EP0470818A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Calibration cuvette
Assignee: Puritan Bennett Corp
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Filing: 1991-08-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-08-06
Abstract
Abstract The calibration cuvette apparatus for storing and calibrating a chemical sensor in a tonometered solution includes an upper cuvette section and a lower cylindrical valve section for alternatively sealing the cuvette section and admitting a gas mixture to the cuvette section. The upper cuvette section has relatively narrow diameter upper and lower ends on either side of a wide diameter middle portion. The cuvette section is adapted to receive the sensor and retain the sensor in a fluid bath in the cuvette section so that the chemical sensor portion is disposed approximately in the center of the wide middle portion of the cuvette section. The chamber formed within the cuvette section is thus shaped so as to maintain the sensor in a position in the fluid bath so that any gas bubbles within the chamber will not dry the sensor. A lower end portion of the cuvette section includes a gas communication inlet for introducing gas into said chamber to equilibrate the tonometered buffer solution.
Inventors
- 👤 Samuel D Riccitelli
- 👤 Jamil Ahmad
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:00
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L5/00; B01L5/04; A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/145; A61B5/1455; A61B5/1459; A61B5/1495; B01L3/00; G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/416; G01N27/4163; A61B2560/00; A61B2560/02; A61B2560/0223; A61B2560/0228; A61B2560/0233
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A calibration cuvette apparatus having a housing adapted to contain a calibration fluid and to receive a chemical sensor, said calibration cuvette apparatus comprising: a generally tubular cuvette section having a longitudinal axis formed in said housing, said cuvette section having relatively smaller diameter upper and lower end portions than a middle portion of said cuvette, said upper, lower, and middle portions of said cuvette section forming a hollow chamber within said cuvette section, said upper end portion having an opening for receiving said sensor, and said lower end portion including means for introducing gas into said chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
The calibration cuvette of Claim 1 wherein said means for introducing gas into said chamber further comprises: a valve section formed in said housing integrally with said cuvette section, said valve section having first and second longitudinal end portions, a communication port extending between said end portions and an inner valve chamber; and a valve plug slidable within said valve chamber between a first sealing position and a second gas communication position, said valve plug having first and second longitudinal ends and an outer circumference portion, and said valve plug having a gas communication channel with an inlet port at one of said valve plug ends and a gas outlet port at said outer circumference portion adapted to be aligned to be in communication with said cuvette gas communication port when said valve plug is in said gas communication position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said cuvette section is formed in the shape of an elongated dual frustrum, with said cuvette section comprising an upper frustoconical portion including said narrow upper end portion and a wide diameter lower end portion contiguous with said middle portion, and a lower frustoconical portion including a wide diameter upper end portion contiguous with said middle portion and said narrow lower end portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said narrow upper end portion of said cuvette section includes a cylindrical neck portion adapted for receiving said sensor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said wide diameter middle portion of said cuvette section comprises a generally cylindrical, tubular section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein said narrow upper end portion of said cuvette section includes a catheter luer fitting for receiving said sensor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein said valve chamber portion is in communication with said cuvette gas communication port.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein said chamber in said cuvette section contains said fluid, and said valve plug gas communication channel includes means for dispersing said gas in said fluid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
116 words
A calibration apparatus adapted to contain a calibration fluid and to receive a chemical sensor, said calibration apparatus comprising: an upper elongated, generally tubular dual frustrum shaped cuvette section, said cuvette section having a longitudinal axis, said cuvette section having relatively small diameter upper and lower end portions compared to the diameter of a middle portion of said cuvette section, said upper, lower, and middle portions of said cuvette section forming a hollow chamber within said cuvette section, said upper portion having an opening for receiving said sensor, and said lower portion including a gas communication inlet for introducing gas into said chamber; and valve means operative to selectively introduce a gas into said hollow chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
The calibration apparatus of Claim 9, wherein said valve means further comprises: a lower valve section attached to said cuvette section, said valve section including an inner valve chamber and a port connecting said chamber with the lower portion of said cuvette; and valve plug means moveable with said valve chamber for selectively connecting an external fluid or gas source to said chamber via said gas communication inlet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
103 words
The calibration apparatus of Claim 9, wherein said valve means further comprises: a valve section formed in said housing integrally with said cuvette section, said valve section having first and second longitudinal end portions, an axis extending between said end portions, and an inner valve chamber; and a valve plug moveable within said valve chamber between a first sealing position and a second gas communication position, said valve plug having a gas communication channel and a gas outlet port adapted to be aligned to be in communication with said cuvette gas communication inlet when said valve plug is in said gas communication position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of Claim 11, wherein said valve plug includes sealing means for sealing said gas communication inlet when said valve plug is in said sealing position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of Claim 2 or Claim 11, wherein said valve plug gas communication channel includes means for filtering said gas mixture.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of Claim 13, wherein said means for filtering said gas mixture comprises a biofilter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of Claim 13, wherein said means for filtering said gas mixture comprises means for sparging gas into said cuvette section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of Claim 2 or Claim 11, wherein said valve section and said valve plug include means for aligning said valve plug within said valve chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of Claim 16, wherein said means for aligning said valve plug within said valve chamber comprises tongue and groove means including at least one rib on one of said valve plug and said valve section and at least one corresponding groove adapted to interfit with said rib on the other of said valve plug and said valve section.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of Claim 10, further comprising means for dispensing said gas into said gas communication channel.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of calibrating a sensor formed on a distal portion of an optical fiber, which comprises the steps of: forming a generally cylindrical chamber having a diameter which is larger in the central portion than in the respective ends; providing valve means at the lower end of said chamber to selectively introduce a gas into said chamber; introducing an optical fiber sensor into said chamber so that the distal end of said sensor is located in the portion of the chamber with the largest diameter; filling said chamber with a fluid; and introducing a quantity of gas into said chamber, through said valve means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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