Patent ID: 7775084

Claim:
A method of determining a property of a liquid using a sensing element comprising: providing a flexible element having a first end and a second end and being movable from a first configuration to a second configuration via bending of said flexible element, said flexible element comprising an actuating portion arranged to move said flexible element between said first configuration and said second configuration, the flexible element having a length from the first end to the second end, the actuating portion being distributed along the length, a first section of the actuating portion being proximate the first end, and a second section of the actuating portion being proximate the second end; inducing movement in said flexible element between said first configuration and said second configuration by applying a heat signal to said flexible element, the movement of the second end of the flexible element between said first and second configurations being at least 30 μm; receiving a signal from said sensing element, said signal being indicative of the induced movement of the flexible element within the liquid; and processing said signal to determine a value indicative of at least one property of the liquid.