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Reviews the Transducers 2001/EUROSENSORS XV conferences that were held in Munich, 10‐14 June 2001. Microengineering figured prominently in the programme, almost half the sessions covering aspects of this subject, including power generation, packaging and wafer bonding, physical effects, machining and etching (also for high aspect ratio), micro‐thrusters, ‐jets, ‐pumps, ‐valves, ‐fluidics, ‐probes, optical 3D and RF MEMS, resonators, polymer based microsystems and commercialisation. Explicit sensor sessions included materials for gas sensing, chemical and gas sensors, biomedical systems, electrochemical sensors, inertial sensors, magnetic sensors, image, flow and thermal sensors. There were two sessions on actuators. Nano‐devices (physical in character) were covered in one session, though nanotechnology as such did not figure in the proceedings.

This work encompasses the various laboratory-based and portable methods evolved in recent times for sensitive and selective detection of ethylene for fruit-ripening application. The role of ethylene in natural and artificial fruit ripening and the associated health hazards are well known. So there is a growing need for ethylene detection. This paper aims to highlight potential methods developed for ethylene detection by various researchers, including ours. Intense efforts by various researchers have been on since 2014 for societal benefits.

The paper focuses on types of sensors, fabrication methods and signal conditioning circuits for ethylene detection in ppm levels for various applications. The authors have already designed, developed a laboratory-based set-up belonging to the electrochemical and optical methods for detection of ethylene.

The authors have developed a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based chemical sensor whose performance is higher than the reported sensor in terms of material, sensitivity and response, the sensor element being multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) in comparison to single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). Also the authors have developed infrared (IR)-based physical sensor for the first time based on the strong IR absorption of ethylene at 10.6 µm. These methods have been compared with literature based on comparable parameters. The review highlights the potential possibilities for development of portable device for field applications.

The authors have reported new chemical and physical sensors for ethylene detection and quantification. It is demonstrated that it could be used for fruit-ripening applications A comparison of reported methods and potential opportunities is discussed.

Polymeric materials have gained a wide theoretical interest and practical application in sensor technology. They can be used for very different purposes and may offer unique possibilities. The paper gives a broad summary about the sensor structures and sensing polymer films used in a wide variety of sensors. Finally, the present status and perspectives as well as the advantages of specific polymer based sensors are summarised.

A bio-sensor has been developed in this study for the purpose of point-of-care diagnostics. Point-of-care-diagnostic is a type of diagnosis where the diagnostic centre, i.e. the diagnosis kit is made available at the location of the patient when the patient needs immediate action. In this process of diagnosis a compact, portable, integrated kit must be available which can diagnose the disease of the patient by testing various analytes.

Using a fully experimental methodology, a blood glucose sensor is made by conducting carbon interdigitated electrode (IDE) on a flexible substrate. IDEs are used to increase the effective capacitance of the structure, as well as the effective electroactive area of the sensor. Interdigitated structure permits two-electrode sticks with “each other” and “infuse” together. As a consequence, the distance between electrodes can be tuned to a much smaller value than traditional thin-film architectures. Narrowing the distance between electrodes allows for fast ion diffusion that offers better rate capability and efficiency in power density. The fabricated device exhibits a remarkable value of sensitivity in the order of 2.741 µA mM-1 cm⁻².

A highly sensitive, portable and inexpensive blood glucose sensor has been developed in this context.

This research study can be a scope for future research in the field of bio-sensors.

With the acceleration of global energy structure transformation, hydrogen has been widely used for its non-pollution and high efficiency, and hydrogen detection is used to guarantee the hydrogen safety. The purpose of this paper is to study the research foundation, trend and hotspots of hydrogen detection field.

A total of 4,076 literature records from 2000 to 2021 were retrieved from the core collection of the Web of Science database selected as data sources. The literature information mining was realized by using CiteSpace software. Bibliometrics was used to analyze information, such as keywords, authors, journals, institutions, countries and cited references, and to track research hotspots.

