Optode

• US 4,269,516 A
• Filed: 07/19/1977
• Issued: 05/26/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften e.V. (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Frderung der Wissenschaften e)
• Original Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften e.V. (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Frderung der Wissenschaften e)
• Inventors: Lubbers, Dietrich W., Optiz, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): de los Reyes, B. Wm.
• Application Number:
  US05/817,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 356/196, 356/39, 356/41, 356/85, 356/427, 128/2 G, 128/2 L, 128/214 B, 128/DIG. 23, 23/230 B, 23/232 R, 23/254 R
• US Class Current: 356/427
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53

Abstract

Monochromatic excitation light penetrates an indicator in an indicator sp. The indicator space is closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by means of a membrane permeable for the component of the substance whose concentration is to be ascertained. The side of the indicator space facing the light-measuring unit of the device is radiation-transmissive. The indicator is set into motion during the measurement operation. Alternatively, the substance to be analyzed, on the other side of the permeable membrane, is set into convective motion during the measurement operation. As a further alternative, both the indicator and the substance to be analyzed are set into motion in mutually perpendicular directions, which however are both parallel to the permeable membrane.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, the means defining the indicator space being an optode, the means for setting the indicator into motion comprising a mechanical oscillatory-motion generator mechanically coupled to the optode.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, including electrical- or magnetic-field-responsive material in the indicator space operative for setting the indicator into motion when subjected to an electrical or magnetic field.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, the means defining the indicator space being an optode, the means for setting the indicator into motion comprising means for deforming the optode.

5. A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable to the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the indicator is set into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation.

6. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, means defining a chamber for accommodating the substance to be analyzed and bounded by the permeable membrane, and agitator means in the chamber operative for agitating the substance to be analyzed.

7. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, the means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion comprising means for circulating the substance out of and back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.

8. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space obtaining an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the permeable membrane being provided on its rim with adhesive means operative for detachably attaching the permeable membrane to a structure through which the substance to be analyzed is flowing.

9. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means setting the indicator into motion comprising means setting the indicator into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane, further including means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane but perpendicular to the direction of motion of the indicator.

10. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means defining the indicator space comprising a plurality of permeable-membrane microcapsules encapsulating the indicator and additionally encapsulating magnetic material, the means setting the indicator into motion including magnet means operative for exerting magnetic force on the magnetic material encapsulated within the permeable-membrane microcapsules.

11. An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, means operative for causing two different portions of the indicator to be differently saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured, and photometric means operative for photometrically ascertaining the respective extents to which said two different portions of the indicator are saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11, the photometric means including means operative to alternatively measure the light emitted by the two different portions of the indicator to generate a corresponding difference signal.

13. A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane while accommodated within a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane using agitator means located in the chamber.

14. A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into the convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane by repeatedly circulating the substance to be analyzed out of and then back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.