Versatile
plastic chip
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VERSATILE CHIP:
This little chip contains a synthetic hologram that diffracts
the light reflected from an object and is able to identify
light waves in the spectrum.
Photo: Are Wormnes
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A little plastic chip makes it possible
to identify recycled bottles, assure the quality of food and measure
our blood sugar levels.
The sensor, which measures 10 mm x 10 mm,
can replace advanced, expensive optical devices containing lenses
and grids in what are commonly called spectroscopic tools. The sensor
is also more reliable than traditional optical devices that require
calibrating and maintenance. This chip does not corrode, is robust
and provides quick results from analyses. The chips can be produced
in the same type of machines that make compact discs. Inventors
Odd Løvhaugen and Ib-Rune Johansen recently received SINTEF’s award
for outstanding research for developing this technology.
The plastic chip was originally developed
to detect different types of plastic; it is now used in bottle recycling
machines and in a recently developed CO2 sensor that controls ventilation
in buildings. As the chip is so robust, it can be used in harsh
environments, such as in the depths of an oil well to detect gases.
It can measure both the blood’s oxygen intake and blood sugar levels
in the human body. It can also be used in the quality control of
food in supermarkets where it measures both fat and water content.
SYNTHETIC HOLOGRAM
The technology in the chip is called DOE,which is an abbreviation
for Diffractive Optical element. It is here that the secret lies.
The chip contains a synthetic hologram that functions as a light
filter. The hologram diffracts the light reflected by an object
or gas and is able to identify energy in the infrared spectrum.
The hologram is designed to measure the energy at particular wavelengths
because each substance emits a number of spectral peaks that are
specific to that particular substance. While the eye sees twodimensional
figures, a hologram reproduces the light waves instead of the actual
object. The chip can therefore be used to identify or check the
quality of substances in many contexts, says SINTEF research scientist
Odd Løvhaugen.
ALCOHOL
The research scientists have now taken out a patent, based on the
same technology, for a device to measure alcohol. The device can
test the level of alcohol on the spot in a driver’s blood and, if
it is certified to do so, will be able to replace the blood samples
that currently need to be tested by forensic laboratories. The scientists
say the chip will give less ambiguous results than the traditional
methods in use today, which employ traditional spectroscopy.
By Christina B. Winge
Contact: Odd Løvhaugen, SINTEF ICT
Tel: +47 22 06 75 19, email: Odd.Lovhaugen@sintef.no
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