Since the 21st century, the number of publications in the hydrogen detection field has been in a stable stepped uptrend. In terms of research foundation, the hotspots such as core-shell structures, nano-hybrid materials and optical fiber hydrogen sensors have been studied extensively. In combination with the discipline structure and research frontier, the selectivity, sensitivity, response speed and other performance parameters of hydrogen sensors need further improvement. The establishment of an interdisciplinary knowledge system centered on materials science and electronic science will become a long-term trend in the research of hydrogen detection.

This study presents an overview of research status, hotspots and laws in hydrogen detection field, through the quantitative analysis of much literature in the field and the use of data mining, so as to provide credible references for the research of hydrogen detection technology.

Regular monitoring of bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, in wastewater is crucial to ensure the maintenance of public health. Amperometric detection proves to be a fast, sensitive and economically viable solution for E. coli enumeration. This paper reported a prototype amperometric sensor based on PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films prepared by sol–gel method and irradiated with gamma ray. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sensor performance of PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films to detect E. coli in water.

The films were varied with different compositions of ZnO and NiO by using the formula PANI-(ZnO)_1-x-(NiO)_x, with x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8. PANI-ZnO-NiO nanocomposite thin films were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the crystallinity and surface morphology of the films. The sensor performance was conducted using the current–voltage (I-V) measurement by testing the films in clean water and E. coli solution.

XRD diffractograms show the peaks of ZnO (1 0 0) and NiO (1 0 2). AFM analysis shows the surface roughness, and the grain size of PANI-ZnO-NiO thin films decreases when the concentration ratios of NiO increased. I-V curves show the difference in current flow, where the current in E. coli solution is higher than the clean water.

PANI-(ZnO)_1-x-(NiO)_x nanocomposite thin film with the highest concentration of ZnO performed the highest sensitivity among the other concentrations, which can be used to indicate the presence of E. coli bacteria in water.

Outlines the development of an electronic nose for general application and examines it’s three major parts: a sensor array, a means of converting the sensor outputs into suitable signals for analysis, and a software analysis tool. Describes the sensor array, electronics and overall system design, the conducting polymer sensors and the computer hardware and software. Discusses the analysis techniques and results of tests carried out on various gases, vapours and liquids. Concludes that although much further work is required into sensors and analysis techniques it is anticipated that a growing number of companies will become interested in developing these systems.

This paper aims to propose a new microfluidic portable experimental platform for quick detection of heavy metal ions (HMIs) in picomolar range. The experimental setup uses a microfabricated piezoresistive sensor (MPS) array of eight cantilevers with ion-selective self-assembled monolayer's (SAM).

Most of the components used in this experimental setup are battery operated and, hence, portable to perform the on-field experiments. HMIs (antigen) and thiol-based SAM (antibody) interaction start bending the microcantilever. This results in a change of resistance, which is directly proportional to the surface stress produced due to the mass of targeted HMIs. The authors have used Cysteamine and 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid as a thiol for creating SAM to test the sensitivity and identify the suitable thiol. Some of the cantilevers are blocked using acetyl chloride to use as a reference for error detection.

The portable experimental platform achieves very small detection time of 10-25 min with a lower limit of detection (LOD) 0.762 ng (6.05 pM) for SAM of Cysteamine and 4-Mercaptobenzoic acid to detect Mn2+ ions. This technique has excellent potential and capability to selectively detect Hg2+ ions as low as 2.43 pM/mL using SAM of Homocysteine (Hcys)-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDCA).

As microcantilever is very thin and fragile, it is challenging to apply a surface coating to have selective detection using Nanadispenser. Some of the cantilevers get broken during this process.

The excessive use and commercialization of NPs are quickly expanding their toxic impact on health and the environment. Also, LOD is limited to nanomolar range. The proposed method used the combination of thin-film, NPs, and MEMS-based technology to overcome the limitation of NPs-based technique and have picomolar range of HMIs detection.

City Technology is one company that seems to know how to run a sensor manufacturing business, as Stephen McClelland explains.