Apparatus and method for measuring conductivity change in a glucose-glucose oxidase reaction

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION CONTAINING THE PRODUCTS OF A GLUCOSE-GLUCOSE OXIDASE REACTION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A. FIRST AND SECOND FLOW-THROUGH CELLS, EACH CELL HAVING A CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH AN IONIC SOLUTION CAN FLOW AND A PAIR OF ELECTRODLES EXPOSED TO THE CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF AN IONIC SOLUTION WITHIN THE CHAMBER; B. A FLOW-THROUGH CONTAINER CONTAINING AN ENZYME COMPOSITE COMPRISING GLUCOSE OXIDASE AND CATALASE IMOBILIZED WITHIN THE PORES OF POROUS, ESSENTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE INORGANIC CARRIER PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER BETWEEN ABOUT 220A AND 985A AND AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 80 MESH, U.S. STANDARD SIEVE; C. MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GLUCOSE-CONTAINING SOLUTION INTO THE CONTAINER OF (B) AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE SOLUTION AFTER PASSAGE THROUGH THE CONTAINER OF (B) AND PASSING THE COLLECTED SOLUTION THROUGH THE FIRST FLOWTHROUGH CELL; D. MELANS FOR MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION WITHIN THE FIRST CELL; E. MEANS FOR PASSING EITHER A STANDARD GLUCOSE SOLUTION OR THE GLUCOSE-CONTAINING SOLUTION PRIOR TO PASSAGE THROUGH THE CONTAINER OF (B) THROUGH THE SECOND CELL AND MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF EITHER SUCH SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE SECOND CELL; AND, F. MEANS FOR MEASURING THE DIFFERENCE IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND CELL.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION CONTAINING THE PRODUCTS OF A GLUCOSE-GLUCOSE OXIDASE REACTION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A. FIRST AND SECOND FLOW-THROUGH CELLS, EACH CELL HAVING A CHAMBER THROUGH WHICH AN IONIC SOLUTION CAN FLOW AND A PAIR OF ELECTRODLES EXPOSED TO THE CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF AN IONIC SOLUTION WITHIN THE CHAMBER; B. A FLOW-THROUGH CONTAINER CONTAINING AN ENZYME COMPOSITE COMPRISING GLUCOSE OXIDASE AND CATALASE IMOBILIZED WITHIN THE PORES OF POROUS, ESSENTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE INORGANIC CARRIER PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER BETWEEN ABOUT 220A AND 985A AND AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 80 MESH, U.S. STANDARD SIEVE; C. MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GLUCOSE-CONTAINING SOLUTION INTO THE CONTAINER OF (B) AND MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE SOLUTION AFTER PASSAGE THROUGH THE CONTAINER OF (B) AND PASSING THE COLLECTED SOLUTION THROUGH THE FIRST FLOWTHROUGH CELL; D. MELANS FOR MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION WITHIN THE FIRST CELL; E. MEANS FOR PASSING EITHER A STANDARD GLUCOSE SOLUTION OR THE GLUCOSE-CONTAINING SOLUTION PRIOR TO PASSAGE THROUGH THE CONTAINER OF (B) THROUGH THE SECOND CELL AND MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF EITHER SUCH SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE SECOND CELL; AND, F. MEANS FOR MEASURING THE DIFFERENCE IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND CELL.

Claim 5

A method of monitoring the change in electrical conductivity of a solution which change is attributable to a glucose-glucose oxidase reaction which comprises the steps of: a. passing a glucose-containing solution through a flow-through container containing composites of glucose oxidase and catalase immobilized within the pores of porous, essentially water-insoluble inorganic carrier particles having an average pore diameter between about 220A and 985A and an average particle size between about 25 and 80 mesh, U.S. Standard Sieve; b. measuring the electrical conductivity of the solution after passage through the container; and c. determining the difference between that conductivity and that of a standard glucose solution or the conductivity of the glucose-containing solution prior to passage through the flow-through container.

Claim 6

A method of monitoring the change in electrical conductivity of a solution which change is attributable to a glucose-glucose oxidase reaction which comprises the steps of: a. passing a glucose-containing solution through a flow-through container containing composites of glucose oxidase and catalase immobilized within the pores of porous, essentially water-insoluble inorganic carrier particles having an average pore diameter between about 220A and 985A and an average particle size between about 25 and 80 mesh, U.S. Standard Sieve; b. measuring the electrical conductivity of the solution after passage through the container; and c. determining the difference between that conductivity and that of a standard glucose solution or the conductivity of the glucose-containing solution prior to passage through the flow-through container.