Sensor probe for determining hydrogen peroxide concentration and method of use thereof
First Claim
1. A sensing probe for quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide present in a body of fluid or fluid-containing material, which comprises:
- first and second oxygen sensors, each generating a signal proportional to oxygen content of a fluid electrolyte in contact with a respective sensor;
first and second membranes disposed in series and separating said first oxygen sensor from said material, with said second membrane being disposed between said first membrane and said first oxygen sensor;
a third membrane separating said second oxygen sensor from said material;
said first membrane being permeable to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen, and having dispersed therethrough an immobilized enzyme which catalyzes the complete conversion of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen;
said second and third membranes being hydrophobic and permeable to oxygen but not hydrogen peroxide; and
a summer receiving oxygen-content-dependent signals from said first and second oxygen sensors and generating a resultant signal proportional to the difference between said oxygen-content-dependent signals, said difference being proportional to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in said sample wherein the probe is an instant read probe.
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Abstract
A sensor probe is disclosed which can measure the hydrogen peroxide content of a single sample using two oxygen sensors whose electrodes are encased in defined membranes. The oxygen reference sensor is encased in a hydrophobic membrane which prevents the transport of hydrogen peroxide or electrochemical poisons or interferents and isolates the electrodes and an electrolyte fluid surrounding the electrodes from the sample fluid. The hydrogen-peroxide-generated oxygen (HPGO) sensor is also is encased in such a hydrophobic membrane, but has in series with and distally of the hydrophobic membrane a hydrophilic membrane which contains an immobilized enzyme such as catalase, peroxidase or other enzymes of a family which catalyzes the reaction of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water. At the HPGO sensor, the hydrogen peroxide is catalyzed to oxygen by the enzyme so that the HPGO sensor measures an enhanced concentration of oxygen relative to the oxygen reference sensor. The signals of each of the oxygen sensors are sent to a summer, which subtracts the equal background oxygen concentration of both, yielding a resultant difference signal representative of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide content of the sample itself. A suitable display or data collection device is used to capture the information in visible or digital form. Methods of use of the device for determining hydrogen peroxide content of human or animal tissues or fluids, or environmental or industrial fluids or fluid-containing materials, are also disclosed.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A sensing probe for quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide present in a body of fluid or fluid-containing material, which comprises:
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first and second oxygen sensors, each generating a signal proportional to oxygen content of a fluid electrolyte in contact with a respective sensor;
first and second membranes disposed in series and separating said first oxygen sensor from said material, with said second membrane being disposed between said first membrane and said first oxygen sensor;
a third membrane separating said second oxygen sensor from said material;
said first membrane being permeable to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen, and having dispersed therethrough an immobilized enzyme which catalyzes the complete conversion of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen;
said second and third membranes being hydrophobic and permeable to oxygen but not hydrogen peroxide; and
a summer receiving oxygen-content-dependent signals from said first and second oxygen sensors and generating a resultant signal proportional to the difference between said oxygen-content-dependent signals, said difference being proportional to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in said sample wherein the probe is an instant read probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A sensing probe for quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide present in a body of fluid or fluid-containing material, which comprises:
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a first oxygen sensor and a second oxygen sensor, each having electrode means for detecting the presence of oxygen in a fluid electrolyte in contact with said electrode means and for generating a signal proportional to the concentration of oxygen detected in said fluid electrolyte;
a first membrane surrounding said electrode means of said first oxygen sensor, forming a barrier between said electrode means and said material and being permeable to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, said first membrane having disposed therethrough an immobilized enzyme which catalyzes complete conversion of hydrogen peroxide to oxygen;
a second membrane and a third membrane, said second membrane also surrounding said electrode means of said first sensor in series with said first membrane and being disposed between said first membrane and said electrode means, and said third membrane surrounding said electrode means of said second sensor and forming a barrier between said electrode means of said second sensor and said material, said second and third membranes being hydrophobic and permeable to oxygen but not hydrogen peroxide;
a summer electrically connected to said first and second oxygen sensors and receiving a signals from each sensor proportional to the amount of oxygen detected by said electrode means of said sensor, said summer comprising comparison means for determining difference in value between a signal from said first oxygen sensor and a signal from said second oxygen sensor and transmitting a difference signal proportional to said difference in value to a receiver; and
said receiver comprising conversion means for receiving said difference signal and converting it into a human- or machine-readable indication of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in said material wherein the probe is an instant read probe. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification