Method and device for measuring the flow of an electrolytic fluid

A method for measuring a change in the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of the steps:

• connecting two stationary electrodes respectively to opposite poles of a power source;
• immersing said two stationary electrodes spaced from each other in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured and briefly producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid;
• measuring an electrical characteristic arising between said two stationary electrodes as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition by supplying a pulsed current between 10 and 500 nA to said two stationary electrodes and measuring a resulting voltage between said electrodes;
• and
• identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic while maintaining said electrodes stationarily immersed in said electrolytic fluid.

A method for measuring a change in the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of the steps:

• connecting two stationary electrodes respectively to opposite poles of a power source;
• immersing said two stationary electrodes spaced from each other in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured and briefly producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid;
• measuring an electrical characteristic arising between said two stationary electrodes as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition by applying a constant voltage between said two stationary electrodes and measuring the current between said electrodes;
• and
• identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic while maintaining said electrodes stationarily immersed in said electrolytic fluid.

An apparatus for measuring the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of:

• two electrodes;
• means for stationarily immersing said two electrodes in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured;
• a pulsed power source means, having opposite poles to which said two stationary electrodes are respectively connected, for producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid by applying a pulsed voltage across said two stationary electrodes of between 0.3 and 1.0 V;
• and
• means for measuring a current between said electrodes arising as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition and for identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic.

An apparatus for measuring the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of:

• two electrodes;
• means for stationarily immersing said two electrodes in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured;
• a pulsed power source means, having opposite poles to which said two stationary electrodes are respectively connected, for producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid by supplying current pulses of between 50 and 500 nA to one of said stationary electrodes;
• and
• means for measuring a voltage between said stationary electrodes, said pulses each having a pulse duration for generating a voltage appropriate for measurement between said electrodes arising as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition and for identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic.

A method for measuring a change in the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of the steps:

• connecting two stationary electrodes respectively to opposite poles of a power source;
• immersing said two stationary electrodes spaced from each other in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured and briefly producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid;
• measuring an electrical characteristic arising between said two stationary electrodes as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition by applying a voltage pulse between 0.3 and 1.0 V across said two stationary electrodes and measuring a resulting current between said electrodes;
• and
• identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic while maintaining said electrodes stationarily immersed in said electrolytic fluid.

A method for measuring a change in the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of the step;

• connecting two stationary electrodes respectively to opposite poles of a power source;
• immersing said two stationary electrodes spaced from each other in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured and briefly producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid;
• measuring an electrical characteristic, selected from the group consisting of voltage and current, arising between said two stationary electrodes as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition by applying a voltage of between 0.3 and 1.0 V across said two stationary electrodes and a current of between 50 and 500 nA between said two stationary electrodes;
• and
• identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic while maintaining said electrodes stationarily immersed in said electrolytic fluid.

An apparatus used in a pacemaker for measuring blood flow consisting of:

• a bipolar pacemaker lead having two poles;
• means for stationarily immersing said two poles in a blood flow whose flow is to be measured;
• a power source means, having opposite poles to which said two stationary poles are respectively connected, for producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary pole in said blood, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said blood, by applying a continuous current to said two stationary poles;
• and means for measuring a voltage between said stationary arising as a result of the blood flow causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition and for identifying changes in said blood flow from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said voltage.

An apparatus for measuring the flow of an electrolytic fluid consisting of:

• two electrodes;
• means for stationarily immersing said two electrodes in an electrolytic fluid whose flow is to be measured;
• a power source means, having opposite poles to which said two stationary electrodes are respectively connected, for producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary electrode in said electrolytic fluid, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said electrolytic fluid by producing a voltage across said two stationary electrodes of between 0.3 and 1.0 V and producing a current between said two stationary electrodes of between 50 and 500 nA;
• and
• means for measuring an electrical characteristic, selected from the group consisting of voltage and current, between said electrodes arising as a result of the flow of said electrolytic fluid causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition and for identifying changes in said flow of said electrolytic fluid from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said electrical characteristic.

An apparatus for use in a pacemaker for measuring blood flow consisting of:

• a bipolar pacemaker lead having two poles;
• means for stationarily immersing said two ploes in a blood flow whose flow is to be measured;
• a pulsed power source means, having opposite poles to which said two stationary poles are respectively connected, for producing respective electrochemical reactions at each stationary pole in said blood, said reactions having an equilibrium condition at a reference flow of said blood, by applying a constant voltage between said two stationary poles;
• and
• means for measuring a current between said electrodes arising as a result of the blood flow causing a change in said electrical characteristic from said equilibrium condition and for identifying changes in said blood flow from said reference flow exclusively from the measurement of said current.