February 23, 2005, Fremont, CA--PerkinElmer Optoelectronics has introduced a PYM 151 Smart Natural Gas Sensor for home and industrial alarm systems, which the company says is the first "smart" sensor in modular design using infrared (IR) absorption technology. Until now, traditional natural gas alarm instrumentation used electrochemical cells that needed to be replaced periodically, according to a company statement.
Due to the increased use of natural gas in everyday life, natural gas concentrations have risen sharply, and when natural gas levels exist in the 4.4% to 15% range, explosions can occur. PerkinElmer's new sensor is designed for use in detecting/monitoring natural gas in homes and represents a technology platform to further develop CO2 sensors for automotive applications. The system allows OEM alarm manufacturers to integrate the unique non-dispersive infrared absorption (NDIR) technology with a simple snap-in design and add-on alarm processing and actuations.
"The PYM 151 illustrates PerkinElmer's commitment to deploying our smart optical sensor technologies for life-saving safety & security applications such as monitoring harmful gases in households," said John Roush, president, PerkinElmer Optoelectronics. "With the PYM 151 sensor, we look to provide our OEM customers with a safe and reliable solution that harnesses the optical sensor technology for integration into their alarm systems."