Patent ID: 7117743
Filing Date: 2006-10-10
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A transducer-based sensor system, comprising: a transducer array including a plurality of transducers, where at least one transducer in the transducer array is configured to have a sample material attached thereto, and where the transducers are surface acoustic wave devices; an output processing subsystem coupled with the transducer array; and a selector coupled with the transducer array and configured to selectively activate transducers within the transducer array by applying an enabling signal to the transducer array for at least one, but less than all, of the transducers, such that the transducer array includes at least one selected transducer and at least one unselected transducer, where: transmission path between the selected transducer and the output processing subsystem, thereby permitting output signals to be transmitted from the selected transducer to the output processing subsystem, where the transducer array includes a local drive signal generator for each transducer of the transducer array, and where activating one or more of the transducers within the transducer array includes closing a switch between the transducer to be activated and the local drive signal generator associated with such transducer.