Analytic cell

• US 6,193,865 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: USF Filtration and Separations Group, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Maxwell, Ian Andrew, Hodges, Alastair McIndoe, Johansen, Oddvar, Beck, Thomas William, Chatelier, Ronald Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, T.
• Application Number:
  US09/268,250
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 204/415, 204/416, 204/435, 204/433
• US Class Current: 204/435
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/401 Salt-bridge leaks; Liquid junctions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4035 Combination of a single ion-sensing electrode and a single reference electrode G01N27/406 and G01N27/413 take precedence

Abstract

Electrochemical cell having a porous substrate and a first and a second electrodes separated by an ion diffusion inhibiting partition is disclosed. The ion diffusion inhibiting partition between the two electrodes is defined by compressing the substrate and/or blocking pores of the substrate so as to inhibit but not entirely block ion diffusion between the two electrodes.

Claims

1. A cell comprising a first electrode, a reference electrode, a porous membrane extending between the first electrode and the reference electrode for retaining a liquid analyte if admitted to the porous membrane in electrical contact with both said electrodes, and an ion diffusion inhibiting partition disposed between said electrodes, wherein said partition comprises a compressed and/or chemically blocked region of the membrane, and wherein said partition inhibits but does not entirely block ion diffusion.

2. A cell according to claim 1 wherein the electrodes are disposed on the same side of the membrane as each other.

3. A cell according to claim 1 wherein the reference electrode is silver/silver halide.

4. A cell according to claim 3 wherein the reference electrode is formed by sputter coating silver onto a supporting film and treating the silver to form a silver halide.

5. A cell according to claim 1 wherein the porous membrane on the side of the partition adjacent the reference electrode contains a soluble halide salt.

6. A cell according to claim 1 wherein the porous membrane on the side of the partition adjacent the first electrode contains a redox system.

7. A cell according to claim 6 wherein the redox system is a quinone-hydroquinone system.

8. A cell according to claim 1 wherein an electrode is formed on a carrier film prior to being assembled with the porous membrane.

9. A cell according to claim 1 wherein the cell is segregated by means of a region into two separate cells having two separate ion diffusion inhibiting partitions, wherein said region comprises a compressed and/or chemically blocked region of the membrane, and wherein said region electrically isolates the two separate cells thus formed.

10. A cell according to claim 1 in combination with apparatus for measuring the electrical potential difference between the electrodes.