Patents Examined by Louis Rufo
  • Patent number: 8460537
    Abstract: A method for determining an analyte concentration in blood is described that reduces the effects of hematocrit using a test strip attached to a test meter. The test strip includes a working electrode and a reference electrode. The test meter applies a test voltage between the working electrode and the reference electrode. After a user applies a blood sample containing an analyte onto the test strip, the test meter measures a plurality of test currents for a test time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: LifeScan Scotland Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Patrick Blythe, Marco F Cardosi, Leanne Mills, Manuel Alvarez-Icaza, Emma Vanessa Jayne Day, Richard Michael Day, Christopher Philip Leach
  • Patent number: 8409414
    Abstract: A gas sensor and nitrogen oxide sensor, which, when fitted to the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, can suppress the influence of harmful substances contained in a measurement gas and can prevent the reduction in sensitivity over time. A harmful substance-trapping layer is formed at a gas inlet for introducing a to-be-measured gas from an external space into an internal space, and in a buffering space formed between diffusion resistance portions. In a trap-formed portion of a gas passage in which the harmful substance-trapping layer is formed, the measurement gas can pass in an amount of 80% or more of when the harmful substance-trapping layer is not formed in the trap-formed portion. A diffusion resistance is attained in the diffusion resistance portions; a harmful substance is trapped in the harmful substance-trapping layer; and the measurement gas is allowed to flow into a detection electrode side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeya Miyashita, Sang Jae Lee, Kunihiko Nakagaki
  • Patent number: 8343322
    Abstract: A ceramic gas sensor for measuring a gas component in a gas mixture, which includes a sensor element, which has at least one first electrode exposed to the gas mixture to be determined, and at least one further electrode. Only one shared electrical contact is provided for the first electrode and for the additional electrode, an electrical resistor, which is situated inside the gas sensor, being preconnected to the first electrode and/or the additional electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wahl, Bernd Schumann, Sabine Thiemann-Handler, Berndt Cramer, Helge Schichlein
  • Patent number: 8317998
    Abstract: A method of operating an electrochemical gas sensor includes: a) exposing, for a first predetermined duration, the electrochemical gas sensor to an atmosphere containing a target gas while the gas reaction capability of the electrode assembly is substantially reduced from a working level, such that target gas is collected within the housing; b) increasing the gas reaction capability of the electrode assembly to a level at which it consumes collected target gas and thereby outputs a signal to the sensing circuit, including an initial transient decay signal; c) monitoring the transient decay signal; and d) analysing the rate of decay of the transient decay signal to determine whether the performance of at least one component of the electrochemical gas sensor is within acceptable limits. An apparatus for operating an electrochemical gas sensor, adapted for connection to an electrochemical gas sensor via a sensing circuit for control thereof, can carry out the disclosed method(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Life Safety Distribution AG
    Inventors: Keith Francis Edwin Pratt, John Chapples, Martin Jones, Stefan Dan Costea, Mihai Gologanu
  • Patent number: 8298390
    Abstract: Electrochemical probes for corrosion monitoring in an environment that may cause the formation of electron-conducting deposits and the method for making such probes were described. The probes have long exposed electrodes. Except for the tip section, all surfaces of the exposed electrodes are coated with a coating or covered with electrically insulating tubing, so that only the tip section has uncovered metal that serves as the active areas of the electrodes. The coating or tubing material is such that the deposits cannot easily form on its surfaces. Because the electrical bridging between the active areas of any two electrodes requires the deposition of an evenly distributed layer of the electron-conducting deposits along the path from one area to the other area, the coated surface reduces the possibility of short-circuiting for the active areas of the electrodes. These probes are especially suitable for applications in systems containing hydrogen sulphide (H2S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Inventors: Xiaodong Sun Yang, Lietai Yang
  • Patent number: 8287719
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses for detecting hemoglobin in patient samples. The apparatuses include a primary electrode and a reference electrode. The apparatus is configured to measure current or voltage generated between the primary electrode and the reference electrode in response a redox reaction catalyzed by hemoglobin. The apparatuses can detect a variety of hemoglobins, including dimeric hemoglobin associated with malaria. Also disclosed are biosensor systems including the apparatuses and methods of using the biosensor systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: Jaydeep Bhattacharya
  • Patent number: 8273229
