Potentiostated, self-humidifying, solid polymer electrolyte carbon monoxide dosimeter
First Claim
1. A gas dosage instrumentality for measuring the total quantity of a selected gas comprising the combination of;
- (a) a gas-sensing cell for electrochemically converting the selected gas to produce an electrical signal directly related to the concentration of the selected gas,(b) means for bringing gaseous samples to said sensing cell,(c) means for measuring the total quantity of the selected gas sensed by said cell, including(1) a reversible, electrochemical integrating device for continuously storing the signals from said cell to provide a measure of the accumulated quantity of the selected gas,(2) means coupled to said integrating device for selectively applying an electrical resetting signal thereto for readout of the stored information and to reset the integrating device,(3) means responsive to said resetting signal for measuring and indicating the accumulated dosage.
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Abstract
A dosimeter for measuring accumulated dosage of noxious gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen, (NOx), etc., incorporates a gas-sensing electrochemical cell which utilizes an electrically biased, hydrated, solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) sensing cell. CO and other noxious gases are oxidized at the sensing electrode and the cell current is a measure of the gas concentration. The cell output current is applied to an electrically resettable current integrating device, which is basically an integrating coulometer in which metal is plated onto a working electrode in response to the cell output current. A fixed, reverse calibration current is driven through the coulometer during dosage readout to deplate the metal from the coulometer working electrode. An accurate timing device measures the time required to deplate the working electrode of the coulometer. This product of the fixed calibrating current and the time required to reset the coulometer, i.e., deplate the working electrode is a measure of the gas dosage.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A gas dosage instrumentality for measuring the total quantity of a selected gas comprising the combination of;
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(a) a gas-sensing cell for electrochemically converting the selected gas to produce an electrical signal directly related to the concentration of the selected gas, (b) means for bringing gaseous samples to said sensing cell, (c) means for measuring the total quantity of the selected gas sensed by said cell, including (1) a reversible, electrochemical integrating device for continuously storing the signals from said cell to provide a measure of the accumulated quantity of the selected gas, (2) means coupled to said integrating device for selectively applying an electrical resetting signal thereto for readout of the stored information and to reset the integrating device, (3) means responsive to said resetting signal for measuring and indicating the accumulated dosage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a gas dosimeter, the combination comprising,
(a) a gas-sensing cell for electrochemically converting a selected gas to produce an electrical signal directly related to the concentration of that gas, (b) means for bringing gaseous samples to the cell whereby said cell produces an electrical signal whenever the gaseous samples contain the selected gas, (c) means to accumulate the total quantity of the selected gas sensed by said cell, including (1) a reversible electrochemical integrating device capable of storing quantity information by electrochemical deposition of a material in the device by electron flow in one direction through the device, said deposited material being electrochemically removable by electron flow in the opposite direction, (2) means coupled to said integrating device to convert the signals from said cell to electron flow for electrochemically depositing a material, whereby the quantity of the deposited material is a direct measure of the amount of the selected gas.
Specification