Submersible multi-parameter sonde having a high sensor form factor sensor

• US 9,689,855 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: In-Situ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: In-Situ Incorporated
• Inventors: Scott, Elijah Lyle, Sewell, Steven Collin, McKee, Duane B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, HEZRON
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, David Z
• Application Number:
  US14/937,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20160139101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys

Abstract

Provided are multi-parameter sonde systems having a unique form-factor, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged in a tight-fit configuration. This provides a single distal sensing surface and minimal separation distance between adjacent sensors. The sensors may be pie shaped with an interlocking feature to tightly hold the sensors together, with a sensor guard disposed over the outer surface of the interlocked sensors. Sensor-guards disclosed herein may have an integrated sensor storage and sensor guard configuration, thereby avoiding a need for a separate storage cup and that are configured to minimize unwanted biological growth. Also provided are uniquely shaped individual sensors having interlocking features to hold several sensors together in a sonde.

Claims

1. A multi-parameter sonde comprising:

a plurality of independent sensors each having a distal sensing surface and a proximal end; and

a base that operably connects to the proximal end of each of the sensors;

wherein adjacent distal sensing surfaces substantially contact each other to form a continuous distal sensing surface comprising the plurality of independent sensors;

wherein each of the plurality of independent sensors comprise;

an inner corner edge;

a pair of side surfaces extending from the inner corner edge and ending at an outer edge, wherein the side surfaces each define a plane and the planes are separated from each other by a side angle; and

an outer facing surface that connects the pair of side surfaces at the outer edge, thereby forming a three-sided sensor housing;

wherein when in use the side surfaces of adjacent sensors are in substantially continuous contact.

2. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors form an outer surface having a circular cross-section.

3. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, wherein the base operably connects between 2 and 12 sensors and the side angle is independently selected from a range that is greater than or equal to 30°

and less than 180°

.

4. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 3, wherein the base operably connects four sensors, each sensor having a side angle of 90°

and an outer facing surface with a curvature corresponding to one-quarter of a circle so that the plurality of sensors form an outer surface with a cross-section that is substantially circular.

5. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 4, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a sensor blank having an external shape that corresponds to an external shape of one of the sensors.

6. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, further comprising a sensor-guard having a sensor receiving volume and a sample sensing volume, wherein the plurality of sensors occupy substantially the entire volume of the sensor receiving volume.

7. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, further comprising a central support extending from the base that independently releasably connects each of the plurality of sensors.

8. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of sensors comprises:

a corner edge extending from the distal sensing surface and partway toward the proximal end, the corner edge shaped to receive at least a portion of the central support or a drive shaft extending therefrom;

a pair of side surfaces that extend from the corner edge and that are separated from each other by a side angle; and

an outer facing surface that connects the pair of side surfaces at an outer edge of each of the side surfaces, thereby forming a three-sided sensor housing.

9. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of sensors further comprise:

a top portion of each of the pair of side surfaces having a top width;

a bottom portion of each of the pair of side surfaces having a bottom width, wherein the bottom width is less than the top width to thereby form a bottom notch and a notch end surface;

a tongue connected to the notch end surface and longitudinally extending partway down the notch;

a fastening member to fasten the sensor to the base;

wherein in combination, the plurality of sensors form;

a top sensing volume having a central orifice for receiving a drive-shaft extending from the central support; and

a bottom portion having a central receiving volume for receiving the central support and a drive shaft motor positioned therein;

the central support having a plurality of grooves to operably receive the tongues and independently secure each of the sensors to the central portion.

10. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of sensors are tightly held against the central shaft, and a sensor guard is tight-fitted around an outer edge formed by the outer-facing surfaces of the sensors.

11. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 10, wherein the outer-facing surface is curved so that the plurality of sensors in combination form a circular cross-section.

12. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors form a continuous outer-facing surface that is in a tight fit with an inner-facing surface of the sensor guard.

13. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 10, wherein a sensor side wall is in continuous contact with an adjacent sensor side wall, and wherein each of the sensors:

extend a longitudinal distance that is greater than or equal to 5 cm and less than or equal to 50 cm;

have a radial dimension that is greater than or equal to 1 cm and less than or equal to 10 cm; and

in combination have a void volume that is less than or equal to 75 mL, wherein the void volume comprises at least one dimension associated with a sensor that is sufficiently small that biological growth is substantially constrained.

14. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 9, further comprising a wiper connected to a distal end of the drive shaft for rotably brushing each of the distal sensing surfaces.

15. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 14, further comprising a sensor guard that connects to the base and surrounds the plurality of sensors in a tight-fit configuration, the sensor guard having a sample sensing volume formed by a distal portion of a sensor guard sidewall, a sensor guard top surface, and the plurality of distal sensing surfaces, wherein the wiper is positioned within the sample sensing volume;

and

wherein the wiper comprises;

a central wiper body connected to the drive shaft, the central wiper body having a lower surface that faces the distal sensing surfaces and an upper surface that faces the sensor guard top surface;

a first wiper connected to the lower surface for cleaning the plurality of sensing surfaces; and

a second wiper connected to the upper surface for cleaning an inward-facing surface of the sensor guard top surface, wherein the first and second wipers each comprise a brush.

16. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 15, further comprising a motor and a slip clutch operably positioned in the central support and connected to the drive shaft to provide rotational motion of the drive shaft and the wiper connected thereto.

17. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 16, further comprising a position sensor operably connected to the motor to ensure wiper storage at a wiper stored position that does not adversely affect a sensor function, wherein the wiper storage position is at a position that is 180°

from a sensor that is actively measuring a parameter.

18. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, further comprising a sensor guard that surrounds the plurality of sensors and connects to the base, wherein the sensor guard has:

a sensing end comprising a fluid opening;

a covering end that is liquid tight;

a cap configured to connect to both the sensing end and the covering end;

wherein the sensor guard is reversibly connected to the base to provide;

a sensor guard configuration for the sensing end aligned with the distal sensing surfaces and the covering end connected to the base; and

a sensor storage configuration for the covering end aligned with the distal sensing surfaces and the sensing end connected to the base;

wherein the sensor guard is configured to reversibly change between the sensor guard configuration and the sensor storage configuration.

19. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 18, wherein the cap has an internal surface that opposably faces the continuous sensing distal sensing surface and is separated from the continuous sensing distal sensing surface by a sample distance that is greater than or equal to 1 cm and less than or equal to 10 cm, the multi-parameter sonde further comprising:

a rotatable brush that traverses the sample distance for simultaneous cleaning of the continuous sensing distal surface and the cap internal surface.

20. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 18, wherein during immersion in water, an air pocket forms between an outer surface of the plurality of independent sensors and an inner surface of the guard, wherein no observable biological growth occurs on any sensor or guard contact surface in contact with the air pocket, wherein each sensor has a wetted region that is confined to within 5% of a sensor longitudinal length from the distal sensing surface.

21. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, further comprising:

a reversible sensor guard comprising;

a sensing end comprising a fluid opening;

a covering end that is liquid tight;

a cap that connects to either of the sensing end or the covering end;

wherein the reversible sensor guard is reversibly connected to the base to provide;

a sensor guard configuration for the sensing end aligned with the distal sensing surfaces and the covering end connected to the base; and

a sensor storage configuration for the covering end aligned with the distal sensing surfaces and the sensing end connected to the base; and

wherein the sensor guard is configured to reversibly change between the sensor guard configuration and the sensor storage configuration.

22. The multi-parameter sonde of claim 1, wherein adjacent sensors are separated from each other by an average separation distance that is less than 0.3 mm.

25. A method of monitoring one or more water parameters, the method comprising the steps of:

immersing the multi-parameter sonde of claim 21 into water, wherein the multi-parameter sonde is in the sensor guard configuration and the multi-parameter sonde is positioned in a direction with the distal end furthest from a surface of the water;

forming an air-pocket between an outer-facing surface of the sensors and an inner-facing surface of the guard, wherein the air-pocket forms over 90% or greater of a longitudinal distance of the sensors extending from the base, and less than 10% of the longitudinal distance from the distal sensing end is wetted; and

wherein observable biological growth is prevented in the air pocket and is confined to a biological growth area corresponding to the wetted distal sensor end.

23. A sensor configured for use in a multi-parameter sonde, the sensor comprising:

an inner corner edge comprising a corner groove;

a pair of side surfaces extending from the inner corner edge and ending at an outer edge, wherein the side surfaces each define a plane and the planes are separated from each other by a side angle that is greater than or equal to 30° and

less than 180°

;

an outer facing surface that connects the pair of side surfaces at the outer edge, thereby forming a three-sided sensor housing;

a distal sensing surface;

a proximal end, wherein the pair of side surfaces and the outer-facing surface longitudinally extend between the proximal and the distal sensing surface to form a sensor housing; and

a sensor disposed within the sensor housing and having an active sensing end positioned at the distal sensing surface.

24. The sensor of claim 23, further comprising

a top portion of each of the pair of sides having a top width;

a bottom portion of each of the pair of sides having a bottom width, wherein the bottom width is less than the top width to thereby form a bottom notch and a notch end surface between the top portion and the bottom portion;

a tongue connected to the notch end surface and longitudinally extending partway down the notch; and

a fastening member connected to the proximal end for operably connecting the sensor to a multi-parameter sonde.