TY - JOUR
T1 - Improvement of the measurement range and temperature characteristics of a load sensor using a quartz crystal resonator with all crystal layer components
AU - Murozaki, Yuichi
AU - Sakuma, Shinya
AU - Arai, Fumihito
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is partially supported by the Center of Innovation Program (Nagoya-COI) from the Japan Science and Technology Agency and JSPS KAKENHI (grant number 15J11001).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2017/5/8
Y1 - 2017/5/8
N2 - Monitoring multiple biosignals, such as heart rate, respiration cycle, and weight transitions, contributes to the health management of individuals. Specifically, it is possible to measure multiple biosignals using load information obtained through contact with the environment, such as a chair and bed, in daily use. A wide-range load sensor is essential since load information contains multiple biosignals with various load ranges. In this study, a load sensor is presented by using a quartz crystal resonator (QCR) with a wide measurement range of 1.5 × 106 (0.4 mN to 600 N), and its temperature characteristic of load is improved to −7 Hz/◦C (−18 mN/◦C). In order to improve the measurement range of the load, a design method of this sensor is proposed by restraining the buckling of QCR and by using a thinner QCR. The proposed sensor allows a higher allowable load with high sensitivity. The load sensor mainly consists of three layers, namely a QCR layer and two holding layers. As opposed to the conventional holding layer composed of silicon, quartz crystal is utilized for the holding layers to improve the temperature characteristic of the load sensor. In the study, multiple biosignals, such as weight and pulse, are detected by using a fabricated sensor.
AB - Monitoring multiple biosignals, such as heart rate, respiration cycle, and weight transitions, contributes to the health management of individuals. Specifically, it is possible to measure multiple biosignals using load information obtained through contact with the environment, such as a chair and bed, in daily use. A wide-range load sensor is essential since load information contains multiple biosignals with various load ranges. In this study, a load sensor is presented by using a quartz crystal resonator (QCR) with a wide measurement range of 1.5 × 106 (0.4 mN to 600 N), and its temperature characteristic of load is improved to −7 Hz/◦C (−18 mN/◦C). In order to improve the measurement range of the load, a design method of this sensor is proposed by restraining the buckling of QCR and by using a thinner QCR. The proposed sensor allows a higher allowable load with high sensitivity. The load sensor mainly consists of three layers, namely a QCR layer and two holding layers. As opposed to the conventional holding layer composed of silicon, quartz crystal is utilized for the holding layers to improve the temperature characteristic of the load sensor. In the study, multiple biosignals, such as weight and pulse, are detected by using a fabricated sensor.
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U2 - 10.3390/s17051067
DO - 10.3390/s17051067
M3 - Article
C2 - 28481293
AN - SCOPUS:85019082322
SN - 1424-3210
VL - 17
JO - Sensors
JF - Sensors
IS - 5
M1 - 1067
ER -