International Scholarly Research Network ISRN Nanotechnology Volume 2012, Article ID 102783, 9 pages doi:10.5402/2012/102783
Review Article A CNTFET-Based Nanowired Induction Two-Way Transducers Rostyslav Sklyar Verchratskogo st. 15-1, Lviv 79010, Ukraine Correspondence should be addressed to Rostyslav Sklyar, sklyar@tsp.lviv.ua Received 15 December 2011; Accepted 28 February 2012 Academic Editors: C. A. Charitidis and J. Sha Copyright Š 2012 Rostyslav Sklyar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. A complex of the induction magnetic field two-way nanotransducers of the different physical values for both the external and implantable interfaces in a wide range of arrays are summarized. Implementation of the nanowires allows reliable transducing of the biosignals’ partials and bringing of carbon nanotubes into circuits leading to examination of the superconducting transition. Novel sensors are based on the induction magnetic field principle, which causes their interaction with an ambient EM field. Mathematical description of both the signal and mediums defines space embracing of the relevant interfacing devices. As a result, a wide range of the nano-bio-transducers allow both delivering the variety of ionized biosignals and interface the bioEM signals with further stages of electronic systems. The space coverage and transducing values properties of the state-of-the-art magnetic interfaces are summarized, and directions for their future development are deduced.
1. Introduction: Biophysical Signals, Transducing, and Interface Applications A biosensor is a device that incorporates a biologically active layer as the recognition element and converts the physical parameters of the biological interaction into a measurable analytical signal [1]. Understanding of biosignals’ (BS) nature and properties of their mediums are a basis for effective design of magnetic interfaces (MIs). Rapid progress in the advancement of several key science areas including nanoscale interfaces has stimulated the development of electronic sensor technologies applicable to many diverse areas of human activity. For example, the conceptualization and production of electronic nose devices have resulted in the creation of a remarkable new sector of sensor technology resulting from the invention of numerous new types of olfactory-competent electronic sensors and sensor arrays [2]. The growing variety of biosensors can be grouped into two categories: implantable and external. In turn, the last one has two existing paradigms: wearable sensor and noncontact sensor. A wearable sensor had potential to be intrusive, and noncontact sensor methods may still be intrusiveness to a certain extent, while a noncontact sensor is limited in its capability of acquiring physiological signals [3]. Voltage potentials of the living organism and its organs are measured
by both implantable and external electric field probes of high sensitivity [4]. Information on organ activity is obtained by measuring biomagnetic signals. For such purposes a multichannel high-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (high Tc SQUID) system for magnetocardiography (MCG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) of humans, with high magnetic field resolution, has been developed [5, 6]. The most current sensing devices give us the possibility to receive a full scale of both the internal and external control BS. The internal ones are picking up by polymeric microprobes, CMOS chips, and nanoneedles, while the external by electromyography and neuroprosthetic (electroencephalogram (EEG) and MEG) systems. Improving an informational capability of the interface is implemented by the application of the advanced superconducting transducer and electromagnetic (EM) transistor/memristor [7, 8]. These elements are arranged into the arrays of a different configurations and can cover the order of spaces from macro- to nanolevels. There are a number of methods and devices for transducing different BS into recordable or measurable information. The transfer of nerve impulses (NI) is the main data flow that carries sensory information to the brain and control signals from it and from the spinal cord to the limbs.
Application variety of the novel superconducting, organic and CNT transducers allows us to design processors of the biosignals (nerve, neuronic, DNA, etc.) that transduce them into different quantities, including electric voltage, density of chemical and biomolecules. On the other hand, the said NSs can be controlled vice versa by the applied electrical signals, or bio and chemical mediums [4].
3.2 Application of a Solid-State Electromagnetic (Optical) Transistor The known ferromagnetic materials have a hysteresis loop. That is why their application do not possible because of ambiguity of characteristic. The device for controlling the magnitude of optical flux by the application of an electromagnetic (EM) field is based on a ferroelectric (FE) or ferroelectromagnetic (FEM) polarizer that allows the rotation of the polarizing plane according to a hysteresis loop [6]. Besides, the controlling possibility of the known ferromagnetic and FE devices is substantially restricted by an ambiguous part of a hysteresis. That is why it is possible only switching of an EM flux between two stages. The invented transistor consists of FE or FEM processing crystal, source of an EM energy, and the analysing element (Fig. 5). Control of an EM flux or OB has been carried out by splitting them on two parts: a passed one through the processing body and reflected part by this body. An EF or MF is applied by the carbonic nanotubes (CNT) or polymer nanowires to the crystal which is rotating a polarization angle of EM flow or OB. The electrical transport between the contact metal and the nanotube occurs along the entire nanotube under the contact electrode. This suggests that the transfer length, which is defined as the distance required for current to flow into or out of the contact electrode is thought to be less than 50 nm [7]. This angle is rotated according to the linear part of a FE or FEM crystal’s characteristic. The amplified signal is analysed in the units of a polarization angle. The reflected part is used as polarization P2(φ) (Fig. 5) for creating the logical (optical and magnetic) elements “AND”, “OR”, and “NOT”. This device is switching or amplifying of EM flow and OB as by magnitude, as well as by an angle of polarization. As a result, it will be possible to overcome the said disadvantages of the known devices, namely: 1) to raise the fast-action up to the maximal possible- the speed of spreading an electromagnetic (optical) wave; 2) to reduce the noise level in an amplified signal at the expense of using the material with a unique fashion amplifying (without a hysteresis) performance- without the internal mechanical transformations; 3) to improve an ease of manufacture by using of printing nanotechnologies and expulsion of an additional optical planes or mirrors.
