US Patent 7230432 - Nanotube sensor with heat controlled gas removal

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7230432.html

This patent from Honeywell teaches the use of a fairly clever construction for reusing nanotube gas sensors using heat controlled removal of gas after sensing. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for sensing a gas/liquid, comprising: obtaining a structure having first and second terminals connected to the ends of a nanotube, respectively; exposing the nanotube to a gas/liquid; measuring a current-voltage characteristic of the nanotube; reviewing the current-voltage characteristic to obtain possible information about the gas/liquid; and heating the nanotube to desorb the gas/liquid from the nanotube.