|
|
Article: DESIGN ENGINEERING - NANOTECH: Sensing the vibes.
- Article from:
- The Engineer
- Article date:
- October 2, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Centaur Communications Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
US researchers attempt to make highly-sensitive 'vibrating plank' sensors for micro-organisms which are ideal for use in environmental monitoring, in hospitals and for security purposes. Stuart Nathan reports
One of the odd things about nanotechnology is that many of the sub- micron sized devices, although apparently the highest of hi-tech, actually use some of the simplest engineering techniques.
At Purdue University in Indiana, for example, Rashid Bashir's research group is trying make highly sensitive sensors for micro-organisms which are basically an array of vibrating planks. In this case the planks are a few microns long and 20nm thick, and ...