Method for determining an amount of a component in a mixture without calibration

• US 20040140228A1
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Perkinelmer Instruments LLC (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Perkinelmer Instruments LLC (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dalmia, Avinash, Prohaska, Otto J.
• Application Number:
  US10/345,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/778.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4045 for gases other than oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/423 Coulometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/005 investigating the presence of an element by oxidation G01N31/12 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining an amount of a component in a mixture without calibration, including the steps of oxidizing a component of a mixture of gases to remove electrons from the mixture, measuring a current based upon the removed electrons, and determining an amount of molecules of the component present in the mixture based upon the measured current.

Claims

1. A method for determining an amount of a component in a mixture without calibration, comprising the steps of:

oxidizing a component of a mixture of gases to remove electrons from the mixture;

measuring a current based upon the removed electrons; and

determining an amount of molecules of the component present in the mixture based upon the measured current.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating a concentration of the component based upon the amount of molecules.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of releasing electrons from the gas component to enable current measurement.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the component of the mixture to remove electrons.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of suppressing an unselected gas component.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of oxidizing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 90%-approximately 100%.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of oxidizing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 95%-approximately 100%.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of oxidizing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 98%-approximately 100%.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of oxidizing the component to an efficiency of approximately 100%.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 90%-approximately 100%.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 95%-approximately 100%.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the component to an efficiency of between approximately 98%-approximately 100%.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the component to an efficiency of approximately 100%.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of consistently introducing a volume of the mixture of gases into the instrument over a consistent amount of time.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of minimizing a volume of gas to be oxidized.

16. A method for determining an amount of a component in a mixture without calibration, comprising the steps of:

minimizing a thickness of an electrolytic layer of an electrochemical gas sensor;

maximizing a surface area of an electrode of the electrochemical gas sensor;

releasing electrons from the volume of gas;

measuring a current based upon the released electrons; and

determining an amount of molecules of a gas component present in the mixture based upon the measured current.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of calculating a concentration of the gas component.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of minimizing a volume of gas introduced into the sensor.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of minimizing a flow rate of the mixture introduced into the sensor.