EP0097554A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Chemical sensors having a hydrophilic membrane as the electrolyte media
Assignee: Bendix Corp
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Filing: 1983-05-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-05-31
Abstract
Abstract A chemical sensor having a pair of spatially separated electrodes (16, 18) and a thin structurally stable hydrophilic membrane (12) disposed therebetween. The hydrophilic membrane (12) is the host media for a liquid electrolyte and confines the liquid electrolyte to the region between the two electrodes (16, 18). The chemical sensor embodying the hydrophilic membrane (12) has the physical characteristics of a solid state device yet preserves all the attributes of a wet chemical sensor.
Inventors
- 👤 Jesse Carl Patton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:36
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/403; G01N27/404
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
An improved chemical sensor having a liquid electrolyte and two spatially separated electrodes (16, 18) in physical and electrical contact with the liquid electrolyte, the improvement characterized by a structurally integral hydrophilic membrane (12) disposed between said spatially separated electrodes (16, 18), said hydrophilic membrane (12) hosting the liquid electrolyte keeping it in an immobilized state between and in physical and electrical contact with the two spatially separated electrodes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
69 words
An improved chemical sensor having a liquid electrolyte and two spatially separated electrodes (16, 18) in physical and electrical contact with the liquid electrolyte, the improvement characterized by a structurally integral hydrophilic membrane (12) disposed between said spatially separated electrodes (16, 18), said hydrophilic membrane (12) hosting the liquid electrolyte keeping it in an immobilized state between and in physical and electrical contact with the two spatially separated electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 1 further including: means 23.for applying a potential difference between said two electrodes; and means (22) associated with said means for applying a potential. difference for measuring the current flow through said electrolyte.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 1 further including means (64) for measuring the potential between said two electrodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic membrane (12) is a planar membrane having a thickness in the range from 0.1 to 1.0 millimeters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 4 wherein said hydrophilic membrane (12) is a cellulose triacetate membrane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The chemical sensor of Claims 4 or 5 wherein said electrolyte is an electrolytic salt dissolved in a liquid solvent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 6 wherein said liquid solvent has a low volatility and a high hydrophilicity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 7 wherein said solvent is ethylene glycol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 6 wherein one of said two electrodes (16, 18) is a porous cathode (16) and the other is an anode (18), said chemical sensor further including an ion-sensitive member (24) disposed over said cathode (16).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 6 wherein one of said two elect.rodes (16, 18) is a porous cathode (16) and the other is an anode (18), said chemical sensor further includes a gas permeable membrane (24) disposed over said cathode (16).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 1 wherein said hydrophilic membrane (12) is a cylinder (32) having an internal surface and an external surface and wherein one of said electrodes (16, 18) is a porous cathode (34) disposed along said internal surface and the other electrode (18) is an anode (38) disposed along said external surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 11 wherein said electrolyte comprises an electrolytic salt dissolved in a liquid solvent having a low volatility and a high hydrophilicity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 12 wherein said electrolyte is ethylene glycol.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 11 further including an ion-selective member (36) disposed over said porous cathode (34) and in physical contact with the electrolyte through said porous cathode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The chemical sensor of Claim 11 further including a gas permeable membrane (36) disposed over said porous cathode (34).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
The chemical sensor of Claims 14 and 15 further including a cylindrical housing (40, 46) circumscribing said cylindrical hydrophilic membrane (32), said housing (40, 46) having an inlet port (42) at one end and an exit port (48) at the other end.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for making a chemical sensor characterized by the steps of: saturating a structurally integral hydrophilic membrane (12).with a liquid electrolyte; disposing a porous electrically conductive cathode (16) over one surface of said hydrophilic membrane (12); and disposing an electrically conductive anode (18) over the opposite surface of said hydrophilic membrane (12).
Claim 19
Independent Claim
53 words
A method for making a chemical sensor characterized by the steps of: saturating a structurally integral hydrophilic membrane (12).with a liquid electrolyte; disposing a porous electrically conductive cathode (16) over one surface of said hydrophilic membrane (12); and disposing an electrically conductive anode (18) over the opposite surface of said hydrophilic membrane (12).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 17 further including the step of disposing an ion sensitive-member (24) over said cathode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 17 further including the step of disposing a gas permeable membrane (24) over said cathode.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method of Claim 17 wherein said electrolyte is an aqueous electrolyte solution, said step of saturating comprises the steps of: placing said hydrophilic membrane (12) in an aqueous electrolyte solution having a predetermined molar concentration of a electrolytic salt; and shaking said hydrophilic membrane (12) in said aqueous electrolyte solution until the molar concentration of the electrolytic salt in the acqueous solution outside of the hydrophilic membrane (12) stabilizes at a new value.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of Claim 17 wherein the solvent of said electrolyte is non-aqueous, said step of saturating comprises the steps of: soaking said hydrophilic membrane (12) in said solvent for a predetermined period of time; to displace the water in said hydrophilic 'membrane (12) with said non-aqueous solvent; placing said solvent saturated membrane (12) in said non-aqueous electrolyte having a predetermined molar concentration of an electrolytic salt; and vigorously shaking said membrane (12) in said non-aqueous electrolyte until the molar concentration of said electrolytic salt stabilizes at a new value.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of Claim 21 wherein said step of soaking further includes the step of periodically changing said non-aqueous solvent to insure the maximum purity of the solvent in the membrane (12).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
- 23. The method of Claim 22 wherein said step of soaking saturates said membrane (12) with said non-aqueous solvent having a weight greater than 70 percent of the total weight of said saturated membrane (12).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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