Kone Oy

Erkki Wanninen

Andrzej Lewenstam

Ari Ivaska

An electrochemical method for determining the total carbonate content of fluids, especially biological fluids. According to the invention, using an ion-selective electrode, the concentration of certain ions dissociable from carbon acid or affecting the dissociation balance is first measured for the fluid. The fluid is then mixed with another fluid containing a reactive component that changes the ionic concentration just measured, whereupon the concentration is again measured by means of an ion-selective electrode, thus producing two different measurement results, from which the total carbonate content can be determined. The measurement preferably relates to the pH of the fluid, while metallic ions such as Cu.sup.2+, forming a complex with hydrocarbonate ions, are used as the component to be added to alter the pH.

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Turku, Finland

Erkki Wanninen