US Patent 11680933 Determination of sensor operational status via sensor interrogation

A method of operating a gas sensor for a gas analyte including a sensing component includes, in a first mode, interrogating the sensor by periodically applying an electrical signal to the sensing component of the sensor, measuring sensor response to the electrical signal which is indicative of a sensitivity of the sensor each time the electrical signal is applied to the sensing component, determining whether one or more thresholds have been exceeded based upon the sensor response determined each time the electrical signal is applied to the sensing component, and entering a second mode, different from the first mode in analysis of the sensor response to the periodically applied electrical signals, if one or more thresholds are exceeded.