Analyte ion detection method and device

A device for assessing the concentration of an analyte ion in a liquid, the device including:

• a plurality of electrodes each of which generate a signal in response to sensing a selected ion in the liquid;
• and
• a data processing unit implementing a neural network algorithm that has been trained to calculate ion interference between the selected ion and other ions in the liquid sensed at one of the electrodes and electrode interference between ones of the electrodes sensing a same selected ion based on a result of a comparison of training data indicative of a known ionic concentration applied to the neural network algorithm and the known ionic concentration,
• wherein the signal generated by each of the electrodes is received by the data processing unit and is processed by the neural network algorithm,
• wherein the data processing unit further includes a genetic Independent Component Analysis (geneticICA) algorithm for processing data of the signal into Independent Components (ICs) for input into the neural network algorithm, wherein the geneticICA algorithm is based on a genetic algorithm using a plurality of random points in a Probability Distribution Function (PDF) of the data,
• and wherein the data processing unit compensates for said ion interference and said electrode interference and assesses the concentration of the at least one analyte ion in the liquid on the basis of a compensated output from the neural network algorithm.