Precalibrated, disposable electrochemical sensing device

Claim 1

An electrochemical device which has two half cell means, each of said half cell means including a housing means having an interior cavity and an entrance into said cavity, electrode means exposed to the interior of said cavity and extending to the exterior of the half cell means, bridge means in communication with said entrances to both said half cell means and in which the improvement comprises: said bridge means is shaped as a receptacle having an upwardly opening open top, said bridge means formed as an integral part of said housing means, cover means for forming a reversible seal, said cover means located on said bridge means to seal said open top of bridge means receptacle, barrier means for forming a barrier permeable to only select ions, said barrier means positioned in association with the entrance of one of said half cells means between said one of said half cell means and said bridge means receptacle, a unified body of non-fluid, immobilized, cross-linked gel having a homogenous electrolyte containing therein, a portion of said gel permanently and fixedly located in said half cell interior cavities in contact with said electrodes in said cavities and further in contact with said barrier means, the remaining portion of said gel located in said bridge means receptacle and sealed in said receptacle by said cover means.

Claim 4

A device for use in making electrochemical measurements which includes: an electrically non-conductive self supporting, elongated bottom board having a tab-like portion at a first end thereof for use in manipulating said device and a second end capable of being inserted into an electrical socket, an electrically non-conductive housing rigidly mounted on said bottom board intermediate said first and second ends of said board and extending upwardly from said bottom board, said housing being shaped so as to include a depression capable of serving as a receptacle at the top thereof, said housing further including two separate internal cavities formed therein generally beneath said depression and holes leading from the bottom of said depression into the interior of each of said cavities, an electrode extending from a position adjacent to said board into the interior of each of said cavities, an electric conductor corresponding to each of said electrodes located on said board so as to extend from said second end of said board to a position underneath said housing, said conductor being located so as to be capable of being electrically connected to a circuit using a socket, each of said conductors being electrically connected to one of said electrodes, a selective membrane means extending across one of said holes, porous flow restricting means located in both of said holes, said selective membrane means being located on one of said flow restricting means, a unified body of non-fluid, immobilized, cross-linked gel having a homogenous electrolyte containing therein, a portion of said gel permanently and fixedly located within the pores of said flow restricting means, a further portion of said gel permanently and fixedly located in each of said cavities and being in contract with said electrodes in said cavities and said flow restricting means.

Claim 5

A device for use in making electrochemical measurements which includes: an electrically non-conductive self supporting, elongated bottom board having a tab-like portion at a first end thereof for use in manipulating said device and a second end capable of being inserted into an electrical socket, an electrically non-conductive housing rigidly mounted on said bottom board intermediate said first and second ends of said board and extending upwardly from said bottom board, said housing being shaped so as to include a depression capable of serving as a receptacle at the top thereof, said housing further including two separate internal cavities formed therein generally beneath said depression and holes leading from the bottom of said depression into the interior of each of said cavities, an electrode extending from a position adjacent to said board into the interior of each of said cavities, an electric conductor corresponding to each of said electrodes located on said board so as to extend from said second end of said board to a position underneath said housing, said conductor being located so as to be capable of being electrically connected to a circuit using a socket, each of said conductors being electrically connected to one of said electrodes, a selective membrane means extending across one of said holes, porous flow restricting means located in both of said holes, said selective membrane means being located on one of said flow restricting means, a unified body of non-fluid, immobilized, cross-linked gel having a homogenous electrolyte containing therein, a portion of said gel permanently and fixedly located within the pores of said flow restricting means, a further portion of said gel permanently and fixedly located in each of said cavities and being in contract with said electrodes in said cavities and said flow restricting means.