Patent ID: 7968054

Claim:
A system for receiving, analyzing and communicating results of sensing chemical and/or physical parameter values, the system comprising: N sensors numbered n=1, . . . , N (N≧2), of parameters, where each sensor senses an electrical parameter value EPV(t m,n ;n) of a selected chemical or a physical parameter at a selected sequence of times {t=t m,n } m (m=1, 2, . . . ), where at least one sensor senses a data set that includes at least one of a local temperature, a local vapor pressure, a local relative humidity, at least one of an acoustic signal and an electromagnetic signal for estimating a distance between the sensor and a reference surface, and presence of a selected chemical in a test gas, and where each sensor comprises a nanostructure (NS), having a sensing element having a diameter no greater than about 20 nm; wherein at least one NS is loaded with a selected sensitizing substance drawn from a group of sensitizing substances comprising Au particles, located between first and second ends of the at least one NS, and the first and second ends are connected to first and second terminals, respectively, of at least one of a voltage source and a current source, and to an electrical parameter value measurement mechanism that measures a change in at least one of electrical current, voltage difference, electrical resistance, electrical conductance and capacitance between the first and second ends of the at least one NS; a multiplexer, having at least N input terminals and at least one output terminal, that receives at least one of a sensed value EPV(t m,n ;n) and a sensed value change ΔEPV(t m,n ;n) from sensor no. n, at a sequence of times, {t=t′ m,n }, where the time t′ m,n is determined with reference to a corresponding time t m,n , and where each of a first sequence of times {t m,n1 } m is interleaved with a second sequence of times {t m,n2 } m for at least two integers, n1 and n2, satisfying 1≦n1<n2≦N; a wireless transmission module, connected to the multiplexer output terminal, to receive and transmit at least one of the sensed value EPV(t m,n ;n) and the sensed value change ΔEPV(t m,n ;n), received from the multiplexer, for at least one sensor no. n; and a computer that is programmed to receive, from the wireless transmission module, and to compare at least one of the second value EPV(t m,n ;n) and the measured sensed value change ΔEPV(t m,n ) in an electrical parameter value with a corresponding reference value and to estimate and indicate, based upon the comparison, presence or absence of at least one chemical in a group of K target chemicals, numbered k=1, . . . , K (K≧1), where the N sensors, the multiplexer and the wireless transmission module are contained in a volume having a diameter no greater than about 14 cm.