Radiometer A/s

Henrik Kagenow

Anne R Eisenhardt

A measuring device, intended for measurements on whole blood, comprises a sample fluid chamber for containing a blood sample, ion-selective potentiometric electrodes for measurement of the concentrations of sodium and potassium ions, a reference potentiometric electrode, an optical sensor for measuring the concentration of glucose by means of a color reaction, a cuvette having a window permitting spectrophotometric measurement of the level of haemoglobin, a conditioning (calibration) fluid chamber in which the ion-selective electrodes and the reference electrode are exposed to a conditioning (calibration) fluid comprising known concentrations of sodium and potassium ions (thereby facilitating calibration of the response of the ion-selective electrodes), a rupturable pack containing the conditioning fluid and from which the fluid is released into the conditioning fluid chamber upon application of pressure to the pack, and a wall part which partly defines the sample fluid chamber and has weakened areas which are ruptured upon movement of the sensors (i.e. the electrodes and the glucose sensor) so as bring the sensors into contact with the blood sample and which establishes a seal around the sensors.

Means for measuring a characteristic in a sample fluid

A method and apparatus for measuring a characteristic which is a function of the concentration of one or more chemical species in a sample fluid, examples being the concentration of sodium ion or potassium ion in blood, makes use of a discardable or disposable measuring device comprising one or more sensors, an example of a relevant type of sensor being a potentiometric electrode, one or more conditioning (e.g. calibration) fluid chambers and, optionally, a sample fluid chamber, the sensor(s) being movable relative to the chamber(s), or vice versa, so as permit conditioning of the sensor(s) in a conditioning fluid chamber and exposure of a sensing surface part of the sensor(s) to a sample fluid.

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Farum, Denmark

Henrik Kagenow