Sensor with overcoating and process for making same
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsMasao Yafuso, Henry K. Hui, Cheng F. Yan, William W. Miller
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Abstract
A sensor comprising a sensing element capable of sensing a component in an aqueous medium and an overcoating at least partially covering the sensing element. The overcoating comprises a water insoluble, component permeable, cross-linked cellulosic material and an effective amount of an opaque agent.
Claims39
A sensor comprising a sensing element capable of sensing a component in an aqueous medium and an overcoating at least partially covering said sensing element, said overcoating comprising a water insoluble, component permeable cellulosic material cross-linked with one or more multi-functional cross-linking agents and an effective amount of an opaque agent.
An overcoated sensing element produced in accordance with the process comprising:
- contacting a sensing element with a composition containing a solvent and a solvent soluble cellulosic coating material or a solvent soluble precursor of said cellulosic coating material to form a composition coated sensing element;
- and
- treating said composition coated sensing element to form an overcoating on said sensing element, said overcoating being permeable to a component of interest, wherein said composition further includes a permeability enhancing agent in an amount effective to enhance the component permeability of said overcoating formed.
A probe capable of sensing a plurality of different components in an aqueous medium which comprises:
- a plurality of sensing elements each of which is capable of sensing a different one of said components in said aqueous medium;
- a plurality of first overcoatings each of which is located on a different one of said sensing elements and each of which comprises a water insoluble, component permeable cellulosic material cross-linked with one or more multi-functional cross-linking agents and an effective amount of first opaque agent;
- and
- a second overcoating located on all said first overcoated sensing elements and comprising a water insoluble, all component permeable cellulosic material cross-linked with one or more multi-functional across-linking agents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.