ELECTRO-OPTICAL SENSING DEVICE WITH REFERENCE CHANNEL
First Claim
1. An electro-optical sensing device for detecting the presence of ananalyte in a medium, said sensing device comprising:
- a. a radiation source that emits radiation;
b. a first and a second photosensitive elements configured to receive radiation and output an electrical signal in response thereto;
c. a first and a second indicator elements positioned to receive radiation from the radiation source and to transmit radiation to said first and second photosensitive elements, said first and second indicator elements each containing indicator molecules with an optical characteristic responsive to the presence of an analyte; and
wherein said first indicator element is exposed to an exterior of the device and is responsive to a presence of an analyte in a medium external to the device, andwherein said second indicator element is at least partially covered by an analyte-impermeable chamber that renders said second indicator element insensitive to the presence of the analyte in the medium external to the device, said chamber containing an analyte-containing fluid in contact with said second indicator element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-optical sensing device for detecting the presence and concentration of an analyte in a liquid or gaseous medium includes a pair of indicator elements positioned to receive radiation from a radiation source and transmit radiation to a pair of photosensitive elements. The indicator elements each contain indicator molecules having an optical characteristic responsive to the presence of an analyte; however, one of the indicator elements is covered by an analyte-impermeable chamber that renders the indicator element insensitive to the presence of the analyte in the medium outside the chamber so that it can be used as a reference to cancel environmental and systemic variables that affect both indicator elements. The chamber preferably holds an analyte-containing fluid in contact with the reference indicator element so that the indicator elements operate under nominally identical conditions. The indicator element used to measure the analyte in the external medium is preferably also covered, but in a manner that provides direct contact between the analyte and the indicator element.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An electro-optical sensing device for detecting the presence of an
analyte in a medium, said sensing device comprising: -
a. a radiation source that emits radiation; b. a first and a second photosensitive elements configured to receive radiation and output an electrical signal in response thereto; c. a first and a second indicator elements positioned to receive radiation from the radiation source and to transmit radiation to said first and second photosensitive elements, said first and second indicator elements each containing indicator molecules with an optical characteristic responsive to the presence of an analyte; and wherein said first indicator element is exposed to an exterior of the device and is responsive to a presence of an analyte in a medium external to the device, and wherein said second indicator element is at least partially covered by an analyte-impermeable chamber that renders said second indicator element insensitive to the presence of the analyte in the medium external to the device, said chamber containing an analyte-containing fluid in contact with said second indicator element. - View Dependent Claims (3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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2. (canceled)
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4. (canceled)
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5. (canceled)
Specification