# US 11,112,380 B2 · Sensor arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,112,380 B2 - Document ID: US11112380B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/563,144 - Filed: 2019-09-06 - Published: 2019-12-26 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-28 - Assignees: Endress+Hauser Conducta GmbH+Co. KG - Applicants: Endress+Hauser Conducta GmbH+Co. KG - Inventors: Michael Weiss; Angela Eubisch; Michael Hanko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112380B2 ## CPC - G01N 27/4163: {checking the operation of, or calibrating, the measuring apparatus (G01N27/3274, G01N27/4175 and G01N33/0006 take precedence)} - G01N 21/05: Flow-through cuvettes (G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10) - G01N 21/31: Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} - G01N 21/85: Investigating moving fluids or granular solids - G01N 27/302: {pH sensitive, e.g. quinhydron, antimony or hydrogen electrodes (ion selective electrodes G01N27/333, glass electrodes G01N27/36)} - G01N 27/31: Half-cells with permeable membranes, e.g. semi-porous or perm-selective membranes - G01N 27/3272: {Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels (optical biosensors G01N33/52)} - G01N 27/3274: {Corrective measures, e.g. error detection, compensation for temperature or hematocrit, calibration (coding of calibration information G01N33/48771)} - G01N 21/274: {Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction} - G01N 21/33: using ultraviolet light (G01N21/39 takes precedence) - G01N 21/534: {by measuring transmission alone, i.e. determining opacity} - G01N 27/283: {Means for supporting or introducing electrochemical probes} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A sensor arrangement for determining at least one measurand of a measuring medium includes at least one first sensor with a first sensing element used to record measured values of a first measurand of the measuring medium, a housing having a housing wall which surrounds a housing interior containing the first sensing element, wherein the housing interior contains a medium in particular, a liquid which has a predetermined value of the first measurand. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor arrangement for determining a measurand of a measuring medium, comprising: a first sensor with a first sensing element configured to record values of a first measurand of a calibration medium; and a housing having a housing wall defining a housing interior, wherein the first sensing element is disposed within the housing interior and the calibration medium having a predetermined value of the first measurand, is contained within the housing interior, and wherein the housing wall further defines at least an inlet; a membrane fluidly separating the calibration medium and an exterior of the housing at or near the inlet, wherein the membrane is configured to be irreversibly removable from the sensor arrangement as to establish fluid communication between the sensor arrangement and a process vessel via the inlet; wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to be mechanically linked to the process vessel without establishing fluid communication between the sensor arrangement and the process vessel; wherein a value of the first measurand of the calibration medium is recorded using the first sensing element before establishing fluid communication between the sensor arrangement and the process vessel; wherein a calibration, and/or verification, and/or an adjustment of the first sensor using the recorded value of the first measurand is performed prior to establishing fluid communication between the sensor arrangement and the process vessel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing element is a potentiometric sensing element comprising a reference half-cell, wherein the reference half-cell includes a reference electrolyte in contact with the calibration medium via a crossover, and the calibration medium is a liquid having the same composition as the reference electrolyte. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing element is a potentiometric pH-sensing element including a measuring half-cell having a pH glass membrane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, the sensor arrangement further comprising: at least one process vessel connection device structured to enable the sensor arrangement to be integrated in the process vessel or to be linked to one or a plurality of process vessel connections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sensor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the housing is removable from the sensor arrangement, or a link between the housing interior and the process vessel can be created, so that at least the first sensing element can be brought into contact with a process medium contained in the process vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, the sensor arrangement further comprising a second sensor with a second sensing element, the second sensing element disposed inside the housing interior, the second sensor configured to record values of a second measurand of the calibration medium different from the first measurand, wherein the calibration medium has a predetermined value of the second measurand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing is embodied as a flow-through cuvette and the first sensing element is disposed in the cuvette, the sensor arrangement further comprising: a supply line, the supply line having a proximal end terminating in the cuvette and a distal end including the inlet and a liquid-tight closure; a return line, the return line having a proximal end terminating in the cuvette and a distal end including an outlet and a liquid-tight closure, wherein, each the supply line and the return line are connectable to the process vessel via the distal ends. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sensor arrangement according to claim 7, the sensor arrangement further comprising a second sensor with a second sensing element configured to record values of a second measurand of the calibration medium different from the first measurand, the second sensing element disposed in the cuvette, wherein the calibration medium has a predetermined value of the second measurand. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sensor arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the first and the second sensing elements are disposed in a wall of the cuvette such that at least one immersed section of the first sensing element and an immersed section of the second sensing element intended to be in contact with the calibration medium are located inside the cuvette. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The sensor arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the calibration medium is a liquid that fills the supply line, return line, and the cuvette such that the first and second sensing elements are in contact with the calibration medium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The sensor arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the first sensor is a potentiometric pH sensor and the second sensor is a conductivity sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the calibration medium is an aqueous solution having a predetermined conductivity between 10 μS/cm and 300 mS/cm, and having a predetermined pH value between 3 and 9. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The sensor arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the aqueous solution comprises a phosphate buffer with a concentration of 0.01 to 0.5 mol/L of phosphate and a total of 0.01 to 3.5 mol/L of sodium chloride and/or potassium chloride. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The sensor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the cuvette comprises a first wall section and a second wall section facing the first wall section and extending substantially parallel to the first wall section, the first wall section and the second wall section being transparent to measuring radiation of a predetermined wavelength range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The sensor arrangement according to claim 14, the sensor arrangement further comprising an optical sensor configured to record values of a third measurand different from the first measurand and the second measurand, the optical sensor including a radiation source and a radiation receiver, wherein the radiation source and the radiation receiver are disposed such that measuring radiation emitted by the radiation source passes through the first wall section and subsequently the second wall section and is received by the radiation receiver. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The sensor arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the calibration medium has a predetermined value of the third measurand. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sensor arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the calibration medium in the wavelength range of the measuring radiation has an absorption of less than 0.1 cm−1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The sensor arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the calibration medium is a liquid which substantially fills the supply line, the return line, and the cuvette such that an optical measurement path extending between the radiation source and the radiation receiver traverses the liquid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The sensor arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined wavelength range is one of ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall further defines an outlet, and wherein the sensor arrangement further comprises another membrane fluidly separating the calibration medium and the exterior of the housing at or near the outlet, wherein the other membrane is configured to be irreversibly removable from the sensor arrangement as to establish fluid communication between the sensor arrangement and the process vessel via the outlet.