    Abstract: A hydrogen quantity sensor can directly measure hydrogen contained in a hydrogen storage device with simple and easy means. The hydrogen quantity sensor comprises a detecting electrode comprised of a hydrogen storage alloy disposed inside a hydrogen storage vessel, a standard electrode disposed to confront the detecting electrode; and an electrolyte member disposed between the detecting electrode and the standard electrode. The detecting electrode, the standard electrode and the electrolyte member constitute a sensor portion to measure hydrogen concentration within the hydrogen storage alloy as an electromotive force value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Niigata TLO Corporation
    Inventors: Shuuji Harada, Tsuyoshi Suda
  • Patent number: 8221603
    Abstract: A surface-contact sensor includes a housing defining an opening, an ion-permeable membrane at the opening, a counterelectrode within the housing, and a reference electrode within the housing that is spaced apart from the current-collector. A current-collector pad includes a grommet support having a base and a lumen defining an opening. An ion-permeable membrane spans at least a portion of the opening of the grommet. The ion-permeable membrane is held in place by a gasket surrounding the lumen. A current collector, at least in one embodiment, is proximate to a portion of the ion-permeable membrane that spans the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Reactive Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Michael C. Kimble
  • Patent number: 8202408
    Abstract: A sensor electrode for the detection of nucleotides in a biological sample is described. The sensitivity of the electrode is enhanced by the nanostructured sensor architecture that increases the available surface area of the electrode. The electrode detects nucleotides using standard electrochemical methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The Curators of the University of Missouri
    Inventors: Charles A. Carson, Hao Li, Qingsong Yu
  • Patent number: 8192600
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a solid-state selector having a vessel for carrying a liquid medium with one or more molecules surrounded by ions, a solid state conductive structure doped with impurities having one or more through-holes extending between two surfaces of the solid state conductive structure positioned within the liquid medium of the vessel, a voltage source coupled to the solid state conductive structure to selectively stimulate the ions surrounding the one or more molecules to pass through the one or more through-holes. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Leburton, Gregory Timp, Maria E. Gracheva, Julien Vidal
  • Patent number: 8187437
    Abstract: A mediator-based electrochemical gas sensor reacts selectively with hydrogen sulfide. The gas sensor has an electrolyte solution (9), which contains a mediator compound in the form of metallates of transition metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Herbert Kiesele, Frank Mett, Sabrina Sommer
  • Patent number: 8172994
    Abstract: A method of producing a biomaterial measuring device is disclosed. The method includes forming a plurality of reactions elements, to which an assay reagent is applied, on a first substrate, cutting the resulting first substrate in a unit of individual reaction element, and attaching a first substrate piece, which is formed by cutting the resulting first substrate in the unit of individual reaction element, to a predetermined portion of a second substrate. In the biomaterial measuring device, since a material cost in minimized and it is easy to automate production, it is possible to reduce a production, it is possible to reduce a production cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Ceragem Medisys Inc.
    Inventor: Jin-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8128799
    Abstract: A slab gel cassette is formed from generally flat plates welded together along their borders with a gel space between the plates that is open at the top and bottom edges of the plates to expose the opposing ends of a gel in the gel space to buffer solutions in which electrodes are immersed. The plates are shaped such that the weld line does not intersect with the bottom opening of the gel space. Sealing of the bottom of the gel space, which is necessary for gel casting, is achieved by placing a sealing strip over the bottom opening with no danger of leakage of the gel solution along a weld line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Price, Cory Panattoni, Craig Rowell, Shane Petersen, Evelio Perez
  • Patent number: 8092663
    Abstract: A gas sensor control device is disclosed as including a sensor cell having a negative terminal, to which a current-voltage converter is connected, and a differential amplifier is connected to the current-voltage converter to provide a current measured result applied to a microcomputer. The current-voltage converter has an opposite-to-sensor terminal to which another differential amplifier is connected. A sensor-side terminal of the current-voltage converter and another differential amplifier is electrically connected to each other via an electric pathway having a sensor-current flow disabling pathway in which a switch circuit is provided. Closing the switch circuit allows a potential difference between both terminals of the current-voltage converter is zeroed. With the switch circuit closed, the microcomputer calculates an element current correcting value, while detecting an electromotive force of the sensor cell based on which a failure is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Hada, Katsuhide Akimoto, Shoichiro Emmei, Keigo Mizutani, Shinya Teranishi