Aquatic Environment Water-Quality Monitor Having A Submersible Chemical Indicator Wheel
First Claim
1. A water-quality monitoring system for monitoring quality of water in an aquatic environment, comprising:
- a chemical indicator wheel designed and configured to be submerged in the water of the aquatic environment during use, said chemical indicator wheel including;
a holder having a rotational axis; and
a plurality of chemical indicators fixedly supported by said holder, wherein said plurality of chemical indicators are designed and configured to undergo optically detectable changes in response to changes in levels of corresponding respective differing constituents of the water; and
a monitoring unit that includes;
an optical reader designed and configured to acquire optical readings of each of said plurality of indicators; and
a drive system designed and configured to drive said chemical indicator wheel to at least one reading position for each of said plurality of chemical indicators, wherein said optical reader can take a reading.
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Abstract
A water-quality monitoring system for an aquatic environment that includes a monitoring unit and a chemical indicator wheel designed and configured to be submerged in the water being monitored. The chemical indicator wheel includes a holder that supports a number of chemical indicators selected for use in measuring levels of constituents of the water. When in use, the wheel is drivingly engaged with a monitoring/measuring unit that includes at least one reader for reading the chemical indicators. In some embodiments, each apparatus includes a plurality of immobilized-dye-based chemical indicators that undergo an optically detectable physical change as levels of one or more constituents of the water change. Also disclosed are a variety of features that can be used to provide the monitoring system with additional functionalities.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A water-quality monitoring system for monitoring quality of water in an aquatic environment, comprising:
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a chemical indicator wheel designed and configured to be submerged in the water of the aquatic environment during use, said chemical indicator wheel including; a holder having a rotational axis; and a plurality of chemical indicators fixedly supported by said holder, wherein said plurality of chemical indicators are designed and configured to undergo optically detectable changes in response to changes in levels of corresponding respective differing constituents of the water; and a monitoring unit that includes; an optical reader designed and configured to acquire optical readings of each of said plurality of indicators; and a drive system designed and configured to drive said chemical indicator wheel to at least one reading position for each of said plurality of chemical indicators, wherein said optical reader can take a reading. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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- 6. A water-quality monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein said optical reader includes a plurality of light sources, said combined illuminator/light collector including spot lensing designed and configured to direct light from said plurality of light sources so as to form a corresponding plurality of illumination spots, sequentially, on each of said plurality of chemical indicators.
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15. A water-quality monitoring unit for monitoring quality of water in an aquatic environment, wherein the monitoring is designed and configured to rotatably drive a chemical indicator wheel designed and configured to be submerged in the water of the aquatic environment during use, the chemical indicator wheel having a rotational axis and including a plurality of chemical indicators designed and configured to undergo optically detectable changes in response to changes in levels of corresponding respective differing constituents of the water, the monitoring unit including:
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an optical reader designed and configured to acquire optical readings of each of the plurality of indicators; and a drive system designed and configured to drive said chemical indicator wheel to at least one reading position for each of said plurality of chemical indicators, wherein said optical reader can take a reading. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification