US Patent 7582359 - MEMS device for monitoring gas turbine

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7582359.html

This patent from Siemens Energy teaches the advantages of MEMS devices for determining wear in gas turbine engines. Some relevant prior art which seems to have been overlooked is a report from the Institute for Defense Analysis entitled "MEMS in Turbine Engines" published in January 1999. Claim 1 reads:

1. A component for use in a combustion turbine, the component comprising:

a substrate;

a MEMS device affixed to the substrate; and

at least one connector in electrical communication with the MEMS device for routing a data signal from the MEMS device to a termination location.