Method and apparatus for conducting electrochemiluminescent measurements
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring electrochemiluminescent phenomena of a sample, comprising:
- (a) cell means for holding a sample;
(b) voltage control means, including a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode, said working electrode being located within said cell means so as to be exposable to said sample for triggering electrochemiluminescence therein, said reference electrode being located in potential proximity to said working electrode so as to sense the voltage substantially adjacent thereto,said voltage control means further including means synthesizing a controlled voltage waveform which is substantially a function of a current induced in said sample during the triggering of electrochemiluminescence, said voltage control means being coupled with said reference electrode to apply said controlled voltage waveform at the location of said reference electrode; and
(c) radiation detection means for detecting electrochemiluminescent radiation from said sample.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for triggering and measuring electrochemiluminescent phenomena using a voltage waveform applied at the voltammetric working electrode which improves the precision and accuracy of measurements. This waveform has a decreasing scan rate in the range of voltages for which electrochemiluminescence is triggered and is substantially sinusoidal in shape in this range. The waveform results from locating the reference electrode of a potentiostat in close potential proximity to its counter electrode, and applying a uniform scanning voltage waveform at the reference electrode. The waveform also can be synthesized digitally, converted to analog form, and applied directly to the working electrode with the reference electrode in close potential proximity to the working electrode.
70 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring electrochemiluminescent phenomena of a sample, comprising:
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(a) cell means for holding a sample; (b) voltage control means, including a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode, said working electrode being located within said cell means so as to be exposable to said sample for triggering electrochemiluminescence therein, said reference electrode being located in potential proximity to said working electrode so as to sense the voltage substantially adjacent thereto, said voltage control means further including means synthesizing a controlled voltage waveform which is substantially a function of a current induced in said sample during the triggering of electrochemiluminescence, said voltage control means being coupled with said reference electrode to apply said controlled voltage waveform at the location of said reference electrode; and (c) radiation detection means for detecting electrochemiluminescent radiation from said sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for measuring electrochemiluminescent phenomena of a sample, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) introducing said sample into a cell having a working electrode located within said cell so as to be exposable to said sample; (b) applying a controlled voltage waveform to said working electrode to trigger electrochemiluminescence in said sample; (c) generating said controlled voltage waveform substantially as a function of the current induced in said sample during the triggering of electrochemiluminescence; and (d) detecting electrochemiluminescent radiation from said sample. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for operating a working electrode in a cell adapted to trigger electrochemiluminescence in a sample, comprising:
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(a) holding means for receiving and holding a sample; (b) working electrode means positioned in said holding means to be exposed to said sample; and (c) voltage control means applying a voltage waveform to said working electrode means to trigger electrochemiluminescence in said sample, said waveform being substantially a function of a current induced in said sample during said triggering. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification