Abstract: In a method of photometric in vitro determination of the content of oxygen in a blood sample, a blood sample is transferred directly from an in vivo locality to an at least partially transparent sample container of a sampling device. The sample container has a measuring chamber containing a luminophor, the luminescence of which is quenched in the presence of oxygen. The luminophor is excited by irradiation with radiation from a radiation source. The luminescence emitted by the excited luminophor is detected by a radiation detector and the oxygen content determined on the basis of the radiation detected by the radiation detector. A sampling device and a system for photometric in vitro determination of oxygen in a blood sample are also described.

Abstract: When performing the method a sensor (1) is used with a coil (15) integrated in a coil circuit. In the coil circuit a magnetic field is generated so that mutual induction can develop between the coil circuit and the surroundings of the sensor (1). The magnetic field in the coil circuit is detected intermittently, and a developed mutual induction is detected as a change of the magnetic field. The position of the sensor is monitored on the basis of said intermittent detection of the magnetic field in the coil circuit. The change of the magnetic field in the coil circuit can be detected in several ways. If the magnetic field is varying, the change may for example be detected as a change of the peak value of the voltage across or the current intensity through the coil circuit or be detected as a phase shift of one of these parameters. The method is used especially to ensure that calibration of the sensor (1) is performed only when the sensor (1) is located in a related calibration chamber (24).

Abstract: The sensor (1) comprises a sensor body (3) thermostatable by means of a first thermostating system (14,15) and having an outer surface (3a,40a) for application to the human body (28) in heat conductive relationship therewith, said outer surface (3a,40a) forming the measuring surface of the sensor (1). The sensor (1) further comprises analyte sensing means (7,8) arranged in said sensor body (3) and being thermostated through said body (3) by means of the first thermostating system (14,15). The sensor (1) further comprises means (16,41) arranged in the sensor body (3) in heat insulated relationship therewith while in heat conductive relationship with a delimited surface part of the sensor measuring surface (3a,40a). The means (16,41) is thermostatable by means of a second thermostating system. The delimited surface part is located within the outer periphery of the sensor measuring surface (3a,40a).

Abstract: New apparatus for measuring parameters such as pH, pCO.sub.2, pO.sub.2, and Hb content of physiological fluids, especially blood, is described. The apparatus comprises novel means for suspending reagent vessels (34, 35, 40, 45, 50) having shoulders (51, 52) and containing calibrating solutions, rinsing solutions etc., as well as for suspending a liquid waste vessel (26) by suspending the vessels between rods (53, 54) fed to the analyser. The reagent vessels are provided with caps (55, 58) at the top and include liquid reagent conduit extending from the outlet aperture of the cap down into the liquid. When the vessel is mounted on the analyser a fixed inlet tube extending horizontally outwardly from the analyser penetrates a seal across the outlet aperture and connects with the liquid reagent conduit.

Abstract: A method of photometric in vitro determination of the content of an analyte in a sample is disclosed. The sample is located in a measuring chamber which has a radiation path length and has at least one at least partially transparent wall part. The measuring chamber is in optical communication with an optical system adapted for the analyte which includes a radiation source and a radiation detector. The measuring chamber is adjustable in shape which enables the radiation path length across the measuring chamber to be changed. In a first measuring step an unknown first radiation path length across the measuring chamber is set and radiation at at least two wavelengths is transmitted from the radiation source through the measuring chamber and to the radiation detector. In a second step, the measuring chamber is adjusted in shape thereby setting a second unknown path length across the measuring chamber.

Abstract: A sampling device for photometric determination of the content of an analyte in a sample of whole blood has at least one measuring chamber having two wall parts, at least one wall part being locally transparent, at least one wall part being sufficiently deformable to facilitate displacement of the whole blood sample from the measuring chamber. The measuring chamber also contains a transparent body having a radiation transmission characteristic dependent upon the concentration of a predetermined analyte in the whole blood sample. The sample device is employed in an analyzer for photometric determination of the content of an analyte in a sample of whole blood and in a method of photometric in vitro determination of the content of an analyte in a sample of whole blood.

Abstract: The glass electrode comprises a membrane of ion sensitive glass. The membrane comprises a composite material consisting of a matrix of ion sensitive glass and a dispersed filling material therein having higher tensile strength than the matrix. The membrane of the glass electrode is particularly resistant to mechanical stress and the glass electrode is i.a. applicable in a tc Pco.sub.2 electrode of the Severinghaus-type.

Abstract: New apparatus for measuring parameters such as pH, pCO.sub.2, pO.sub.2, and Hb content of physiological fluids, especially blood, is described. The apparatus comprises novel means for suspending reagent vessels (34, 35, 40, 45, 50) having shoulders (51, 52) and containing calibrating solutions, rinsing solutions etc., as well as for suspending a liquid waste vessel (26) by suspending the vessels between rods (53, 54) fed to the analyser. The reagent vessels are provided with caps (55, 58) at the top and include liquid reagent conduit extending from the outlet aperture of the cap down into the liquid. When the vessel is mounted on the analyser a fixed inlet tube extending horizontally outwardly from the analyser penetrates a seal across the outlet aperture and connects with the liquid reagent conduit.