Opt rev P2(φ)
N
+
Opt
trans
Ferro-el/magn P1(φ)
Opt in
_
S
Fig. 5 An Electromagnetic Transistor based on CNT Exploitation of the parallel input to multiprocessor allows determination of space and time dynamics of NSs in the nerve fibre and neurons and also the amplification of output signal Uout by multiplying the concentration of molecules according to a number of input NSs. After the implantation of parallel SuFET(s) or optical transistors, the averaging or summation of this dynamic among the whole flow network, nerve fibre or neurons is possible.
REFERENCES [1] R. Sklyar, “Superconducting Organic and CNT FETs as a Biochemical Transducer”, ISMCR 2004: 14th International Symposium on Measurement and Control in Robotics, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, IEEE (ISMCR), section 24, (13 pages), 2004. [2] F. Patolsky, B. P. Timko, G. Yu et al., Detection, Stimulation, and Inhibition of Neuronal Signals with High-Density Nanowire Transistor Arrays, Science 313 (2006) 1100–1104. [3] R.Sklyar, Superconducting Induction Magnetometer, IEEE Sensors Journal, April 2006, Vol. 6, Iss. 2, pages 357- 364. [4] R. Sklyar, Sensors with a Bioelectronic Connection, IEEE Sensors Journal (Special Issue), May 2007, Vol. 7, Iss. 5, pp. 835-841. [5] R. Sklyar, The Microfluidic Sensors of Liquids, Gases, and Tissues, Journal of Automation, Mobile Robotics and Intelligent Systems (JAMRIS), 2007, No. 2, pp. 20-34. [6] R. Sklyar, Patent UA #76691 "The control method of the electromagnetic flow intensity and amplifying elements on its bases”, Bull. 9, 2006. [7] Yo. Nosho et al., Evidence of Edge Conduction at Nanotube/Metal Contact in Carbon Nanotube Devices, Jap. J. of Appl. Phys., vol. 46, 2007, pp. L474–L476.
International Scholarly Research Network ISRN Nanotechnology Volume 2012, Article ID 102783, 9 pages doi:10.5402/2012/102783
Review Article A CNTFET-Based Nanowired Induction Two-Way Transducers Rostyslav Sklyar Verchratskogo st. 15-1, Lviv 79010, Ukraine Correspondence should be addressed to Rostyslav Sklyar, sklyar@tsp.lviv.ua Received 15 December 2011; Accepted 28 February 2012 Academic Editors: C. A. Charitidis and J. Sha Copyright Š 2012 Rostyslav Sklyar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. A complex of the induction magnetic field two-way nanotransducers of the different physical values for both the external and implantable interfaces in a wide range of arrays are summarized. Implementation of the nanowires allows reliable transducing of the biosignals’ partials and bringing of carbon nanotubes into circuits leading to examination of the superconducting transition. Novel sensors are based on the induction magnetic field principle, which causes their interaction with an ambient EM field. Mathematical description of both the signal and mediums defines space embracing of the relevant interfacing devices. As a result, a wide range of the nano-bio-transducers allow both delivering the variety of ionized biosignals and interface the bioEM signals with further stages of electronic systems. The space coverage and transducing values properties of the state-of-the-art magnetic interfaces are summarized, and directions for their future development are deduced.
