Apparatus and method for measuring conductivity change in a urea-urease reaction

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION CONTAINING THE PRODUCTS OF A UREA-UREASE 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 ELECTRODES EXPOSED TO THE CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF AN IONIC SOLUTION WITING THE CHAMBER, B. A FLOW-THROUGH CONTAINER CONTAINING AN ENZYME COMPOSITE COMPRISING UREASE IMMOBILIZED WITHIN THE PORES OF POROUS, ESSENTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE INORGANIC CARRIER PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER BETWEN ABOUT 140 A AND 985 A AND AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 80 MESH, U.S. STANDARD SIEVER, C. MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A UREA-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 FLOW-THROUGH CELL, D. MEANS FOR MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION WITHIN THE FIRST CELL, E. MEANS FOR PASSING EITHER A STANDARD UREA SOLUTION OR THE UREA-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 UREA-UREASE 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 ELECTRODES EXPOSED TO THE CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF AN IONIC SOLUTION WITING THE CHAMBER, B. A FLOW-THROUGH CONTAINER CONTAINING AN ENZYME COMPOSITE COMPRISING UREASE IMMOBILIZED WITHIN THE PORES OF POROUS, ESSENTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE INORGANIC CARRIER PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE PORE DIAMETER BETWEN ABOUT 140 A AND 985 A AND AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 80 MESH, U.S. STANDARD SIEVER, C. MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A UREA-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 FLOW-THROUGH CELL, D. MEANS FOR MEASURING THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF A SOLUTION WITHIN THE FIRST CELL, E. MEANS FOR PASSING EITHER A STANDARD UREA SOLUTION OR THE UREA-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 urea-urease reaction which comprises the steps of: a. passing a urea-containing solution through a flow-through container containing composites of urease immobilized within the pores of porous, essentially water-insoluble inorganic carrier particles having an average pore diameter between about 140 A and 985 A 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 urea solution or the conductivity of the urea-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 urea-urease reaction which comprises the steps of: a. passing a urea-containing solution through a flow-through container containing composites of urease immobilized within the pores of porous, essentially water-insoluble inorganic carrier particles having an average pore diameter between about 140 A and 985 A 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 urea solution or the conductivity of the urea-containing solution prior to passage through the flow-through container.