Abstract: In one embodiment the calibration device (1) comprises a housing (2) which by means of a removable lid (8) and a rupturable barrier layer (3) is divided into a calibration chamber (4) and a second chamber (10). The calibration chamber (4) contains a calibration fluid (5)--e.g. a dry gas--while second chamber (10) contains a second fluid (11)--e.g. a wetting agent. Immediately prior to a calibration process the lid (8) is removed, whereafter a sensor with its measuring surface in front is inserted through the second chamber (10) into the housing (2) until it abuts against a shoulder (6) in the housing (2). This causes the barrier layer (3) to rupture and the second fluid (11) to contact the calibration fluid (5). Hereafter the calibration process can take place. In another embodiment the device (1) further comprises a membrane (12) which is accommodated in the second chamber (10) and is adapted to be secured to the sensor during the insertion of the sensor into the housing (2).

Abstract: A sampling device for photometric determination of the content of an analyte in a sample of whole blood has at least one measuring chamber having locally transparent wall parts, at least one wall part being sufficiently deformable to facilitate displacement of the whole blood sample from the measuring chamber, with a transparent body having a radiation transmission characteristic dependent upon the concentration of a predetermined analyte in the whole blood sample disposed between the wall parts. The sampling device is employed in an analyzer for photometric determination of the content of analyte in a sample of whole blood and in a method of photometric in vitro determination of the content of an analyte in a sample of whole blood.

Abstract: The concentration of molecular oxygen in a sample is determined by exciting oxygen molecules of the sample from the electronic ground state to the excited .sup.1 .DELTA..sub.g state (excited singlet state), measuring a 1270-nm luminescence characteristic of the excited oxygen molecules (singlet oxygen) and correlating the luminescence characteristic measured with the concentration of molecular oxygen in the sample. Normally, the 1270-nm luminescence characteristic is the 1270-nm luminescence intensity. Preferably, the oxygen molecules are excited by being subjected to diffusion contact with a sensitizer such as a porphyrin or a porphyrin-related compound, e.g. a transition metal complex of a porphyrin. The sensitizer is brought into an oxygen-exciting electronic state by absorption of electromagnetic radiation such as light, the oxygen-exciting electronic state optionally being adapted to the measuring system employed by means of a quencher such as a substituted polyene.

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 ar

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a characteristic which is a function of the concentration of one or more chemical species in a sample fluid, examples being the concentration of sodium ion or potassium ion in blood, makes use of a discardable or disposable measuring device comprising one or more sensors, an example of a relevant type of sensor being a potentiometric electrode, one or more conditioning (e.g. calibration) fluid chambers and, optionally, a sample fluid chamber, the sensor(s) being movable relative to the chamber(s), or vice versa, so as permit conditioning of the sensor(s) in a conditioning fluid chamber and exposure of a sensing surface part of the sensor(s) to a sample fluid.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for spectrophotometrically determining the concentration of a number of hemoglobin derivatives comprising at least deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin or parameters derived from the concentration of individual hemoglobin derivatives, in particular the oxygen saturation fraction, in whole blood, in which light is transmitted to the blood under test, the modification on the light transmitted to the blood which the blood causes is determined at a number of individual wavelengths, and the concentrations (or the derived parameters) are determined on the basis of the light modification at the individual wavelengths and on the basis of predetermined coefficients representing the light absorption characteristics of each of the hemoglobin derivatives at each of the individual wavelengths, any error on the determination values due to turbidity being substantially compensated for by utilizing predetermined coefficients representing an absorption characteristic of turbidity at each of the wavelengths.

Abstract: An electrode device for the determination of the partial pressure of CO.sub.2, Pco.sub.2, in particular an electrode device for transcutaneous determination of Pco.sub.2.The interior electrolyte of the electrode device is adapted to the exterior electrolyte in such a manner that the potential difference measured over the exterior reference electrode and the interior reference electrode is substantially temperature-independent with a temperature dependence for the CO.sub.2 partial pressure determination in the range of -1%/.degree.C.-+1%.degree.C.The interior electrolyte preferably contains a pH-buffer system based on phenyl phosphonic acid.

Abstract: A reference liquid for calibration or quality control of instruments which determine ionized calcium and pH. The reference liquid contains both a particular calcium ion activity and a pH-buffer and can therefore be used for calibration of both the calcium-sensitive electrode and the pH-electrode in the instruments. The pH-buffer is a nitrogen-containing organic sulphonic acid and the salt of this acid, the acid having a pK in the range of 6.6-7.6. The reference liquid has an ionic strength of 0.15-0.17, a buffer capacity .beta. in the range of 0.04-0.10 and is packed in glass ampoules.

Abstract: An electrochemical measuring electrode device (10) for polarographically measuring the partial pressure of oxygen in an electrolytic medium comprises a cathode (14) which is capable of reducing oxygen and defines an exposed oxygen-reducing cathode surface (20), an anode (18), which defines an exposed anode surface which is arranged relative to the exposed oxygen-reducing cathode surface so as to communicate electrolytically therewith through the electrolytic medium, and a membrane (24), which covers the exposed oxygen-reducing cathode surface and further defines an electrolyte chamber (22) in which the electrolytic medium is confined. In order to effectively promote the decomposition of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 generated in the electrolytic medium as an oxygen reduction intermediate and thereby reduce the response time of the electrode, a stable, non-biological catalytic means is provided catalytically communicating with the H.sub.2 O.sub.2.