Modular oxygen monitor
AssigneeBillups-Rothenberg, Inc.
InventorsRoyal Q. Le, Kyong Son, Barry E. Rothenberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are systems for continuously measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide gas levels inside a cell culture incubator, comprising an oxygen sensor that uses LED based fluorescence technology to determine the amount of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere, a carbon dioxide sensor that uses LED based Non-dispersive Infra-Red (NDIR) technology to determine the amount of carbon dioxide in the surrounding atmosphere, and electronics to wirelessly monitor the output from the oxygen sensor and carbon dioxide sensor. Most preferably, the system can be placed inside a cell culture incubator, and sensor readings are pre-compensated for temperature, pressure, and humidity. Also provided herein are methods of using the same.
Claims15
A method for continuously measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations inside a cell culture container, comprising:
- providing an environmental sensor device and placing the environmental sensor device into a cell culture container, wherein the sensor device comprises a solid state oxygen sensor and a solid state carbon dioxide sensor;
- establishing a controlled hypoxic atmosphere within the cell culture container, and placing the cell culture container into an incubator;
- using the environmental sensor device to continuously measure oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations within the cell culture container while the cell culture container is located within the incubator;
- wherein the environmental sensor device measures the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the cell culture container by passive diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide through a gas permeable hydrophobic membrane that separates the solid state oxygen sensor and/or the solid state carbon dioxide sensor from the cell culture container;
- and
- storing data from the solid state oxygen sensor and the solid state carbon dioxide sensor in a memory and/or wirelessly transmitting the data to a user while the cell culture container is located within the incubator.
An environmental sensor device, comprising:
- a housing at least partially enclosing first and second solid state sensors;
- wherein the first solid state sensor comprises an oxygen sensor having an oxygen quenchable fluorescent dye;
- wherein the second solid state sensor comprises a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) carbon dioxide sensor;
- an electronic component that is coupled to the first and second solid state sensors and that comprises a memory for data storage and a wireless communication module that allows for transmission of data while the sensor device is located inside the cell culture incubator;
- wherein the electronic component is configured to compensate sensed amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide for temperature, pressure, and humidity, to so determine adjusted quantities for oxygen and carbon dioxide;
- and
- wherein the housing is configured to form a self-contained sensor device suitable for placement inside a cell culture incubator.
The device of 10, further comprising a display coupled to the electronic component and configured to display the adjusted quantities for oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.