Apparatus and method for testing liquids
First Claim
1. Apparatus for testing the concentration of a selected atomic scale species in a thick liquid, the apparatus comprising a first chamber which contains, in use, a thick liquid under test, the chamber being at least partly defined by one face of a microporous dialysis membrane which is permeable to atomic scale species;
- and a measuring cell incorporating a second chamber which is arranged to be filled with a clean liquid and which is at least partly defined by an opposite face of the membrane whereby atomic scale species in the thick liquid under test diffuse through the membrane and are present in a clean liquid in a concentration related to that at which they exist in a thick liquid under test;
the cell also incorporating a sensing device having an active surface which is responsive substantially only to a selected species and which comprises an electrod in communication with the clean liquid in the second chamber, said electrode being coated with a material which is permeable substantially only to a selected ionic species whereby the device provides an output related to the concentration of a selected species.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The application relates to a method and apparatus for testing the concentration of a selected atomic scale species in a thick liquid, such as blood. The blood flows through a chamber that is in part defined by a microporous dialysis membrane permeable to atomic scale species. A measuring cell including a second chamber filled with a clean liquid is defined by the other plane of the membrane. The measuring cell incorporates a sensor having an electrode coated with a material permeable only to a selected ionic species.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for testing the concentration of a selected atomic scale species in a thick liquid, the apparatus comprising a first chamber which contains, in use, a thick liquid under test, the chamber being at least partly defined by one face of a microporous dialysis membrane which is permeable to atomic scale species;
- and a measuring cell incorporating a second chamber which is arranged to be filled with a clean liquid and which is at least partly defined by an opposite face of the membrane whereby atomic scale species in the thick liquid under test diffuse through the membrane and are present in a clean liquid in a concentration related to that at which they exist in a thick liquid under test;
the cell also incorporating a sensing device having an active surface which is responsive substantially only to a selected species and which comprises an electrod in communication with the clean liquid in the second chamber, said electrode being coated with a material which is permeable substantially only to a selected ionic species whereby the device provides an output related to the concentration of a selected species. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- and a measuring cell incorporating a second chamber which is arranged to be filled with a clean liquid and which is at least partly defined by an opposite face of the membrane whereby atomic scale species in the thick liquid under test diffuse through the membrane and are present in a clean liquid in a concentration related to that at which they exist in a thick liquid under test;
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19. A method of testing the concentration of a selected atomic scale species in a flow of natural whole blood in an extracorporeal circuit, the method comprising continuously circulating the blood through a conduit having in its wall an aperture spanned by a microporous barrier membrane which is permeable to atomic scale species, but impermeable to proteins and other blood components of similar and larger size, whereby unselected atomic scale species pass through the barrier membrane into a measuring cell containing a clean liquid;
- sensing the concentration of the selected species in the clean liquid by means of a sensing device, which is responsive substantially only to the selected species, said device comprising an electrode coated with a material which is permeable substantially only to a selected ionic species; and
providing an output related to the concentration of the selected species. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- sensing the concentration of the selected species in the clean liquid by means of a sensing device, which is responsive substantially only to the selected species, said device comprising an electrode coated with a material which is permeable substantially only to a selected ionic species; and
Specification