Patent ID: 6614238
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A sensor employing electromagnetic energy for processing a substance, comprising:a first signal path adapted to communicate electromagnetic energy through the substance along the first path and having a first electrical distance and a first physical length; a second signal path adapted to communicate electromagnetic energy along the second path having a second electrical distance and a second physical length, said second electrical distance being different by a dimension &Dgr;L from said first electrical distance; a boundary interposed between and along a portion of said first signal path and said second signal path and affecting a distribution of electromagnetic energy along the first and second paths; a signal generator electrically coupled to both said first signal path and said second signal path and generating an excitation signal at different frequencies, said excitation signal for producing electromagnetic energy communicable through the substance; and a signal detector electrically coupled to both said first signal path and said second signal path adapted to detect a signal resulting from electromagnetic energy communicated through the substance; said resulting signal exhibiting a characteristic indicative of the difference in said first and second electrical distances as influenced by the substance.