Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for measuring the concentration of a first substance in a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, one of said devices including a second substance which causes ions to be produced when said second substance is exposed to said first substance, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of said first substance, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, whereby a concentration of said ions can be sensed by said ion-sensitive means; and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to cause substantial equality of the concentration of said ions at said first and said second devices, the magnitude of said current being indicative of said concentration of said first substance.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
138 words
A system for measuring the concentration of a first substance in a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, one of said devices including a second substance which causes ions to be produced when said second substance is exposed to said first substance, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of said first substance, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, whereby a concentration of said ions can be sensed by said ion-sensitive means; and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to cause substantial equality of the concentration of said ions at said first and said second devices, the magnitude of said current being indicative of said concentration of said first substance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 1 in which the said second substance is an enzyme and said first substance is a substrate for the enzyme.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 2 in which the ion-sensitive devices are ion-sensitive field effect transistors, said one of said devices being an enzyme-modified ion-sensitive field effect transistor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 1 in which said first substance is an enzyme and said second substance is a substrate for the enzyme.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 1 in which the electrical control circuit includes a titrating electrode disposed adjacent said ion sensitive means of one of said devices.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 5 in which the titrating electrode is in the form of a suspended mesh.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A system according to claim 1 in which the devices are pH sensitive.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 1 including a titrating electrode adjacent the ion-sensitive means of one of said devices and a counter electrode wherein the current flows via the titrating electrode and counter electrode thereby to effect said control of ion concentration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A system according to claim 1 wherein each device develops a potential related to the concentration of said ions, the magnitudes of said potentials having a predetermined relationship whenever the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are substnatially equal and the electrical control circuit causes said substantial equality by substantially maintaining said predetermined relationship.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 9 arranged so that the potentials developed are substantially equal whenever the concentrations of said ions detectedby the two devices a re substantially equal.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
180 words
A system for measuring the concentration of a first substancein a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, one of said devices including a second substance which causes ions to be produced when said second substance is exposed to said first substance, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of said first substance, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, each device having an output response related to a concentration of said ions sensed by its ion-sensitive means, the difference between the output responses having a predetermined value whenever the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are substantially equal, and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to substantially maintain said difference at said predetermined value, whereby the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are maintained substantially equal and the magnitude of said current is proportional to the concentration of said first substance.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
180 words
A system for measuring the concentration of a first substancein a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, one of said devices including a second substance which causes ions to be produced when said second substance is exposed to said first substance, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of said first substance, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, each device having an output response related to a concentration of said ions sensed by its ion-sensitive means, the difference between the output responses having a predetermined value whenever the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are substantially equal, and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to substantially maintain said difference at said predetermined value, whereby the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are maintained substantially equal and the magnitude of said current is proportional to the concentration of said first substance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system according to claim 11 in which the electrical control circuit includes a comparison circuit for measuring a difference between the two output responses to produce a comparison signal, the comparison signal being used to effect the control of ion concentration.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
133 words
A system for measuring the concentration of an enzyme's substrate in a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, said first device including an enzyme which causes ions to be produced when the enzyme is exposed to the substrate, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of the substrate, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, whereby a concentration of said ions can be sensed by said ion-sensitive means; and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to cause substantial equality of the concentration of said ions at said first and said second devices, the magnitude of said current being indicative of said concentration of the enzyme's substrate.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
133 words
A system for measuring the concentration of an enzyme's substrate in a solution, the system comprising a first and a second ion-sensitive device, said first device including an enzyme which causes ions to be produced when the enzyme is exposed to the substrate, the number of ions produced being related to the concentration of the substrate, each device incorporating ion-sensitive means sensitive to said ions, whereby a concentration of said ions can be sensed by said ion-sensitive means; and an electrical control circuit for passing a current to control the concentration of said ions detected by one of said devices, so as to cause substantial equality of the concentration of said ions at said first and said second devices, the magnitude of said current being indicative of said concentration of the enzyme's substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A system according to claim 13 wherein each device develops a potential related to the concentration of said ions, the magnitude of said potentials having a predetermined relationship whenever the concentrations of said ions detected by said first and said second devices are substantially equal and the electrical control circuit causes said substantial equality by substantially maintaining said predetermined relationship.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for determining the concentration of a first substance in a solution, the method including generating ions by the interaction of said first substance and a second substance to produce a change in ion concentration at a test location, the number of ions generated being related to the concentration of said first substance, comparing the concentration of ions at a reference location with that at the test location and passing a current to control the ion concentration at one of said locations to cause substantial equality of the ion concentration at said locations, the magnitude of the current being related to the concentration of said first substance in the solution.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for determining the concentration of a first substance in a solution, the method including generating ions by the interaction of said first substance and a second substance to produce a change in ion concentration at a test location, the number of ions generated being related to the concentration of said first substance, comparing the concentration of ions at a reference location with that at the test location and passing a current to control the ion concentration at one of said locations to cause substantial equality of the ion concentration at said locations, the magnitude of the current being related to the concentration of said first substance in the solution.