Orion Research, Inc.

Mark A Gelo

Moshe J Hirshberg

David Becker

Lionel S Goldring

An electrode holder assembly is provided for holding test electrodes in a sample container. The assembly comprises a vertically aligned lead screw mounted to rotate freely, and a nut, inserted over the lead screw, adapted to move freely over the length of the lead screw when subject to a vertical force. A collet that extends upward from the nut body is biased inwardly by a spring so as to secure a friction fit, substantially free of any backlash movement, between the nut and the lead. Attached to the nut is an electrode holder platform having mounting bores adapted for securing test electrodes therethrough. This assembly allows the test electrodes to be moved up or down, for insertion and removal from a test solution, by one-handed vertical activation of the electrode holder platform. The lead screw, nut, and associated components may all be housed in a tower assembly so that only the electrode platform is exposed.

Electrode holder assembly

The body of an ion-sensitive electrode is formed from a bulb (32) of an ion-selective material that is transparent to infrared radiation. A glass tube (12) made of material that absorbs infrared radiation is inserted into the bulb, and a source (15) of infrared radiation is focused through the bulb (32) onto the end of the tube (12) on which the bulb (32) rests. The resultant heating causes the tube and the bulb to fuse together, and the portion of the bulb outside the tube is then removed to result in an electrode body (FIG. 4).

Method for manufacturing an ion-sensitive electrode

A friction chuck for securing a test probe within a platform holder. The chuck, formed of elastomeric material, comprises a chuck body with an axially extending bore and a plurality of downward extending fingers disposed around the outer circumference of the projection of the chuck bore. Each finger has an interior bulge that extends into the projection of the chuck bore. The bulges define a segmented aperture of a diameter less than the diameter of the chuck base. When a test probe is inserted into the chuck bore it engages the fingers and bends them outwardly. There is sufficient friction between the fingers and the test probe so that the probe is secured by the fingers. The fingers have sufficient flexibility so the probe position may be changed by hand adjustment.

Electrode friction chuck

An improved electrode for detecting ion concentration and a method of manufacturing such an electrode. The electrode includes concentric glass tubes, including an inner tube which is filled with a filling solution and a larger, outer tube which extends above the level of the filling solution in the inner tube. A metal contact is immersed in the filling solution and extends outside the inner tube through a hermetic seal to allow electrical contact to be made to the filling solution. The inner tube is made of a different glass from the outer tube so that the inner tube will absorb radiation at selected wavelengths which are transmitted by the outer tube. The inner tube is illuminated with radiation of the proper wavelength so that the inner tube melts and collapses around the metal contact to form the hermetic seal. In an alternate embodiment, the electrode has an inner tube which is made of two different types of glass. An apparatus for mechanizing the electrode sealing process is also described.

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Concord, MA, United States of America

Mark A Gelo