Electrode cleaning using electrical pulse
OwnerIvar Giaever, Charles R. Keeseinventors
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Abstract
Cleaning an electrode used for acquiring measurement data while the electrode is contacting a medium using a set of electrical pulses. An electrical pulse causes a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode. A particular voltage drop and/or other aspects of the pulse(s) can be selected based on the voltage source, electrode, medium, and/or the like. In an illustrative embodiment, the voltage drop is between approximately 1.0 and approximately 1.5 volts.
Claims24
A method of managing an electronic measurement system, the method comprising:
- contacting an electrode with a medium;
- and
- cleaning the electrode while the electrode is contacting the medium, the cleaning including:
- applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.
An electronic measurement system comprising:
- an electrode;
- a system for obtaining electronic measurement data based on the electrode and a medium contacting the electrode;
- and
- a system for cleaning the electrode while the electrode is contacting the medium, the system for cleaning including a system for applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.
A computer program comprising program code stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing an electronic measurement system, the method comprising:
- cleaning an electrode in the electronic measurement system while the electrode is contacting a medium, the cleaning including directing a voltage source to apply an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode;
- and
- obtaining electronic measurement data based on the electrode and the medium.
A method of generating an electronic measurement system, the method comprising:
- providing a computer system operable to:
- obtain electronic measurement data based on an electrode and a medium contacting the electrode;
- and
- clean the electrode while the electrode is surrounded by the medium by applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.