Patent ID: 9733203
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A method of sensing the presence of a chemical-of-interest, comprising the steps of: providing an electrical conductor having first and second ends and shaped between said first and second ends for storage of an electric field and a magnetic field, said first and second ends remaining electrically unconnected such that said electrical conductor so-shaped defines an unconnected open-circuit having inductance and capacitance wherein, in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, said electrical conductor so-shaped resonates to generate harmonic electric and magnetic field responses, each of which has a frequency, amplitude and bandwidth associated therewith; positioning a material in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to said electrical conductor at a location lying within at least one of said electric and magnetic field responses so-generated, said material selected to affect attenuation of energy associated with said electric and magnetic field responses so-generated in the presence of a chemical-of-interest; disposing an electric insulator between said electrical conductor and said material; recording a baseline response for said at least one of said electric and magnetic field responses so-generated when the chemical-of-interest is not present; and monitoring said at least one of said electric and magnetic field responses so-generated for changes with respect to said baseline response as an indication of the presence of the chemical-of-interest.