Ultrasound Supported Infrared Sensor

01.07.2007 - 31.12.2009
Research funding project
¿Ultrasound Supported MIR Fiber Optic Probes for In-Line Bioprocess Monitoring¿ is a proposal presented by the Institutes ¿Chemical Technology and Analytics¿ and ¿General Physics¿ at the Vienna University of Technology to make successful chemical measurement principles based on FTIR spectroskopy available especially in the regime of (bio)process technology. Measurement cells and probes shall be developed in which suspended matter such as biological cells can be moved almost at will by forces exerted on particles in standing ultrasonic wave fields. To accomplish this the measurement cells and probes will be equipped with piezo-elements irradiating the liquid to be measured with ultrasonic waves of typically 2 MHz. At the opposite wall this wave gets reflected and by superimposition with the incident wave the mentioned ultrasonic standing wave is built. Both the chemical compounds of the host liquid and substances which are enriched or consumed during the process in the microorganism (biocatalyst) are of interest in industrial applications. In addition to bioprocess also crystallization processes will be studied. During the FTIR measurement it is planned to push the microorganisms by ultrasonic means onto the sensorelement and to avoid contamination of it, to lift them immidiately after the spectroscopic measurement. The combination of infrared spectroscpy with a possibility to control the spatial residue of the biological cells could be capable to assess the chemical composition of the host liquid as well as chemical contents of the biomass. This is true for on-line and in-line measurement respectively and for stable repititions over longer time-periods.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • FWF - Österr. Wissenschaftsfonds (National) Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

Research focus

  • Sensor Systems: 60%
  • Sustainable Production and Technologies: 20%
  • Materials Characterization: 20%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
IR SensorenIR Sensors
Ultraschallsensoren Ultrasound Sensors
Prozessanalytikprocess analytical technology

External partner

  • Institut für Angewandte Physik

Publications