Optode

Claim 1

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus.

Claim 2

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus.

Claim 6

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable to the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the indicator is set into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation.

Claim 7

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable to the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the indicator is set into motion within and relative to the indicator space during the measurement operation.

Claim 8

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, means defining a chamber for accommodating the substance to be analyzed and bounded by the permeable membrane, and agitator means in the chamber operative for agitating the substance to be analyzed.

Claim 9

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, means defining a chamber for accommodating the substance to be analyzed and bounded by the permeable membrane, and agitator means in the chamber operative for agitating the substance to be analyzed.

Claim 10

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, the means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion comprising means for circulating the substance out of and back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.

Claim 11

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, the means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion comprising means for circulating the substance out of and back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.

Claim 12

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space obtaining an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the permeable membrane being provided on its rim with adhesive means operative for detachably attaching the permeable membrane to a structure through which the substance to be analyzed is flowing.

Claim 13

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space obtaining an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the permeable membrane being provided on its rim with adhesive means operative for detachably attaching the permeable membrane to a structure through which the substance to be analyzed is flowing.

Claim 14

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means setting the indicator into motion comprising means setting the indicator into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane, further including means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane but perpendicular to the direction of motion of the indicator.

Claim 15

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means setting the indicator into motion comprising means setting the indicator into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane, further including means for setting the substance to be analyzed into motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane but perpendicular to the direction of motion of the indicator.

Claim 16

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means defining the indicator space comprising a plurality of permeable-membrane microcapsules encapsulating the indicator and additionally encapsulating magnetic material, the means setting the indicator into motion including magnet means operative for exerting magnetic force on the magnetic material encapsulated within the permeable-membrane microcapsules.

Claim 17

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means setting the indicator in the indicator space into motion during the measurement operation performed by the apparatus, the means defining the indicator space comprising a plurality of permeable-membrane microcapsules encapsulating the indicator and additionally encapsulating magnetic material, the means setting the indicator into motion including magnet means operative for exerting magnetic force on the magnetic material encapsulated within the permeable-membrane microcapsules.

Claim 18

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, means operative for causing two different portions of the indicator to be differently saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured, and photometric means operative for photometrically ascertaining the respective extents to which said two different portions of the indicator are saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured.

Claim 19

An apparatus for the optical measurement of the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed, of the type comprising a source of monochromatic excitation radiation, means defining an indicator space containing an indicator excited by the excitation radiation, the side of the means defining the indicator space to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed comprising a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be determined, the side of the means defining the indicator space facing the monochromatic excitation radiation being transmissive for the radiation, the improvement wherein the apparatus includes means for setting the substance to be analyzed into convective motion in direction parallel to the membrane to cause the substance to travel across the membrane, means operative for causing two different portions of the indicator to be differently saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured, and photometric means operative for photometrically ascertaining the respective extents to which said two different portions of the indicator are saturated by the component whose concentration is to be measured.

Claim 21

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane while accommodated within a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane using agitator means located in the chamber.

Claim 22

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane while accommodated within a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane using agitator means located in the chamber.

Claim 23

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into the convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane by repeatedly circulating the substance to be analyzed out of and then back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.

Claim 24

A method of optically measuring the concentration of a component of a substance to be analyzed of the type wherein a source of monochromatic excitation radiation is used to excite the indicator contained in an indicator space closed off at the side thereof facing the monochromatic radiation by a radiation-transmissive means and closed off at the side to be brought into contact with the substance to be analyzed by a membrane permeable for the component whose concentration is to be ascertained, the improvement wherein the substance to be analyzed is set into the convective motion in a direction parallel to the permeable membrane and flows across the permeable membrane by repeatedly circulating the substance to be analyzed out of and then back into a chamber bounded by the permeable membrane.