Detection cell with controlled power dissipation

摘要

A voltage control circuitry for a detection cell is described, where the detection cell is adapted for determining an electrical property of a sample in a detection cell volume of the detection cell. The voltage control circuitry comprises a power supply adapted for providing a voltage to the detection cell, and a power evaluation unit adapted for determining an actual power dissipation in the detection cell volume. The voltage control circuitry further comprises a control unit adapted for comparing the actual power dissipation with a desired power dissipation, and for regulating the power supply's voltage in a way that the actual power dissipation is driven towards the desired power dissipation.

主权项

1. Control circuitry configured for determining an electrical property of a sample in a detection cell volume of a detection cell, in order to detect and characterize a compound in the sample, the control circuitry comprising:
a power supply configured for providing at least one of a voltage and a current to the detection cell; a power evaluation unit configured for determining an actual power dissipation in the detection cell volume based on a product of a current passing through the detection cell volume and one of the voltage provided by the power supply or a control voltage, wherein the detection cell volume is part of a detection flow path, with a fluid sample passing through the detection cell volume; a control unit configured for comparing the actual power dissipation with a desired power dissipation, and for regulating at least one of the voltage and the current provided by the power supply to drive the actual power dissipation towards the desired power dissipation; and a divider unit configured for determining a quotient of the current passing through the detection cell volume and one of the voltage provided by the power supply or the control voltage, for deriving the electrical property of the sample.