System, device and method for detection and identification of species in a sample with an ionic exchange membrane

A system (100) for detection and identification of at least one species in a sample in an ionic exchange membrane (110), the system (100) comprising:

• an ion exchange membrane (110),
• at least two impedance electrodes (121,122),
• an impedance analyser (120),
• a source electrode (141),
• a target electrode (142),
• a voltage and/or current source (140), and
• a computer (170),
• wherein the at least two impedance electrodes (121,122) are arranged at the ion exchange membrane (110) and are connected to the impedance analyser (120), and wherein said impedance electrodes (121,122) and said impedance analyser (120) are arranged to perform impedance measurements comprising timestamps on at least part of the ion exchange membrane (110),
• wherein the source electrode (141) and a first region (111) of the ion exchange membrane (110) are arranged to, upon addition of a source electrolyte (151) at said first region (111), be in indirect ionic contact via said source electrolyte (151),
• wherein the target electrode (142) and a second region (112) of the ion exchange membrane (110) are arranged to, upon addition of a target electrolyte (152) at said second region (112), be in indirect ionic contact via said target electrolyte (152),
• wherein the source electrode (141) and the target electrode (142) are connected to said voltage and/or current source (140),
• wherein said source (140) is arranged to form a closed electrical circuit through the system upon addition of the source electrolyte (151) at the first region (111) of the ion exchange membrane (110) and addition of the target electrolyte (152) at the second region (111) of the ion exchange membrane (110), and wherein said source (140) is arranged to provide an electric potential difference between the first (111) and second region (112) of the ion exchange membrane (110),
• wherein the ion exchange membrane (110) is arranged to provide a path through said ion exchange membrane (110) for at least part of said sample, and
• wherein the computer (170) is configured to:
• obtain source data comprising voltage data and/or current data comprising timestamps from said source (140),
• obtain impedance data from the impedance analyser (120),
• obtain predetermined reference data comprising for each of said at least one species a set of values indicative of diffusion coefficients and reference impedances data for said species in the ion exchange membrane (110),
• determine a transport time based on said impedance data comprising timestamps;
• and
• determine the presence of said at least one species in said sample based on the obtained source data, the obtained impedance data, and obtained predetermined reference data, said determining of the presence of said at least one species being based on comparing the determined transport time and measured impedance data with said predetermined reference data.