← Back to Patent Explorer
US5244561A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Process and apparatus for the electrochemical determination of pco2 in blood

Assignee: Instrumentation Laboratory SpA
•
Filing: 1991-09-11
•
Granted: 1993-09-14
•
Expires: 2011-09-11
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract In a blood gas analyzer, a measurement liquid, advantageously high-purity water, is fed from a suitable vessel to a diffusion cell in which the measurement liquid is brought into contact via a diffusion membrane with the blood sample to be tested. When the gases dissolved in the sample have diffused through the membrane, the measurement liquid which has remained static in the diffusion cell is propelled into a measuring cell in which the value of an electrical quantity related to the pCO 2 is determined. The measurement liquid is then fed to discharge. In a preferred embodiment, the measurement liquid is discharged into the vessel from which it has been initially withdrawn via passage through means for retaining ionic impurities.

Inventors

  • 👤 Claudio Calzi
  • 👤 Gabrio Tancredi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 18:38
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/0004; G01N33/0009; G01N33/0011; G01N33/48; G01N33/483; G01N33/487; G01N33/49; G01N33/4925

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 146 words
A process for determining pCO 2 in a blood sample, comprising: a) withdrawing a measurement liquid which is free or close to free of ionic impurities from a vessel, wherein said liquid is rendered free or close to ion-free in said vessel by passage through means for removing ionic impurities; b) propelling said liquid to a diffusion cell in which it is brought into contact with the blood sample via a permeation membrane which is permeable to gases but not to ions; c) halting the flow of measurement liquid for a time sufficient to allow the gases to diffuse through the membrane between the sample and the measurement liquid contained in the diffusion cell; d) propelling the measurement liquid into a measuring cell, and therein measuring the value of an electrical quantity related to the pCO 2 in said liquid; and e) discharging the measurement liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 146 words
A process for determining pCO 2 in a blood sample, comprising: a) withdrawing a measurement liquid which is free or close to free of ionic impurities from a vessel, wherein said liquid is rendered free or close to ion-free in said vessel by passage through means for removing ionic impurities; b) propelling said liquid to a diffusion cell in which it is brought into contact with the blood sample via a permeation membrane which is permeable to gases but not to ions; c) halting the flow of measurement liquid for a time sufficient to allow the gases to diffuse through the membrane between the sample and the measurement liquid contained in the diffusion cell; d) propelling the measurement liquid into a measuring cell, and therein measuring the value of an electrical quantity related to the pCO 2 in said liquid; and e) discharging the measurement liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the measurement liquid is discharged into said vessel, so forming a closed fluid cycle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 12 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the measurement liquid is high-purity water.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the measuring cell is a conductivity cell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 4, wherein the conductivity cell is of the thin layer type.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the means of removing ionic impurities are ion exchangers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of 6, wherein the ion exchangers are in mixed bed form.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of 6, wherein the ion exchangers are in mixed bed form.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The process of claim 7, wherein the ion exchangers in mixed bed form are ion exchange resins.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 7, wherein the ion exchangers in mixed bed form are inorganic.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 122 words
An apparatus for determining pCO 2 in a blood sample, comprising a a vessel containing means for removing ionic impurities from a measurement liquid, a diffusion cell located downstream of said vessel, in which said liquid is brought into contact with a blood sample via a permeation membrane which is permeable to gases but not to ions, a measuring cell located downstream of said diffusion cell, wherein the value of an electrical quantity related to the pCO 2 of the liquid passing through the cell is measured, and pump means located downstream of said vessel, for withdrawing the measurement liquid from the vessel and for propelling it along a fluid circuit formed by the vessel, the diffusion cell, and the measuring cell.
Claim 13
Independent Claim 122 words
An apparatus for determining pCO 2 in a blood sample, comprising a a vessel containing means for removing ionic impurities from a measurement liquid, a diffusion cell located downstream of said vessel, in which said liquid is brought into contact with a blood sample via a permeation membrane which is permeable to gases but not to ions, a measuring cell located downstream of said diffusion cell, wherein the value of an electrical quantity related to the pCO 2 of the liquid passing through the cell is measured, and pump means located downstream of said vessel, for withdrawing the measurement liquid from the vessel and for propelling it along a fluid circuit formed by the vessel, the diffusion cell, and the measuring cell.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measuring liquid is discharged into said vessel, thereby forming a closed fluid circuit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 12 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measurement liquid is high-purity water.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 13 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measuring cell is a conductivity cell.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 15 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conductivity cell is of the thin layer type.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 17 words
The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means for removing ionic impurities are ion exchangers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 14 words
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ion exchangers are in mixed bed form.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 17 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ion exchangers in mixed bed form are ion exchange resins.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 15 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ion exchangers in mixed bed form are inorganic.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3926561A Cited
US3960498A Cited
US4197853A Cited
US4490234A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-09-13 1997-03-15 1997-09-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-09-13 2001-03-15 2001-09-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-09-13 2005-03-15 2005-09-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag