Abstract: A portable apparatus for measuring the electrochemical characteristics of a sample is disclosed. A disposable cartridge, including a plurality of interconnected flow chambers, houses a printed circuit board substrate upon which reference and indicating electrodes are formed. The electrodes are employed in the presence of chemical reagents to aid in the electrochemical determination of a sample undergoing analysis. A thermal sensing element is in close proximity to the electrodes to permit the correction of the measurement for variations in temperature. After a pH value has been determined, the used cartridge can be mechanically ejected thus eliminating user exposure to the blood sample being measured. In this way, the pH of a blood sample can be determined quickly, effectively, inexpensively and with a minimum amount of sample and reagent preparation.

Abstract: The specification discloses structure where by applying modulated selectivity constituents are separated from tobacco smoke by stimulated coagulation and adsorption. An ultrasonic generating disc (30) is disposed in the flowstream of the tobacco smoke for generating an ultrasonic field having frequencies up to about 1 MHz to cause coagulation and adsorption of constituents in the flow. The disc (30) includes a ring of semicircular cavities (56), having sharp edges (54) defined on the boundary thereof, which form essentially a ring of vibrojet whistles facing into the flow. The vibrojet whistles are driven by the flow to produce high frequency vortices in the cavities (56). The cavities (56) resonate in phase to create disturbances downstream of the disc (30) which constructively interfere to create a high energy ultrasonic field in the flow. The cavities (56) are arranged so that the energy of the sonic field is directed into a relatively small region thereby inducing coagulation and adsorption.