they fly into space repeatedly
so being able to determine the condition
of shuttle components like the main
engines is critical
designing sophisticated monitoring
systems to do this
is the goal of a nasa-sponsored research
effort at the university of cincinnati
a team of faculty members and graduate
students is developing a series of micro
sensors
to indicate the health of space faring
vehicles
almost everything visible here is
packaging used in testing
the sensor itself is just the tiny speck
in the center
one of these sensors under a microscope
reveals their sophistication
advanced micro machining techniques make
it possible to include
valves heaters or even motors in a
device with a diameter less than that of
a human hair
the goal is to embed these tiny flow
sensors in the walls of critical shuttle
engine and systems components to ensure
their functioning properly
and the sensors are so small that even
if one came loose it would have
negligible impact on engine
performance
uc researchers are also working on
vibration and crack detection sensors
for other parts of the shuttle which
could point out existing defects
or indicate fatigue in high stress areas
where problems might occur
there are a number of potential spin-off
applications for micro sensors like
these
researchers at the university of
cincinnati's medical center
are already exploring their use in the
care of premature infants
a significant number of preemies suffer
respiratory disorders
many must be connected to a ventilator
around the clock
but setting the ventilator remains a
relatively imprecise science
and improper oxygen levels and pressures
can contribute to more severe problems
including mental retardation
assistant professor of pediatrics
michael donnelly
you get into situations where you're
looking at morbidity are these babies
going to grow up to be
normal fully functioning adults don lee
and his colleagues are studying the
possibility of putting a microsensor
inside the plastic tube inserted in a
baby's trachea
with this type of flow sensor we would
have one of the vital numbers that we
need which is volume
related to each inspiration cycle
so we're right now we're looking at
averages over five minutes or multiple
cycles
this will actually take us down to look
at breadth to bread activity
advanced micro sensors enhancing the
health of space-faring vehicles
and those who might one day fly them
you