1. Introduction: Biophysical Signals, Transducing, and Interface Applications A biosensor is a device that incorporates a biologically active layer as the recognition element and converts the physical parameters of the biological interaction into a measurable analytical signal [1]. Understanding of biosignals’ (BS) nature and properties of their mediums are a basis for effective design of magnetic interfaces (MIs). Rapid progress in the advancement of several key science areas including nanoscale interfaces has stimulated the development of electronic sensor technologies applicable to many diverse areas of human activity. For example, the conceptualization and production of electronic nose devices have resulted in the creation of a remarkable new sector of sensor technology resulting from the invention of numerous new types of olfactory-competent electronic sensors and sensor arrays [2]. The growing variety of biosensors can be grouped into two categories: implantable and external. In turn, the last one has two existing paradigms: wearable sensor and noncontact sensor. A wearable sensor had potential to be intrusive, and noncontact sensor methods may still be intrusiveness to a certain extent, while a noncontact sensor is limited in its capability of acquiring physiological signals [3]. Voltage potentials of the living organism and its organs are measured
by both implantable and external electric field probes of high sensitivity [4]. Information on organ activity is obtained by measuring biomagnetic signals. For such purposes a multichannel high-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (high Tc SQUID) system for magnetocardiography (MCG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) of humans, with high magnetic field resolution, has been developed [5, 6]. The most current sensing devices give us the possibility to receive a full scale of both the internal and external control BS. The internal ones are picking up by polymeric microprobes, CMOS chips, and nanoneedles, while the external by electromyography and neuroprosthetic (electroencephalogram (EEG) and MEG) systems. Improving an informational capability of the interface is implemented by the application of the advanced superconducting transducer and electromagnetic (EM) transistor/memristor [7, 8]. These elements are arranged into the arrays of a different configurations and can cover the order of spaces from macro- to nanolevels. There are a number of methods and devices for transducing different BS into recordable or measurable information. The transfer of nerve impulses (NI) is the main data flow that carries sensory information to the brain and control signals from it and from the spinal cord to the limbs.
6
ISRN Nanotechnology Table 1: Dependence of the received BS parameters on the mode of SuFETTr’s functioning. Mode
Medium
Serial External
NI Molecules DNA
!
!
ibio = 1cont. or sens. imp.
BSs → bio and chem. molec.
propagation of BS along DNA’s spirals
Parallel Implantable External ibio = ibio ( f1 ) + ibio ( f2 ) + dibio /dt, dibio /dx · · · + ibio ( fN ) " variation of BSs → BSs = 1 type of molec. concentr. of molec. decoding the BSs of space and length dynamic nucleoted recognition on both spirals
Implantable
"
"
ibio = 1 network or 1 fibre
BSs =
"
bio and chem. molec.
4 nucleoteds 4 outputs
Table 2: Measuring effects (values) and the relative nanotransducers (for interfacing).
single (passive) solid-state device EM transistor/memristor (EMTM) has been advanced [48] An attempt to lay down the foundations of biosensing by natural sensors and in addition to them by the artificial transducers of physical quantities, also with their expansion into space arrays and external/implantable functioning in relation to the nervous system, is performed. Because the sensing organs are exponentially better than any of analogous artificial ones, the advances in nanotechnology are opening the way to achieving direct electrical contact of nanoelectronic structures with electrically and electrochemically active neurocellular structures. The transmission of the sensors’ signals to a processing unit has been maintaining by an EM transistor/memristor (externally) and superconducting transducer of ionic currents (implantable). The arrays of the advanced sensors give us information about the space and direction dynamics of the signals’ spreading. Recent developments in bioengineering, nanotechnology, and soft computing make it possible to create a new generation of intelligent sensing. There are developing opportunities for combining natural and artificial sensing abilities in the synthesized system. Backed up by the rapid strides of nanotechnology, nanosensor research is making a two-directional progress, firstly in evolving new sensors employing mesoscopic phenomena, and secondly in the performance enhancement of existing sensors. Nanosensors are nanotechnology-enabled sensors characterized by one of the following attributes: either the size of the sensor or its sensitivity is in the nanoscale, or the spatial interaction distance between the sensor and the object is in nanometers. These nanosensors have been broadly classified into physical and chemical categories, with the biosensors placed on borderlines of biological signals with the remaining classes [49]. Multiprocessor data fusion is in effect intrinsically performed by animals and human beings to achieve a more
NW element PC(s) NIext EMTM induction transducer volume flowmeter
Superconducting membrane NIimpl acoustical EMTM noise absorb. universal flowmeter
A functional pattern of SuFETTr Informational flow Biological
EM field
Technical
el. current Electronic
Ionic el. voltage
Actuator
Ionic currents FerroEM Magnetic induction Magnetodynam.
SuFET channel NIimpl EMTM NIcontr gaseous flowmeter
Sensor
Physical value
Empirical data Biological
Technical Informational flow
Figure 7
accurate assessment of the processing environment. The aim of signal processing by the combined artificial-living being multiprocessor system is to acquire complete information, such as a decision or the measurement of quantity, using a selected set of input data streaming to a multiprocessor system-digital data are coming to artificial processor and the rest of information consumes by a neural system of living being (Figure 5). Thereby, a big amount of available information is managed using sophisticated data processing for the achievement of a high level of precision and reliability.
4. Results Application variety of the novel superconducting, organic, and CNTFETs allows us to design transducers of BS (nerve, biochemical, etc.) that transduce them into different quantities, including electric voltage, density of chemical and biomolecules. On the other hand, the said BS can