disclosed apparatus can perform a fully automatic oxygen therapy for recovering the blood oxygen level of patient, without the frequent attention of the therapy administrator, and especially it significantly reduces the possibility of cross infection to the administrator during the attendance of the oxygen therapy process. The therapy process data are relayed to local users as well as a designated cloud or data center. This disclosure will be beneficial for both medical staffs and patient.

Abstract: The design and structure of a physiological fluid collection bag with instant data transmission capabilities, utilizing a micromachined thermal time-of-flight flow sensor as well as integrated pH and calorimetric mass flow sensors for simultaneous and continuous measurement of the instant volumetric flow rate, accumulated total volume, pH and density of data of a collected fluid is disclosed in embodiments. The fluid collection bag includes a collection chamber and storage chamber wherein the sensors are installed inside the storage chamber of the bag and the bag is fully disposable. The fluid collection bag is able to measure the flow rate and instantly relay the data to a reusable data processing unit that can transmit the data to a designated data center or to medical staff.

Abstract: The micromachined liquid flow sensor devices are enclosed with silicon nitride film as passivation layer to protect device from penetration of liquid into device and avoid the damages of erosion or short circuit etc. One thin layer of silicon dioxide is deposited underneath the silicon nitride layer to enhance the adhesion and reliability of the passivation layer for various applications. The incorporation of silicon dioxide film had successfully provided reliable passivation protection especially for microfluidic devices application. In order to avoid flow turbulence caused by wire bonding wires, the wire bonding wires are omitted by deploying through-substrate conductive vias whereas connected to the carrier printed circuit board of sensor chip. The present invention disclosed a novel micromachining process and designed structure to form hermit sealing between the sensor chip and the carrier printed circuit board.

Abstract: The design and structure of a smart gas cylinder valve cap coupled with a smart MEMS mass flow meter, an embedded iBeacon or RFID reader and a remote data transmission module, which is capable of formulating an Internet of Things (IoT) system, is demonstrated in the disclosure. The smart gas cylinder cap(s) can be directly used to replace the mechanical valve handwheel or directly attached to the top of the existing mechanical handwheel as a smart data relay, and the cap(s) can either be applied to a single or plural numbers of gas cylinders while the smart gas flow meter shall communicate with the smart gas cap as well as to relay gas consumption data to a designated data center or a “cloud” which can further interface with the users and suppliers of the gas cylinders.

Abstract: The micromachined liquid flow sensor devices are enclosed with silicon nitride film as passivation layer to protect device from penetration of liquid into device and avoid the damages of erosion or short circuit etc. One thin layer of silicon dioxide is deposited underneath the silicon nitride layer to enhance the adhesion and reliability of the passivation layer for various applications. The incorporation of silicon dioxide film had successfully provided reliable passivation protection especially for microfluidic devices application. In order to avoid flow turbulence caused by wire bonding wires, the wire bonding wires are omitted by deploying through-substrate conductive vias whereas connected to the carrier printed circuit board of sensor chip. The present invention disclosed a novel micromachining process and designed structure to form hermit sealing between the sensor chip and the carrier printed circuit board.

Abstract: The design and structure of a physiological fluid collection bag with instant data transmission utilizing micromachined thermal time-of-flight flow sensing device as well as integrated pH value and density sensors for simultaneous and continuous measurement of the instant volumetric flow rate, accumulated total volume, pH value and density or specific gravity data of the collected fluid is disclosed in embodiments. The fluid collection bag includes a collection chamber and storage chamber wherein the sensing and measurement module is installed inside the storage chamber of the bag, for which it can be fully disposable. The fluid collection bag is able to metering the flow rate and instantly relay the data to the reusable data processing unit that can transmit the data to the designated data center or to the specified medical staffs.

Abstract: The present invention disclosed a micromachined composite silicon flow sensor that is comprised of calorimetric flow sensing elements, time-of-flight sensing elements as well as independent temperature sensing element on a silicon-on-insulator device where the device layer is used for the thermal isolation membrane. The disclosed composite silicon flow sensor can measure mass flowrate, volumetric flowrate and flow medium temperature simultaneously, from which a full spectrum of flow parameters including flow pressure can be obtained. The sensor can be further used to alert any changes in physical properties of flow medium during operation. The disclosed manufacture process details the micromachining process of making such a sensor.

Abstract: The design and structure of a regulated digital gas dispense apparatus is exhibited in this disclosure. The MEMS mass flow meter embedded with a Bluetooth communication device and powered by a battery pack is designed to replace the mechanical low pressure gauge in a conventional gas dispense regulator such that the dispensed gas flowrate as well as totalized dispensed gas volume in each session or in consequent sessions can be continuously and precisely registered. The measured data are further relayed to local users via the local display or physical data port as well as via a paired smart device running a customized APP that can further relay the data to a designated cloud for cloud data processing, and the data can be streamed reversely. This disclosure shall assist and realize the ultimate optimized management for the users, distributors and/or gas manufacturers in the gas dispensing industry.

Abstract: The design and manufacture method of a pressure sensor utilizing thermal field sensing with a thermal isolated membrane of a diaphragm structure is disclosed in the present invention. This device is made with silicon micromachining (a.k.a. MEMS, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) process for applications of pressure measurement with large dynamic range, high accuracy and high stability during temperature variation. This device is applicable for all types of pressure metrology. The said thermal field pressure sensing device operates with thermistors on a membrane of the diaphragm structure made of silicon nitride with a heat isolation cavity underneath or a single side thermal isolated silicon nitride membrane with a reference cavity. This device can be seamlessly integrated with a thermal flow sensor with the same process.

Abstract: The design and structure of a regulated digital dispense apparatus is exhibited in this disclosure. The MEMS mass flow meter embedded with a Bluetooth communication device and powered by a battery pack is designed to replace the mechanical low pressure gauge in a conventional gas dispense regulator such that the dispensed gas flowrate as well as totalized dispensed gas volume in each session or in consequent sessions can be continuously and precisely registered. The measured data are further relayed to local users via the local display or physical data port as well as via a paired smart device running a customized APP that can further relay the data to a designated cloud for cloud data processing, and the data can be streamed reversely. This disclosure shall assist and realize the ultimate optimized management for the users, distributors and/or gas manufacturers in the gas dispensing industry.