Towards the direct detection of viral materials at the surface of protective face masks via infrared spectroscopy.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represents a considerable risk for the general public and especially for health care workers. To avoid an overloading of the health care system and to control transmission chains, the development of rapid and cost-effective techniques allowing for the reliable diagnosis of individuals with acute respiratory infections are crucial. Uniquely, the present study focuses on the development of a direct face mask sampling approach, as worn (i.

From Light Pipes to Substrate-Integrated Hollow Waveguides for Gas Sensing: A Review.

Absorption-based spectroscopy in the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range (i.e., 2.

Characterization of metal oxide gas sensors via optical techniques.

Metal oxide (MOX) sensors are increasingly gaining attention in analytical applications. Their fundamental operation principle is based on conversion reactions of selected molecular species at their semiconducting surface. However, the exact turnover of analyte gas in relation to the concentration has not been investigated in detail to date.

iHWG-MOX: A Hybrid Breath Analysis System via the Combination of Substrate-Integrated Hollow Waveguide Infrared Spectroscopy with Metal Oxide Gas Sensors.

According to their materials and operating parameters, metal oxide (MOX) sensors respond to target gases only by a change in sensor resistance with a lack in selectivity. By the use of infrared spectroscopy, highly discriminatory information from samples at a molecular level can be obtained and the selectivity can be enhanced. A low-volume gas cell was developed for a commercially available semiconducting MOX methane gas sensor and coupled directly to a mid-infrared gas sensor based on substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG) technology combined with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.

Determining the Partial Pressure of Volatile Components via Substrate-Integrated Hollow Waveguide Infrared Spectroscopy with Integrated Microfluidics.

A microfluidic system combined with substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG) vapor phase infrared spectroscopy has been developed for evaluating the chemical activity of volatile compounds dissolved in complex fluids. Chemical activity is an important yet rarely exploited parameter in process analysis and control. Access to chemical activity parameters enables systematic studies on phase diagrams of complex fluids, the detection of aggregation processes, etc.

Fiber-Coupled Substrate-Integrated Hollow Waveguides: An Innovative Approach to Mid-infrared Remote Gas Sensors.

In this study, an innovative approach based on fiberoptically coupled substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG) gas cells for the analysis of low sample volumes suitable for remote broad- and narrow-band mid-infrared (MIR; 2.5-20 μm) sensing applications is reported. The feasibility of remotely addressing iHWG gas cells, configured in a double-pass geometry via a reflector, by direct coupling to a 7-around-1 mid-infrared fiber bundle is demonstrated, facilitating low-level hydrocarbon gas analysis.

Advanced gas sensors based on substrate-integrated hollow waveguides and dual-color ring quantum cascade lasers.

This study shows the first combination of a ring-shaped vertically emitting quantum cascade laser (riQCL) providing two distinct emission wavelengths combined with a substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (iHWG). This ultra-compact riQCL-iHWG gas sensing device enables the simultaneous detection of two vapor phase species - here, furan and 2-methoxyethanol - providing distinctive absorption features at the emission wavelengths of the riQCL (i.e.

iHEART: a miniaturized near-infrared in-line gas sensor using heart-shaped substrate-integrated hollow waveguides.

A novel heart-shaped substrate-integrated hollow waveguide (hiHWG) was integrated with a near-infrared micro-spectrometer (μNIR) for sensing natural gases, resulting in an ultra-compact near-infrared gas sensing system - iHEART. The iHEART system was evaluated using two different μNIR spectrometers, and the performance was compared with a laboratory NIR spectrometer for gas analysis based on an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). The spectral data were pre-processed using the 1(st) derivative Savitzky-Golay algorithm, and then used for establishing multivariate regression models based on partial least squares (PLS).

iCONVERT: an integrated device for the UV-assisted determination of H2S via mid-infrared gas sensors.

In this technical note, we describe an integrated device platform for performing in-flow gaseous conversion reactions based on ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The system combines, using the same footprint, an integrated UV-conversion device (iCONVERT), a preconcentrator unit (iPRECON), and a new generation of mid-infrared (MIR) gas cell simultaneously serving as a photon conduit, i.e.

Towards the determination of isoprene in human breath using substrate-integrated hollow waveguide mid-infrared sensors.

Selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath may be considered biomarkers if they are indicative of distinct diseases or disease states. Given the inherent molecular selectivity of vibrational spectroscopy, infrared sensing technologies appear ideally suitable for the determination of endogenous VOCs in breath. The aim of this study was to determine that mid-infrared (MIR; 3-20 µm) gas phase sensing is capable of determining isoprene in exhaled breath as an exemplary medically relevant VOC by hyphenating novel substrate-integrated hollow waveguides (iHWG) with a likewise miniaturized preconcentration system.

Monitoring of hydrogen sulfide via substrate-integrated hollow waveguide mid-infrared sensors in real-time.

Hydrogen sulfide is a highly corrosive, harmful, and toxic gas produced under anaerobic conditions within industrial processes or in natural environments, and plays an important role in the sulfur cycle. According to the U.S.

Real-time monitoring of ozone in air using substrate-integrated hollow waveguide mid-infrared sensors.

Ozone is a strong oxidant that is globally used as disinfection agent for many purposes including indoor building air cleaning, during food preparation procedures, and for control and killing of bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus.