Device for detection of a partial pressure and method for its operation

A method of operation of a measurement space and a measurement gas sensor sensitive to a measurement gas contained in a surrounding gas for measurement of a quantity that characterizes the partial pressure of the measurement gas in the measurement space, comprising:

• detecting a partial pressure of the measurement gas, and determining the response characteristic of a device including
• a. traversing the measurement space with a reference gas, wherein the measurement gas sensor and/or a correction gas sensor sensitive to a correction gas is not sensitive to said reference gas, observing an output signal of the measurement gas sensor and/or an output signal of the correction gas sensor until it reaches an essentially constant minimal value;
• b. traversing the measurement space with a surrounding gas after the output signal has reached the essentially constant minimal value, and recording the output signal of the measurement gas sensor and/or the output signal of the correction gas sensor in a measurement series with time resolution during a calibration time interval;
• and
• c. evaluating the measurement series to determine the response characteristic.