Method and apparatus for optically measuring concentration of an analyte
First Claim
1. A method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a medium, comprising the steps of:
- directing a beam of radiant energy along an optical path into said medium at a wavelength selected to cause a response of said analyte;
periodically directing a perturbing pulse of energy into said medium to alter in a controlled manner the concentration of said analyte along said path and thereby the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy;
detecting the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy while the response is changing due to the influence of the perturbing pulse, after the perturbing pulse starts or ends or both;
determining the time rate of change of said response; and
correlating said time rate of change to the concentration of said analyte.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method in which a beam of radiant energy (16) is passed into a medium at a wavelength selected to cause a response of an analyte in the medium or of a sensor (10,14) exposed to the medium, the sensor comprising a reagent whose optical properties change in response to the presence of the analyte in the medium. A perturbing pulse of energy (22) is passed into the medium to alter the response of the analyte or reagent to the beam of radiation; and the time rates of change in the intensity of the transmitted radiant energy are measured (18,24,26,28) while the intensity is changing due to the perturbing pulse, after each such perturbing pulse starts or ends or both, such rates of change being proportional to the concentration of the analyte in the medium. Both the beam of radiant energy and the perturbing pulse may be passed through optic fibers into the medium or sensor.
93 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a medium, comprising the steps of:
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directing a beam of radiant energy along an optical path into said medium at a wavelength selected to cause a response of said analyte; periodically directing a perturbing pulse of energy into said medium to alter in a controlled manner the concentration of said analyte along said path and thereby the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy; detecting the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy while the response is changing due to the influence of the perturbing pulse, after the perturbing pulse starts or ends or both; determining the time rate of change of said response; and
correlating said time rate of change to the concentration of said analyte. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a medium, comprising the steps of:
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providing a reagent whose optical properties change in response to the concentrations of said analyte; exposing said reagent to said analyte in said medium; directing a beam of radiant energy along an optical path into said reagent at a wavelength selected to affect said beam of radiant energy as a function of the concentration of said analyte; periodically directing a perturbing pulse of energy into said reagent to alter in a controlled manner both the concentration of said analyte along said path and the optical spectral characteristics of said reagents as a function of the concentration of said analyte; detecting the effect of said reagent on said beam of radiant energy while the response is changing due to the influence of the perturbing pulse, after the perturbing pulse starts or ends or both; determining the time rate of change of said effect; and correlating said time rate of change to the concentration of said analyte. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a medium, comprising:
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means for directing a beam of radiant energy along an optical path into said medium at a first wavelength selected to cause a response of said analyte; means for periodically directing a perturbing pulse of energy into said medium and for altering in a controlled manner the concentration of said analyte along said path and thereby the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy; means for detecting the time rate of change of the intensity of radiation leaving said medium as the response of said analyte to said beam of radiant energy while the response is changing due to the influence of the perturbing pulse, after the perturbing pulse starts or ends or both; and means for correlating said time rate of change to the concentration of said analyte. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Apparatus for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a medium, comprising:
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a sensor element including a reagent whose optical properties change in response to the concentration of said analyte; means for exposing said reagent to said analyte in said medium; means for directing a beam of radiant energy along an optical path into said reagent at a wavelength selected to affect said beam of radiant energy as a function of the concentration of said analyte; means for periodically directing a perturbing pulse of energy into said reagent and for altering in a controlled manner both concentration of said analyte along said path and the optical spectral characteristics of said reagent as a function of the concentration of said analyte; means for detecting the time rate of change of the intensity of radiation leaving said reagent as the effect of said reagent on said beam of radiant energy while said effect is changing due to the influence of the perturbing pulse, after the perturbing pulse starts or ends or both; and means for correlating said time rate of change to the concentration of said analyte. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification