Patent ID: 6906530

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting moisture, comprising: an oscillator for generating a first oscillatory electrical signal S 1 ; means for propagating S 1 into a body at an electrical conductor disposed entirely within the body and then along a linear path from the electrical conductor through an electrically insulative material disposed entirely within the body such that a signal due to S 1 emerges from the path and from the body as a second oscillatory electrical signal S 2 ; a probe having an electrically conductive sensing surface adapted to be in physical contact with the body and to receive S 2 , wherein the electrically insulative material is disposed between the sensing surface and the electrical conductor so as to form a parallel plate capacitor across which S 1 and S 2 differ in phase by Δφ such that Δφ is indicative of moisture along the entire path traversed by S 1 within the electrically insulative material; and a moisture detecting device adapted to determine Δφ from S 1 and S 2 and a measure M of the moisture based on M being proportional to Δφ.