‘Lab On A Chip’, Scientists Invent A Smaller And Improved Tool To Measure Light.
A tiny spectrometer that fits on a chip.
A TINY DEVICE
According to a press release by OSU (Oregon State University), researchers and scientists have invented a new miniature spectrometer (a tool to measure light) that is a ‘lab on a chip’.
The invention is an ultra-tiny spectrometer that is placed on a microchip and operated using artificial intelligence. It may lead to improvements in many electronic fields, from smartphones to environmental monitoring.
According to Ethan Minot, a professor of physics at OSU, they’ve demonstrated a way to build spectrometers that are far smaller than those used currently, and that the new device could fit on the “end of a human hair”.
Spectrometers measures the strength of light at different wavelengths and are used in many industries and all fields to science to identify and characterize samples.
The new spectrometer does not need assembling separate parts and can achieve higher resolution compared to benchtop systems but in a much smaller package, according to Hoon Hahn Yoon from Aalto University, who led the study. The device is 100 percent electronically controlled, making it suitable for use in many different areas, the researchers explained.
MORE POSSIBILITIES
This new spectrometer could be used in many different everyday devices. Right now, spectrometers have been tested in medical fields to identify the difference between tumors and healthy tissue. Spectrometers also have the ability to to detect and identify different kinds of pollution in the air or water, which makes them good for use in environmental monitoring. Spectrometers are also useful in many other fields, such as astronomy, teaching, and other areas of science.
RELATED STORIES
TAKE ACTION
