COMPACT OPTO-FLUIDIC CHEMICAL SENSOR

摘要

A sensor (10) having a tubular optical cell (16) or similar structure with a membrane wall or a wall of similar material. The wall may be permeable so that analyte (34) can enter into the tube (16) containing a reagent (12). Conversely, the wall structure could instead operate to let reagent enter into the tube containing the analyte. Attached to one end of the tube may be a reagent reservoir (11). A valve (14) may be attached to the other end of the tube and to a reagent disposal container (15). The flow or replacement of the reagent in the tube may be caused by gravity, a pump, elastic reservoir design or pressurized gas. One or more light sources (48) may be positioned at one end of the tube with a light detector (23) at the other end. There may be a flow detector (43) in the enclosure. Processing and display electronics (24, 25) may be connected to the valve, light sources and detector.