Method of and system for real time differential pulse detection
First Claim
1. A system for detecting a gas in an environment comprising an electrochemical detection cell having a reference electrode, a counter electrode and a sensing electrode;
- said reference electrode and said counter electrode spaced apart from each other and from said sensing electrode, an electrolyte in contact with said reference electrode, counter electrode and sensing electrode, a membrane having a first surface exposed to said environment for passing said gas in said environment through said membrane to said sensing electrode, an operational amplifier having an output terminal, an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal, said output terminal being coupled to said counter electrode, said reference electrode being coupled to one of said input terminals;
means for applying a fixed D.C. voltage bias to the other of said input terminals;
means for applying at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse to said other input terminal to superimpose same on said fixed D.C. voltage bias to provide a corresponding differential D.C. voltage pulse on its output terminal, and means coupled to said sensing electrode and responsive to current therefrom for determining difference in Faradaic currents produced during a period before application of the differential D.C. voltage pulse and a period before termination thereof as an indication of presence of a given gas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrochemical detection cell which includes, in the order named, a stack of components constituted by a first membrane, an electrode carrier having reference and counter electrodes thereon, a membrane support, an electrode carrier having a sensing electrode thereon, and a permselective membrane. Whatman filter papers are positioned between the sensing electrode and both the counter electrode and reference electrode, these being positionable in a central rectangular opening of the membrane support. The cell allows air or gas ambient to address the membranes and effects application of an electrolyte to space between the electrodes by, for example, a wick which extends between an electrolyte-containing reservoir and the Whatman filter papers. A system for detecting a gaseous agent uses the aforementioned detection cell coupled with circuitry capable of applying a fixed DC voltage bias to the reference electrode and superimposing a train of DC voltage pulses on the fixed bias. Further circuitry is coupled to and responsive to signals from the sensing electrode. This circuitry determines the difference between the sensing electrode signal at the end of each pulse minus that just before each pulse. The difference is proportional to the concentration of the test gas in the atmosphere adjacent to the sensor, and is a more specific and sensitive indication of the test gas concentration than prior art sensors.
18 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for detecting a gas in an environment comprising an electrochemical detection cell having a reference electrode, a counter electrode and a sensing electrode;
- said reference electrode and said counter electrode spaced apart from each other and from said sensing electrode, an electrolyte in contact with said reference electrode, counter electrode and sensing electrode, a membrane having a first surface exposed to said environment for passing said gas in said environment through said membrane to said sensing electrode, an operational amplifier having an output terminal, an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal, said output terminal being coupled to said counter electrode, said reference electrode being coupled to one of said input terminals;
means for applying a fixed D.C. voltage bias to the other of said input terminals;
means for applying at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse to said other input terminal to superimpose same on said fixed D.C. voltage bias to provide a corresponding differential D.C. voltage pulse on its output terminal, and means coupled to said sensing electrode and responsive to current therefrom for determining difference in Faradaic currents produced during a period before application of the differential D.C. voltage pulse and a period before termination thereof as an indication of presence of a given gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- said reference electrode and said counter electrode spaced apart from each other and from said sensing electrode, an electrolyte in contact with said reference electrode, counter electrode and sensing electrode, a membrane having a first surface exposed to said environment for passing said gas in said environment through said membrane to said sensing electrode, an operational amplifier having an output terminal, an inverting input terminal and a non-inverting input terminal, said output terminal being coupled to said counter electrode, said reference electrode being coupled to one of said input terminals;
- 19. A system for detecting a gas in an environment comprising an electrochemical detection cell having a reference electrode, a counter electrode and a sensing electrode, said reference electrode and said counter electrode spaced apart from each other and from said sensing electrode an electrolyte in contact with said reference electrode, counter electrode and sensing electrode, a membrane having a first surface exposed to said environment for passing said gas in said environment through said membrane to said sensing electrode, means for applying a fixed D.C. voltage bias to said counter electrode for supplying electrical current through said electrolyte to said sensing electrode to maintain a predetermined potential at said reference electrode, means for superimposing at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse on said fixed D.C. voltage bias, and means coupled to and responsive to Faradaic signals from said sensing electrode for determining the difference between Faradaic signals produced during a period before the at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse is superimposed on the fixed D.C. voltage bias and during a period before termination of the at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse.
- 23. A method for detecting a gaseous agent in an ambient with an electrochemical detection cell having a sensing electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode, said reference electrode and said counter electrode spaced apart from each other and from said sensing electrode and having an electrolyte in contact with said reference electrode, counter electrode and sensing electrode, comprising the steps of exposing said ambient to one side of a membrane capable of passing said gaseous agent, exposing said sensing electrode with the gas passing through said membrane, applying a fixed D.C. voltage bias to the counter electrode for supplying electrical current through said electrolyte to said sensing electrode to maintain a predetermined potential at said reference electrode, superimposing at least one differential D.C. voltage pulse on the fixed D.C. voltage bias and determining the difference between Faradaic signals produced from the sensing electrode during a period before superimposing the differential D.C. voltage pulse and in a period before termination of the differential D.C. voltage pulse.
Specification