A microfluidic device and sensing method that utilize a resonating tube
configured to have sufficient sensitivity to be capable of sensing the
volume of a gas present as bubbles in a liquid or the flow rate and/or
density of a gas or gas mixture flowing through the tube. The tube has a
freestanding tube portion supported above a surface of a substrate so as
to be capable of vibrating in a plane normal to the surface of the
substrate. As a gas-containing fluid flows through an internal passage of
the tube, a drive signal vibrates the freestanding tube portion at a
resonant frequency thereof. Coriolis-induced deflections of the
freestanding tube portion are sensed relative to the substrate to produce
an output corresponding to the sensed deflections, and the drive signal
and/or the output are assessed to determine the volume, density and/or
flow rate of the gas of the gas-containing fluid.