GE Global Research team develops battery-free sensors

Mumbai, Oct 14 (UNI) GE Global Research team has recently developed a handheld battery-free, radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensing platform to detect whether a milk carton or packaged food has been spoiled.

According to reports received today, the new RFID sensors use a conventional RFID tag, but are coated with a chemically or biologically sensitive film. The sensor reader can obtain several varied responses, which allows the sensor to identify and measure individual chemicals in different mixtures and variable conditions and can detect trace concentrations of toxic gases such as toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and chemicals in liquids.

Potential product applications of the new sensor include, new security sensors that can more effectively detect dangerous chemical and biological threats, in-the-field water purification monitors, food and beverage (F&B) safety monitors, sensors for measuring the freshness of goods in transport or refrigerated food at home and portable vaccine manufacturing, ensuring the purity of a vaccine manufactured on-site, among others.

To operate without batteries, the power is obtained wirelessly from the sensor reader. The reader activates the sensor antenna and the RFID chip, and collects several response data parameters.

Without a battery, the new sensors can be designed to be smaller than a penny and manufactured at a very low cost.

Radislav Potyrailo, leader (wireless sensing development team), said, ''We believe the battery-free wireless sensing platform will be a game-changer across many product platforms. Due to low production costs, the sensors can be made for one-time use.'' UNI ZC SSS SBC NS1635