Means for measuring a characteristic in a sample fluid

Abstract

A measuring device, intended for measurements on whole blood, comprises a sample fluid chamber for containing a blood sample, ion-selective potentiometric electrodes for measurement of the concentrations of sodium and potassium ions, a reference potentiometric electrode, an optical sensor for measuring the concentration of glucose by means of a color reaction, a cuvette having a window permitting spectrophotometric measurement of the level of haemoglobin, a conditioning (calibration) fluid chamber in which the ion-selective electrodes and the reference electrode are exposed to a conditioning (calibration) fluid comprising known concentrations of sodium and potassium ions (thereby facilitating calibration of the response of the ion-selective electrodes), a rupturable pack containing the conditioning fluid and from which the fluid is released into the conditioning fluid chamber upon application of pressure to the pack, and a wall part which partly defines the sample fluid chamber and has weakened areas which are ruptured upon movement of the sensors (i.e. the electrodes and the glucose sensor) so as bring the sensors into contact with the blood sample and which establishes a seal around the sensors.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.