Apparatus for measuring electrolytes utilizing optical signals related to the concentration of the electrolytes

Apparatus for measuring the concentration of electrolytes in a fluid sample wherein the components of said apparatus are housed in a single unit, said components comprising:

• container means for containing a sample to be measured;
• sensor means mounted in fluid-tight connection with said container means and operative when in fluid contact with said sample to generate at least one electrical signal having magnitude related to the concentration of at least one preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• transducer means in communication with said sensor means and responsive to said electrical signal for generating at least one second signal having a parameter related to the magnitude of said electrical signal;
• optical means responsive to said at least one second signal for generating at least one optical signal corresponding to said second signal and representing the concentration of said at least one preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• optical detector means for reading said at least one optical signal;
• and
• mounting means adapted for use in an automated assay instrument for mounting said sensor means, container means, transducer means, and optical means.

Apparatus for use with centrifugal-type sample analyzer of the type having optical source means for providing a first optical signal and optical detector means for detecting a second optical signal form-measuring the concentration of electrolytes in a fluid sample, comprising:

• cartridge means adapted for use in measuring the concentrations of electrolytes in a fluid sample in a centrifugal apparatus;
• centrifugal head means capable of rotating about a first axis and adapted to removably hold said cartridge means;
• sample container means mounted in said cartridge means for containing a sample;
• sensor means mounted in said cartridge means in fluid-tight communication with said sample container means and operative when in fluid contact with said sample to generate at least one electrical signal having magnitude related to the concentration of at least one preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• transducer means mounted in said cartridge means in communication with said sensor means and responsive to said at least one electrical signal for generating at least one second signal having a parameter related to the magnitude of said at least one electrical signal;
• and
• optical means mounted in said cartridge means for intercepting the path of said first optical signal and being responsive to said at least one second signal for absorbing a portion of said first optical signal to generate at least one second optical signal having intensity related to the concentration of said at least one preselected electrolyte in said sample.

Apparatus for measuring the concentration of electrolytes in a fluid sample, wherein the components of said apparatus are housed in a single unit, said components comprising:

• container means for containing a fluid sample;
• sensor means mounted in fluid communication with said container means and operative when in fluid contact with a sample to generate an analog signal having a parameter with value related to the concentration of a preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• transducer means in communication with said sensor means for generating a digital signal having value related to the value of the parameter of said analog signal;
• optical means responsive to said digital signal for generating an optical signal corresponding to said digital signal to provide an optical indication of the concentration of said preselected electrolyte in said sample:
• and
• optical reading means operative to detect and measure said optical signal as indicative of the concentration of said preselected electrolyte.

Apparatus for measuring the concentration of an electrolyte in a fluid sample, wherein the components of said apparatus are housed in a single unit, said components comprising:

• container means for containing a fluid sample;
• sensor means mounted in fluid communication with said container means and operative when in fluid contact with said sample to generate an analog signal having a parameter with a value related to the concentration of a preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• transducer means in communication with said sensor means for generating a first digital signal having a value related to the value of the parameter of said analog signal;
• optical means responsive to said first digital signal for generating an optical signal corresponding to said first digital signal;
• optical detector means responsive to said optical signal for generating a second digital signal corresponding to said first digital signal and providing an indication of the concentration of said preselected electrolyte in said sample;
• and
• means adapted for mounting in an automated assay instrument for mounting said container means sensor means, transducer means, and optical means.