Device and method for carrying out a contactless measurement of the conductivity of a liquid situated in a flow channel

• US 6,653,841 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Kaiser, Peter, Hülsmann, Hans Georg, Koerdt, Franz-Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/463,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 324/204, 324/207, 324/243, 324/671, 324/439, 324/446, 324/449, 324/655, 324/668, 324/657, 324/681, 324/682, 73/614.3, 73/616.1, 328/155, 328/262
• US Class Current: 324/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/023 where the material is placed in the field of a coil

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for carrying out a contactless measurement of the conductivity of a liquid situated in a flow channel, and to the use of said device and method. According to the invention, the invention provides that a toroidal coil is precisely arranged around the flow channel. Said toroidal coil is interconnected with a capacitor to an oscillating circuit. The invention also provides that the electric characteristics of this circuit are then measured according to the conductivity which is sought after.

Claims

1. A device for contact-free measurement of the conductivity of a liquid in a flow channel, comprising:

only one toroidal coil, wherein the toroidal coil is adapted to be arranged around the flow channel; and

an analyzer circuit connected to the toroidal coil;

wherein neither the toroidal coil nor the analyzer circuit contacts the liquid in the flow channel.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the toroidal coil further comprises a coil form and a wire winding wrapped on the coil form.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the wire winding of the toroidal coil is a single layer wire.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the coil form is made of a nonmagnetic material.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the toroidal coil is divided along an axial direction.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the divided toroidal coil is adapted to open for allowing insertion of a flow channel within the toroidal coil.

7. The device according to claim 5, further comprising at least one hinge connecting divided portions of the toroidal coil.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the toroidal coil is adapted for opening in response to a translational movement of the flow channel being inserted in the toroidal coil.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor forming an oscillating circuit with the toroidal coil.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the analyzer circuit comprises means for determining a damping of the oscillating circuit.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the analyzer circuit has means for determining a quality of the toroidal coil.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is a dialysis liquid.

13. A method of performing contact-free conductivity measurement of a liquid in a flow channel, comprising the steps of:

disposing only one toroidal coil around the flow channel;

connecting an analyzer circuit to the toroidal coil;

measuring electric properties of the toroidal coil; and

calculating the conductivity from the measured electric properties with the analyzer circuit;

wherein the method is performed without the use of an electrode.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the liquid is a dialysis liquid.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the analyzer circuit comprises a capacitor to form an oscillating circuit with the toroidal coil.