Inventors: Deevi SC, Tian F
Patent Title: Handheld microcantilever-based sensor for detecting tobacco-specific nitrosamines
Publication date: 2008
Publication number: WO/2008/035220

Abstract: A method and system for detecting tobacco-specific nitrosamines. The method includes exposing at least one microcantilever beam (10) to a medium (50), which may contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and measuring a deflection of the microcantilever beam (10), wherein the deflection indicates a presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in the medium (50). The at least one microcantilever beam (10) can include a silicon base layer (30) and a gold-coated receptor layer (20) with a plurality of thiol molecules having a sulfur head and carboxyl-terminated group. The at least one microcantilever beam can include a silicon base layer (30) and a metal or metal oxide coated receptor layer (20). Alternatively, the microcantilever beam (10) can be formed by co-absorbing tobacco-specific nitrosamines and silane molecules on a silicon microcantilever surface, wherein the template molecules of tobacco-specific nitrosamines physically co-adsorb between the silane molecules. The template molecules of tobacco-specific nitrosamines are then washed away with a solvent to form a silane monolayer having tobacco-specific nitrosamine cavities.
URL: http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=WO2008035220&F=0