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EP0263692A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Gas sensor

Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1987-10-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-10-07
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Abstract

Abstract A gas sensor has a first aqueous phase. The aqueous phase is composed of a soluble dye in a buffer. One or more additional agent can be further added to the aqueous phase as for instance an emulisification enhancement agent. The aqueous phase is homogenized into a polymeric precursor forming a emulsion of the aqueous phase in the polymeric precursor. A catalyst and a cross-linking agent are added and the polymeric precursor material allowed to polymerize to form an emulsoid of micro-compartments of the aqueous phase in a polymeric second phase. The micro-compartments of the aqueous phase are dispersed through and permanently suspended in the polymeric second phase.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masao Yafuso
  • 👤 John K. Suzuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 06:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/75; G01N21/77; G01N21/7703; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/145; A61B5/1455; A61B5/1459; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/6428; G01N31/00; G01N31/22; G01N31/223; G01N2021/6434; G01N2021/7706; G01N2021/772; G01N2021/773; G01N21/78; G01N21/81; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/20; Y10T436/204998

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 62 words
A gas sensor comprising: a gas permeable, light permeable and substantially aqueous impermeable matrix consisting essentially of a single polymeric material, said matrix having a plurality of micro-compartments dispersed therein; and an aqueous phase in said micro-compartments and substantially filling said micro-compartments, said aqueous phase comprising an aqueous buffer solvent and a solute, said solute including a dye soluble in said solvent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 62 words
A gas sensor comprising: a gas permeable, light permeable and substantially aqueous impermeable matrix consisting essentially of a single polymeric material, said matrix having a plurality of micro-compartments dispersed therein; and an aqueous phase in said micro-compartments and substantially filling said micro-compartments, said aqueous phase comprising an aqueous buffer solvent and a solute, said solute including a dye soluble in said solvent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
A gas sensor of claim 1 wherein: said dye is a pH sensitive dye.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
A gas sensor of claim 1 or 2 wherein: said polymeric material is an ionic impermeable material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 25 words
A gas sensor of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein: said material is polydimethysiloxane and said dye is hydroxypyrene trisulfonic acid or a salt thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 18 words
A gas sensor of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said microcompartments are smaller than 5 microns.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The gas sensor of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein said gas is carbon dioxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 88 words
A gas sensor which comprises: an aqueous phase having an aqueous soluble optical indicator dye dissolved therein; a gas permeable carrier body which is essentially aqueous impermeable and is capable of transmitting light at least at selected wavelengths; a plurality of droplets of said aqueous phase dispersed in said carrier body, said droplets being supported by said carrier body; an optical fiber having an optical face; and said carrier body with said aqueous phase dispersed therein being located in association with said optical face of said optical fiber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 88 words
A gas sensor which comprises: an aqueous phase having an aqueous soluble optical indicator dye dissolved therein; a gas permeable carrier body which is essentially aqueous impermeable and is capable of transmitting light at least at selected wavelengths; a plurality of droplets of said aqueous phase dispersed in said carrier body, said droplets being supported by said carrier body; an optical fiber having an optical face; and said carrier body with said aqueous phase dispersed therein being located in association with said optical face of said optical fiber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
A gas sensor of claim 7 wherein: said optical indicator dye is a fluorescent dye and said selected wavelengths including the excitation and emission wavelengths of said fluorescent dye.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 102 words
A process of preparing a gas sensor which comprises: dissolving a quantity of a dye in a quantity of aqueous buffer solution; vigorously mixing said buffer solution with a quantity of a polymeric precursor of a cross-linked polymeric material so as to form an emulsion of said buffer solution and said polymeric precursor; adding a quantity of a cross-linking agent and a catalyst to said emulsion; forming said catalyzed emulsion into a shape; and curing said shaped catalyzed emulsion to form a cross-linked polymeric material having a plurality of micro-compartments of said dye containing aqueous buffer solution in said cross-linked polymeric material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 102 words
A process of preparing a gas sensor which comprises: dissolving a quantity of a dye in a quantity of aqueous buffer solution; vigorously mixing said buffer solution with a quantity of a polymeric precursor of a cross-linked polymeric material so as to form an emulsion of said buffer solution and said polymeric precursor; adding a quantity of a cross-linking agent and a catalyst to said emulsion; forming said catalyzed emulsion into a shape; and curing said shaped catalyzed emulsion to form a cross-linked polymeric material having a plurality of micro-compartments of said dye containing aqueous buffer solution in said cross-linked polymeric material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 44 words
The process of claim 9 further including the step of: adding a quantity of an emulsification enhancement agent to said solution of said dye in said buffer so as to form a solution of said dye and said emulsification enhancement agent in said buffer.

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