Apparatus for calibrating a sensor for detecting the presence of a gas in a liquid
First Claim
1. An apparatus for calibrating a sensor that detects the presence or quantity of a gas contained within a liquid comprising:
- (a) an elongated calibration chamber adapted to hold the sensor in contact with a calibration liquid, the chamber having a calibrating gas inlet through which a calibrating gas may be introduced into the calibration liquid at the lower end of the calibration chamber;
(b) an elongated calibration liquid reservoir chamber adapted to be partly filled with the calibration liquid, the calibration liquid reservoir chamber being situated laterally of the calibration chamber;
(c) at least one calibration liquid passageway interconnecting the calibration chamber and the calibration liquid reservoir chamber in the vicinity of the calibrating gas inlet such that calibrating gas entering the calibration chamber via the inlet aspirates calibration liquid from the calibration liquid reservoir chamber into the calibration chamber via the passageway;
(d) a calibration liquid return and calibrating gas outlet passageway interconnecting the calibration chamber and the calibration liquid reservoir chamber at the upper ends thereof through which calibration liquid may be returned to the calibration liquid reservoir chamber and spent calibrating gas may exit the calibration chamber; and
(e) a spent calibrating gas vent that opens into the upper end of the calibration liquid reservoir chamber above the liquid level therein for exhausting spent calibrating gas from the apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A calibration vial is described for storing and calibrating under sterile conditions a blood gas sensor that comprises an optical fiber whose sensing end carries a sensing element, such as a chromophore or fluorophore. The vial contains a calibrating liquid and, in its preferred embodiment, is structured to keep the end of the filter wet and permit fast calibration of the sensor without spillage of the calibrating liquid. The vial has a tubular inner calibration chamber in which the end of the fiber resides and which has a sterile filter-plugged gas inlet in its bottom and an outer concentric calibrating liquid reservoir chamber. The bottoms of the two chambers are interconnected by one or more liquid reflux ports that are positioned such that the gas coming into the bottom of the calibration chamber aspirates liquid from the reservoir chamber into the calibration chamber. This permits rapid mixing and circulation of the liquid upwardly through the calibration chamber. The upper ends of the chambers are interconnected by a passageway through which liquid is returned to the reservoir and spent gas exits the calibration chamber. The spent gas is vented to the atmosphere via a vent that opens into the top of the reservoir chamber above the liquid level therein.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for calibrating a sensor that detects the presence or quantity of a gas contained within a liquid comprising:
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(a) an elongated calibration chamber adapted to hold the sensor in contact with a calibration liquid, the chamber having a calibrating gas inlet through which a calibrating gas may be introduced into the calibration liquid at the lower end of the calibration chamber; (b) an elongated calibration liquid reservoir chamber adapted to be partly filled with the calibration liquid, the calibration liquid reservoir chamber being situated laterally of the calibration chamber; (c) at least one calibration liquid passageway interconnecting the calibration chamber and the calibration liquid reservoir chamber in the vicinity of the calibrating gas inlet such that calibrating gas entering the calibration chamber via the inlet aspirates calibration liquid from the calibration liquid reservoir chamber into the calibration chamber via the passageway; (d) a calibration liquid return and calibrating gas outlet passageway interconnecting the calibration chamber and the calibration liquid reservoir chamber at the upper ends thereof through which calibration liquid may be returned to the calibration liquid reservoir chamber and spent calibrating gas may exit the calibration chamber; and (e) a spent calibrating gas vent that opens into the upper end of the calibration liquid reservoir chamber above the liquid level therein for exhausting spent calibrating gas from the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification