Apparatus for measuring analytes in a fluid sample
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for measuring the amount of a measurable substance in a sample, comprising:
- first chamber means having an inlet and an outlet for having a sample introduced thereinto and removed therefrom, said first chamber means having three chambers interconnected by a flow path, two of said three chambers each have an electrode disposed therein, each chamber being of a size sufficient only for wetting their respective electrodes by an amount sufficient to conduct electrochemical detection of substances;
membrane means partially defining second chamber means located relative to said first chamber means for allowing a first predetermined substance in said sample to pass therethrough;
detecting means disposed in said second chamber for detecting one of said first predetermined substance and a product thereof which comprises a second predetermined substance, in said second chamber; and
said second chamber means having an inlet and an outlet for supplying and removing from said second chamber a third substance capable of carrying in suspension at least one of said first predetermined substance and said second predetermined substance, while being retained in said second chamber by said membrane, and for flushing said second chamber means, whereby one of said first and second substances is the measurable substance and said inlet and outlet means allowing flushing of said second chamber after measurement of said measurable substance has been conducted.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus provide a system for measuring a measurable component in a sample. A sample is introduced into a chamber. A permeable membrane to the measurable component allows the component to pass into a second chamber. In the second chamber the component is measured directly or reacted in the presence of an enzyme to generate a detectable product detected by a detector therein. The second chamber is then flushed. The second chamber is only of a size sufficient to contain enough liquid to wet the detector therein.
270 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring the amount of a measurable substance in a sample, comprising:
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first chamber means having an inlet and an outlet for having a sample introduced thereinto and removed therefrom, said first chamber means having three chambers interconnected by a flow path, two of said three chambers each have an electrode disposed therein, each chamber being of a size sufficient only for wetting their respective electrodes by an amount sufficient to conduct electrochemical detection of substances; membrane means partially defining second chamber means located relative to said first chamber means for allowing a first predetermined substance in said sample to pass therethrough; detecting means disposed in said second chamber for detecting one of said first predetermined substance and a product thereof which comprises a second predetermined substance, in said second chamber; and said second chamber means having an inlet and an outlet for supplying and removing from said second chamber a third substance capable of carrying in suspension at least one of said first predetermined substance and said second predetermined substance, while being retained in said second chamber by said membrane, and for flushing said second chamber means, whereby one of said first and second substances is the measurable substance and said inlet and outlet means allowing flushing of said second chamber after measurement of said measurable substance has been conducted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for measuring the amount of an analyte in a fluid sample, said apparatus comprising (a) a housing defining a sample-receiving chamber and a measurement chamber separated by a semipermeable membrane, said sample-receiving chamber having an inlet for admitting said fluid sample into said sample-receiving chamber, said membrane transmitting said analyte from said sample-receiving chamber to said measurement chamber, said measurement chamber containing an enzyme which reacts with said analyte to produce a measurable byproduct, and (b) a detector for detecting said measurable byproduct, said apparatus being characterized in that:
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a) said measurement chamber has a volume of less than 1.00 microliters and has an inlet for selectively admitting said enzyme into said second chamber; b) said detector is positioned within said measurement chamber;
, andc) means are provided for flushing said measurement chamber of said analyte, enzyme and/or byproduct. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification