Micro-probe for gas sampling
US4901727A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 5, 1988 |
| Grant date | Feb 20, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/145
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A catheter probe for use in the analysis of gases absorbed in liquids, particularly suitable for the in vivo analysis of blood gases, the probe includes an equilibration chamber disposed within the active length of the probe at the distal end of the probe and which is surrounded by a gas permeable membrane. A carrier gas is introduced into the probe and enters the equilibration chamber where the gas sought to be analyzed from the blood equilibrates with the carrier gas and forms a bolus of sample gas. That bolus is then caused to flow out of the probe to an analyzer. The equilibration chamber is formed of an elongated, tortuous path that allows a high surface area to unit volume ratio, that is, the ratio of the area of the equilibration chamber that is immediately beneath the gas permeable chamber to the volume of the flow path though the equilibration chamber is high. Preferable the equilibration chamber is formed as a spiral path. The cross-sectional area of the paths through which carrier gas passes through the catheter probe are designed to be substantially the same to minimize mixing of the bolus of carrier gas containing the blood gases with the non-equilibrated carrier gas.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.