Method of using a computer to collect chemical signals directly

• US 5,644,501 A
• Filed: 12/06/1994
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lin, Chih-I, Lin, Shengfu
• Original Assignee: Lin, Chih-I, Lin, Shengfu
• Inventors: Lin, Shengfu, Lin, Chih-I
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wachsman, Hal D.
• Application Number:
  US08/354,031
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 364/496-500, 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/509, 364/510, 364/413.08, 364/413.09, 364/413.11, 364/413.12, 204/400, 204/401, 204/409, 204/405-407, 422/68.1, 422/81, 422/82.01, 422/82.02, 422/62, 422/119, 340/632, 324/464, 324/468, 324/465, 324/438, 128/734, 128/738
• US Class Current: 702/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/286 Power or signal connectors associated therewith

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of using a computer to collect chemical signals directly from a chemical sensor. This method first transforms analog chemical signals received from the chemical sensor into analog electronic signals in a transforming circuit in cooperation with control computer programs executed in the computer, then uses an Analog-to-Digital converter, which connects the transforming circuit with the computer, to transform the analog electronic signals into digital signals; and finally transfers the digital signals to the computer.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer to collect chemical signals directly from a chemical sensor used in amperometry or conductometry, comprising the steps of:

supplying an analog output of the chemical amperometry or conductometry sensor to a current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit in order to transform the analog output of the chemical sensor into a processed analog signal in preparation for analog-to-digital conversion in cooperation with a control program executed by the computer;

supplying an output of the current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit to an analog-to-digital converter in order to transform the processed analog signal into a digital signal; and

transferring the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital converter to a computer,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter further includes a digital-to-analog converter, and further comprising the steps of transferring digital signals from said computer to the digital-to-analog converter in order to convert the digital signals to analog signals, said supplying the converted digital signals to the potentiostat circuit for use in amperometry, the converted digital signals providing a specific electric potential to the potentiostat circuit to cause the chemical sensor to execute a potentiostat, cyclic voltammetry or square wave voltammetry operation.

2. A method of using a computer to collect chemical signals directly from a chemical sensor used in amperometry or conductometry, comprising the steps of:

supplying an analog output of the chemical amperometry or conductometry sensor to a current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit in order to transform the analog output of the chemical sensor into a processed analog signal in preparation for analog-to-digital conversion in cooperation with a control program executed by the computer;

supplying an output of the current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit to an analog-to-digital converter in order to transform the processed analog signal into a digital signal; and

transferring the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital converter to a computer,

wherein said analog-to-digital converter further includes a digital-to-analog converter, and further comprising the steps of transferring digital signals from said computer to the digital-to-analog converter in order to convert said digital signals to analog signals, and supplying the converted digital signals to said conductometer and current-potential converter for use in conductometry, the converted digital signals causing the chemical sensor to execute sine wave voltammetry.

3. A system for using a computer to collect chemical signals, comprising:

a computer;

a chemical sensor used in amperometry or conductometry;

a current-potential converter;

a potentiostat circuit;

means for supplying an analog output of the chemical amperometry of conductometry sensor to a current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit in order to transform the analog output of the chemical sensor into a processed analog signal in preparation for analog-to-digital conversion in cooperation with a control program executed by the computer;

an analog-to-digital converter;

means for supplying an output of the current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit to the analog-to-digital converter in order to transform the processed analog signal into a digital signal; and

means for transferring the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital converter to the computer for analysis,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter further includes a digital-to-analog converter, and further comprising means for transferring digital signals from said computer to said digital-to-analog converter in order to convert said digital signals to analog signals, and means for supplying said converted digital signals to said potentiostat circuit for use in amperometry, said converted digital signals providing a specific electric potential to the potentiostat circuit to cause the chemical sensor to execute a potentiostat, cyclic voltammetry or square wave voltammetry operation.

4. A system for using a computer to collect chemical signals, comprising:

a computer;

a chemical sensor used in amperometry or conductometry;

a current-potential converter;

a potentiostat circuit;

means for supplying an analog output of the chemical amperometry of conductometry sensor to a current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit in order to transform the analog output of the chemical sensor into a processed analog signal in preparation for analog-to-digital conversion in cooperation with a control program executed by the computer;

an analog-to-digital converter;

means for supplying an output of the current-potential converter and potentiostat circuit to the analog-to-digital converter in order to transform the processed analog signal into a digital signal; and

means for transferring the digital signal output by the analog-to-digital converter to the computer for analysis,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter further includes a digital-to-analog converter, and further comprising means for transferring digital signals from said computer to said digital-to-analog converter in order to convert said digital signals to analog signals, and means for supplying the converted digital signals to said conductometer and current-potential converter for use in conductometry, said converted digital signals causing the chemical sensor to execute sine wave voltammetry.