Transducer-based sensor system and method

Claim 2

The method of claim 1, where accelerating (204) the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) is performed by applying (204) the drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) to the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) at successively increasing energy levels.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 or 2, where analyzing (206, 208, 216, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238) the output response of the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) includes determining whether the output response exhibits amplitude phenomena indicating breakage of bonds formed between components of the sample material (24, 26) and the immobilized binding partner material (22).

Claim 5

The method of claim 4, where screening (208) each of the output responses for rupture indicators includes determining whether the output response exhibit amplitude phenomena indicating breakage of bonds formed between the immobilized binding partner (22) material and the sample material (24, 26).

Claim 6

A transducer-based sensor system (40, 80) for detecting whether a sample material (24, 26) contains a particular component (26), comprising: a controller (50, 100); and a transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) operatively coupled with the controller (50, 100), the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) being configured to receive an immobilized binding partner material (22) and the sample material (24, 26) on a surface of the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88), where the sample material (24, 26) is brought into contact with the immobilized binding partner material (22) so as to induce formation of a bond between the immobilized binding partner (22) and the particular component (26), if the particular component (26) is present within the sample material (24, 26), where the controller (50, 100) is configured to: apply (204) a drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) to the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) to mechanically excite the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) and thereby potentially cause bond breakage, the drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) including a waveform (130, 132, 134, 136) having multiple frequency components that are pre-selected based on expected resonance behavior of the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88); receive (206) an output response of the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) in response to application of the drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136); and analyze (206, 208, 216, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238) the output response to determine whether application of the drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) induced bond breakage between the sample material (24, 26) and the immobilized binding partner material (22).

Claim 7

The system (40, 80) of claim 6, where the controller (50, 100) is configured to mechanically excite (204) the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) at a plurality of successively increasing energy levels and obtain a corresponding output response for the transducer (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) for each of the energy levels.

Claim 8

The system (40, 80) of claim 7, where the controller (50, 100) is configured to analyze (206, 208, 216, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238) the output responses for the energy levels by: screening (208) the output responses for rupture indicators suggestive of a potential rupture event occurring between the immobilized binding partner material (22) and the sample material (24, 26); and performing (216) further processing (206, 208, 216, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238) on at least one of the output responses after said screening, where such further processing includes determining (230, 232, 234, 236, 238) whether the output response contains an acoustic signature known to be associated with the bond, and where such further processing is performed for the output response only if 25 the output response contains a rupture indicator.

Claim 9

The system (40, 80) of claim 8, where the controller (50, 100) is configured to screen the output responses by determining whether any of the output responses exhibit amplitude phenomena indicating breakage of bonds formed between the sample material (24, 26) and the immobilized binding partner material (22).

Claim 10

A transducer-based sensor system (40, 80) for analyzing a sample material (24, 26), comprising: transducer means (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) for receiving an immobilized binding partner material (22) and the sample material (24, 26), the sample material (24, 26) being placed into contact with the immobilized binding partner material (22); drive signal means (50, 52, 54, 56, 100, 102, 103, 104) for mechanically exciting (204) the transducer means (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88), the drive signal means (50, 52, 54, 56, 100, 102, 103, 104) being configured to apply a drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) to the transducer means (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88), the drive signal (130, 132, 134, 136) including a waveform (130, 132, 134, 136) having multiple frequency components that are pre-selected based on expected resonance behavior of the transducer means (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88); and output processing means (50, 100) for determining whether predetermined bonds existed between the sample material (24, 26) and the immobilized binding partner material (22), where such determination is performed by processing an output response of the transducer means (20, 42, 44, 46, 48, 82, 84, 86, 88) to determine whether such output response contains an acoustic signature associated with breakage of the predetermined bonds.