TFS Takasago Fluidic Systems

Takasago’s Products used in Micro Gas Chromatography Instruments

Ball Wave is a start-up company from Tohoku University that focuses on SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave), a special type of ultrasonic wave that travels over the surface of a spherical object and specializes in sensor technology that applies this property.

Normally, SAWs traveling on a flat piezoelectric material move in one direction and spread out due to diffraction phenomena.
However, around 2000, Professor Yamanaka and his colleagues at Tohoku University discovered a unique phenomenon in which SAWs generated under special conditions on a spherical material travel around the surface many times without focusing or spreading. By placing a sensitive film in the path of the SAWs, they developed a sensor (ball SAW sensor) that detects gas by measuring the change in attenuation and velocity of the SAWs when gas components are adsorbed on the sensitive film. The ball SAW sensor is compact because it uses a 3.3 mm diameter crystal sphere, and it can detect gases with high sensitivity because the amount of change to the gas increases as the SAW travels around the sensor surface many times.
Ball Wave has developed a new ultra-compact gas chromatograph system by taking advantage of the small size and high sensitivity of the ball SAW sensor.





Challenges and Solutions

Ball Wave's ultra-compact gas chromatograph was developed in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) based on basic research conducted by Professor Yamanaka, the current director of the company, and his colleagues at Tohoku University. A gas chromatograph is an analytical device that separates and detects a wide variety of gases, but it is usually large and difficult to carry around.

Considering space exploration, downsizing, weight reduction, and low power consumption of equipment are very important factors.

The NLV Series of latch-type, compact, corrosion-resistant solenoid valves developed by our company are high-performance, compact valves that can solve these three problems at once.
Utilizing this valve, we have customized it to meet the customer's needs, such as shortening the flow path which is important for analysis accuracy and consolidating and optimizing the piping arrangement.

Through the accumulation of these innovations, Ball Wave has succeeded in developing a prototype gas chromatograph designed to monitor harmful gases in the air in a manned space environment.

Palm size Gas Chromatograph
Approximate Dimensions: length 133 mm x height 88 mm x depth 174 mm,
weighing approx. 1.9 kg



The yellow frame in the above photo shows NLV series multi-manifolds.
Approximate Dimensions: 26 x 56 x 46 mm

Note: Details such as specifications, etc., may be changed without notice.

Currently, this ultra-compact gas chromatograph is being put to practical use in various situations on the ground because it is easily portable.
For example, it is used for environmental analysis in clean rooms in semiconductor manufacturing process management. They have also conducted a demonstration test in which a drone was used to analyze the composition of exhaust gas emitted from a chimney in a facility simulating a chemical factory.
Recently, it was also used for quality control to analyze the aroma components of japanese rice wine.

Takasago Electric Inc. will continue to contribute to the advancement of science and technology through the development of the latest analytical equipment through Ball Wave.

Click on the link below to access the website of Ball Wave: