Special Sessions

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Special Session #1: "Nanotechnology applications in Measurement and Instrumentation"

Session Synopsis:  Nanotechnology is one of the fields in which technological improvements are quickly carried out thanks to the contribution of diverse areas as Engineering of materials, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematical modelling, Electronics. Instrumentation and Measurement are necessary for helping scientists and researchers working in Nanotechnology for characterization issues as well as for designing experimental architectures thanks to new features in instrumentation.  Papers related (but not limited) to the following subtopics are welcome: sensors, transducers, other devices, biochips, nanostructures and coatings, sol-gel processes, nanoimaging, nano contrast agents, low level detection, nanophotonics,   atomic force microscopy, characterization of new materials, drug delivery, theranostics (therapy and diagnostics), metrology, uncertainty, signal processing, nanorods, nanowires, etc... Practical and experimental applications in diverse fields are also wished as biomedical, environmental, industrial ones.

Organizer:  Aimé Lay-Ekuakille, University of Salento, Dept of Innovation Engineering, Lecce, Italy 

Invited Speaker:  Dr. Sergio Casciaro, Director of Nanoimaging Lab, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research - CNR, Lecce, Italy

Title: Automatic Image Detection of Halloysite Clay Nanotubes as a Future Ultrasound Theranostic Agent for Tumoral Cell Targeting and Treatment

Short Biography

Abstract

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #1”.  For more information about this special session please contact Aimé Lay-Ekuakille.


Special Session #2: "Impedance Spectroscopy for Measurement and Sensor Solutions"

Session Synopsis:  Impedance Spectroscopy is an interesting measurement method in many fields of science and technology including medicine, chemistry and material science. The possibility to use information from complex impedance over a wide frequency range leads to interesting opportunities for separating effects, accurate measurements and measurements of non-accessible quantities. Especially in the field of sensors a multifunctional measurement can be realized. But for this measurement method, several aspects should be specifically addressed such as, impedance measurement procedures, investigations of physical and chemical phenomena taking place, development of suitable impedance models and extraction of target information by optimization techniques. In some applications the low cost realization in embedded systems leads to highly interesting scientific challenges.

This special session invites articles that deal with innovative solutions of Impedance Spectroscopy investigations and/or implementations to: 

Characterization of Energy Storage units, Batteries and Fuel Cells

Biomedical and Biological Applications

Material Testing, Corrosion and Coatings 

Inductive, Capacitive and Resistive Sensors 

Measurements of Dielectric Materials and Solid State Systems 

Local Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Signal Processing and Modelling 

Instrumentation & Data Acquisition

Organizer:  Prof. Olfa Kanoun, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany

Invited Speaker:  Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Massey University, New Zealand

Title:  Impedance Spectroscopy for MEMS based Sensors

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Abstract

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #2”.  For more information about this special session please contact Olfa Kanoun.


Special Session #3: "Emerging methods for measuring, modelling and instrumentation in medical applications"

Session Synopsis:  Improving the measurement quality of physiological parameters is increasing in popularity. Various examples of such complex measurements are widely available: blood pressure meters, glucose sensing, vital signs of fetus, heart rate monitoring,… On top of that medical imaging like PET, MRI and EEG-scans requires measuring physiological processes (e.g. blood-hemodynamic) for simulation and prediction purposes.

To improve the quality of medical applications, innovative modifications are needed on different levels: instrumentation, measurement techniques, signal processing and modeling.

This special session invites articles that deal with innovative solutions to:

• measurement and modeling of physiological parameters and processes

• medical imaging

• uncertianty and tracebility of medical measurements

• medical instrumentation and calibration techniques

• personal healthcare

• healthcare management

Organizers:  Lieve Lauwers, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Wendy Van Moer, University of Gavle - Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Invited Speaker:  Pedro Arzuaga, CCC Medical Devices, Montivideo, Uruguay

Short Biography

Abstract

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #3”.  For more information about this special session please contact Wendy Van Moer.


Special Session #4: "Sensors and Instrumentation for the Environment and Climate change Monitoring"

Session Synopsis:  The proposed special session seeks submission of technical research articles addressing topical issues, underpinning better sensors and instrumentation for monitoring environment and climate change. The need for monitoring parameters of climate change has never been greater - driving research in accurate, robust and reliable sensors and associated instrumentation to achieve reliable measurement of these parameters.  Key examples include temperature (e.g. water, atmospheric), gas concentration (CO2, NO2, NO SO2, etc) and water quality (e.g. poisoning by algal blooms). Sensors and instrumentation is core to today's Engineering curricula, being strongly cross-disciplinary and an ideal subject for today's environmentally-aware research community.

Organizer:  IEEE IMS Technical Committee 18 on Environmental Measurements (contact:  Prof. Subhas Mukhopadhyay)

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #4”. For more information about this special session please contact Subhas Mukhopadhyay.


Special Session #5: "Smart Transducers and Sensors"

Session Synopsis:  Nowadays transducers and sensors, as defined by IEEE 1451 standards, are widely employed in various application fields: industrial, biomedical, environmental, energy, transportation… Smart sensor is a current term used to single out a device capable of acquiring and processing data, as well as performing autolearning. It is the basis for homecare or telemedicine applications, process automation, intelligent transportation systems and environmental monitoring.

The ISO/IEC/IEEE 21451-x is a growing family of standards responsible for the development of Smart Sensors. It involves developing technology for a seamless connection between smart sensors and networks.

The scope of this Special Session is to give a wide overview of the present state-of-the-art with reference to smart transducers, sensors and sensor networks. This Special Session intends to promote and to collect original papers (original research contributions, tutorials, and review papers) that will give significant contribution in the field of modelling and design techniques, new technologies, testing and embedded algorithms mainly dedicated to smart transducers, sensors and sensor networks.

Organizer:  Rosario Morello, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, Italy

Invited Speaker: Dr. Kang Lee
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, USA)

Title: The current state of the art of the Standards for Smart Transducers and Sensors

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Abstract

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #5”.  For more information about this special session please contact Rosario Morello.


Special Session #7: "Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Measurement Systems: methodologies and devices"

Session Synopsis:  Autonomous measurement systems represent today one of the hottest topic in the community. Strategies and devices for collecting energy from the environment and for transducing this energy into electrical energy such to provide an useful source for measurement and sensing systems, have been investigated in these latter years.

This Special Session aims to provide an exchange forum for experiences, methodologies and devices in this field. We invite therefore original research papers on this subject that is of primary relevance in the measurement and sensing arena.

Submission are welcomed on:

• Overview of state of the art on "Energy harvesting methodologies and devices "

• Energy transduction methodologies and strategies

• Technologies and devices for vibration energy harvesting

• Application to autonomous sensors networks

Organizers:  Bruno Andò and Salvatore Baglio, DIEEI, University of Catania, Italy

When submitting your extended abstract for this special session, please identify that it is being submitted for “Special Session #7”.  For more information about this special session please contact Salvatore Baglio.