Power consumption, sensor system

Depending on the gas type and application, different gas detection and sensor principles may be suitable. Beside the price, there are other parameters like accuracy, power consumption, long-term stability, lifetime, selectivity and sensitivity which have to be taken into account. However, whether a sensor is developed into a product depends on the relation between additional functionality and additional cost. In the subsequent chapters we intend to give an overview of common sensor principles and their potential use in household appliances. In order to give some information about existing (commercialized) sensors and sensor systems each subchapter is completed by an amendment listing a selection of relevant gas sensor products. 

Monolithic sensor systems, however, offer advantages such as low power consumption or reduced packaging efforts. Integration of an on-chip serial interface reduces the number of bonding wires, especially in the case of an integrated multisensor array. Taking into account the mass-production facilities with estabhshed microelectronic and microtechnological processes, commercialization of monoHthic... 

A glucose sensor system consisting of an oxygen electrode and a glucose oxidase electrode was recently implanted into the vena cava of a dog (McKean and Gough, 1988). The sensors operated in the potentio-static mode and were connected to an implantable telemetry system. Both the enzyme stability and the power consumption allowed operation of the system for three months. 

In recent years, nanotechnology has opened a new window on the physical-chemical properties of semiconductor materials nanostructuration. The development of nanostructured materials (nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles etc.) enables improvements in the response and recovery times of the sensor signal, due to the reduction of gas diffusion effects in the bulk of the material. Additionally, the sensitivity and the sensor response are also improved by the changes in the conduction mechanisms at the nanoscale and, finally, the reduction of the dimensions of the device allows the reduction of the power consumption by the system. 

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