Apparatus For Measuring Concentration of a Specific Ingredient In-Situ

• US 20090059203A1
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wei-Kung Wang
• Original Assignee: Wei-Kung Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Wei-Kung
• Application Number:
  US12/199,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring the concentration of a specific ingredient in a solution. According to one embodiment of the present invention, said apparatus comprises: a signal collector for collecting a plurality of signals emitted from a target in a selected volume of the solution, and one of the signals corresponding to the selected volume; detectors for detecting the signals; and beam splitters for splitting said signals and transmitting the signals to the detectors. The present invention provides an apparatus for effectively measuring concentration in-situ without the need of extracting the solution out of its original container.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration of (N−

1) ingredients in a solution in-situ, wherein N is a natural number and N>

2,

said apparatus comprising;

means for selecting a volume that contains said solution;

a signal collector for collecting N signals from a target in said selected volume of the solution, one of said N signals being corresponding to said selected volume;

means for detecting said N signals;

means for separating said N signals and transmitting said N separated signals to said detecting means; and

a calculating element for obtaining a concentration of N−

1 ingredients based on the ratio of the signal for each ingredient to the signal for the volume.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said N signals comprise at least one induced signal from said selected volume in response to an input signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said input signal is in the form of an electromagnetic wave.

4. The apparatus wording to claim 1, wherein said signal collector comprises a plurality of cones for collecting said signals and/or for accommodating the transmission of said signals to said detecting means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality of detectors respectively located at the tips of said plurality of cones.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating means comprises a dichroic beam splitter.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating means comprises N−

1 beam splitters for separating said N signals.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said collector comprises N cones for collecting said N signals.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each said plurality of cones comprises a lens for focusing the signal toward the corresponding detector.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of cones comprise a highly reflective surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal collector comprises an adapter for collecting said signals.

12. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for selecting a volume comprises a signal guide for directing said input signal into said target.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said signal guide comprised in said means for selecting a volume directs said input signal into said target in said selected volume V at time t, and then said signal collector collects said signals from another selected volume V′

, which V′

is the distribution of said target at time t=t+Δ

t.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said target moves with a velocity V*, and said V′

is a linear transition from V to V+V*t.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14:

wherein both said signal guide and signal collector respectively comprise a switch.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the switch of said signal collector is open after a predetermined period of time when the switch of said signal guide is closed.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said switches are changed between open and close for a plurality of times.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means for selecting a volume further comprises an envelope for securing said target.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal corresponding to said selected volume is a signal corresponding to a marker confined within the compartment of said solution.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said volume that contains said solution is a signal corresponding to a marker with known concentration comprising hemoglobin.