Salt bridge for analytical chemistry system
AssigneeBeckman Instruments, Inc.
InventorsJack D. McNeal, Delbert D. Jackson, Theodore R. Nichols
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A salt bridge for a flow cell which includes a porous bridge element between fluid flow in the flow cell and in an internal reference fluid flow. The bridge element is surrounded by a body with a bore into which different tubes are located about the porous element. A cylindrical anchoring tube adjacent one end of the body is screw threaded into an aperture in the wall of the flow cell so that self-alignment of the salt bridge in the flow cell is effected. The salt bridge provides a conductivity path between the two flow paths without introducing another potential.
Claims13
A salt bridge for a flow cell of a chemistry analyzer, the salt bridge being constituted by an integral arrangement comprising a porous bridge element for location in an aperture in a flow cell, the porous bridge element having a first portion for exposure to fluid flow through a path in the flow cell and a second portion for exposure to flow of a reference fluid through internal reference tubes, the second portion being adjacent to fluid flow through the internal reference tubes, the two portions being spaced to form between them a salt bridge, means for reference fluid to flow towards and from the second portion of the element, means for locating the porous bridge element between the fluid flow in the flow cell and the flow of the reference fluid, the locating means being for securing the porous bridge element in alignment in the aperture such that the first portion is exposed to flow through the path and the second portion is exposed to flow of the reference fluid, and the means for locating the bridge including an anchoring rube for removable location with the flow cell such that the removal of the tube removes the bridge from the aperture in the flow cell, and the means for reference fluid flow towards and from the element.
A method of aligning a salt bridge for a flow cell of a chemistry analyzer in an aperture in a flow cell, the salt bridge being constituted in an integral arrangement comprising the steps of:
- a) anchoring a locating body in an aperture for the flow cell,
- b) exposing a first portion of a porous bridge element of the cell to fluid flow through a path in the flow cell,
- c) exposing a second portion of the element to flow of a reference fluid, the first portion and the second portion being spaced to form between them the salt bridge, and
- d) locating the porous element in alignment in the aperture so that the first portion is exposed to the flow in the path and the second portion is exposed to flow of the reference fluid, and the bridge being selectively removable from the aperture in the flow cell, together with the locating tube and reference fluid feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.