US-12618794-B2 - Sensing assembly

US12618794B2US 12618794 B2US12618794 B2US 12618794B2US-12618794-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a sensing assembly for sensing a property of a fluid sample comprising at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense a property of a fluid sample in the primary fluid channel; a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path; and a reference electrode element provided in the secondary fluid channel. The secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary flow channel so as to limit the flow of fluid sample from the primary flow channel to the reference electrode element. Alternatively or additionally, a method comprises determining a property of a sample comprising providing such a sensing assembly.

Inventors

Youri Victorvitch PONOMAREV

Assignees

Analog Devices International Unlimited Company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220505

Claims (16)

1 . A sensing assembly for sensing a property of a fluid sample, the sensing assembly comprising: a primary fluid channel extending from an inlet to an outlet and providing a primary flow path for the fluid sample to flow in a flow direction from the inlet to the outlet; at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense the property of the fluid sample in the primary fluid channel; a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path at a point downstream from the at least one working electrode; and a reference electrode element provided in the secondary fluid channel, wherein the secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary fluid channel and is angled back relative to the flow direction of the primary flow path so as to limit a flow of the fluid sample from the primary fluid channel to the reference electrode element, and the secondary fluid channel is enclosed so as to define an enclosure or cove to prevent flow through the secondary fluid channel.
2 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the secondary fluid channel extends tangentially relative to the primary flow path.
3 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary fluid channel is fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel through an inlet portion of the secondary fluid channel, the inlet portion comprising an opening in a sidewall of the primary fluid channel.
4 . The sensing assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the inlet portion of the secondary fluid channel is tangential to the primary flow path.
5 . The sensing assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the reference electrode element is spaced from the opening of the secondary fluid channel.
6 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary fluid channel comprises an outlet and a moveable closure element for selectively closing the outlet to prevent the flow through the secondary fluid channel.
7 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the reference electrode element comprises a metal and a metal salt.
8 . The sensing assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the metal and the metal salt are selected from the group consisting of: (i) Ag and AgCl; (ii) Hg and Hg 2 Cl 2 ; and (iii) Cu and CuSO 4 .
9 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one working electrode is an electrode configured to detect a concentration of chloride in the fluid sample.
10 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing assembly further comprises a calibration fluid provided in the secondary fluid channel, wherein the calibration fluid and the reference electrode element form a reference electrode.
11 . A system for sensing a property of a fluid sample comprises: the sensing assembly according to claim 1 ; and a fluid delivery assembly configured to deliver the fluid sample to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , further comprising: a signal processing unit configured to process sensor signals received from the reference electrode element and the at least one working electrode; and a property determination unit configured to, based at least in part on the sensor signals processed from the at least one working electrode and the reference electrode element, determine the property of the fluid sample.
13 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary fluid channel is angled back relative to the flow direction of the primary flow path at an obtuse angle relative to a central axis of the primary flow path.
14 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one working electrode comprises a plurality of working electrodes.
15 . A method for determining a property of a fluid sample comprises: providing a sensing assembly for sensing the property of the fluid sample, the sensing assembly comprising a primary fluid channel providing a primary flow path for the fluid sample, at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense the property of the fluid sample in the primary fluid channel, a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path at a point downstream from the at least one working electrode; and a reference electrode element for providing a reference electrode signal provided in the secondary fluid channel, wherein the secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary fluid channel and is angled back relative to a flow direction of the primary flow path so as to limit a flow of the fluid sample from the primary fluid channel to the reference electrode element, the secondary fluid channel is enclosed so as to define an enclosure or cove to prevent flow through the secondary fluid channel; providing the fluid sample to the primary fluid channel; and determining the property of the fluid sample, based at least in part on sensor signals received from the sensing assembly.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising providing a calibration fluid to the secondary fluid channel.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a sensing assembly, a system comprising a sensing assembly and method for determining a property of a fluid sample. BACKGROUND Various sensor assemblies are known for determining properties of a sample. Electronic sensors can use electrodes to measure properties of a sample using electrodes. For example, electrochemical sensors can be used to detect the presence of particular analytes or take measurements such as conductivity or pH. These systems employ reference electrodes, which have a relatively stable and analyte-independent potential, to provide a benchmark against which the potential of a working electrode can be compared. Reference electrodes typically comprise an enclosure in which a reference electrolyte (e.g. a reference solution) is held, an electrode immersed in the reference electrode solution and an interface with the sample that is to be measured. Where the sample and reference solution are both liquids, this can be a liquid-junction. Often, this the sample and reference electrolytes will be separated by a frit (e.g. a porous member) and/or salt bridge. Typically reference electrodes are a combination of a slowly-dissolving conductive salt in a defined reference electrolyte (with diffusion junction to the main electrolyte), with AgCl salt as an example. The reference electrolyte has to have a sufficiently high concentration of Cl− ions to keep the potential stable, and, e.g., 3M KCl aqueous solution is commonly used. However, such reference electrodes are complex to integrate, particularly into smaller sensing assemblies. This type of reference electrode can also be incompatible with the need to store some systems in a dried state (i.e. without an electrolyte or sample) for several months/years before their first use. Moreover, in many modern sensing systems, such as in-line sensing systems which take multiple samples over a prolonged period of time, it is important to ensure that the reference electrode maintains a stable potential to ensure accurate measurements of potentiometric and amperometric sensors. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure provides a sensing assembly for sensing a property of a fluid sample comprising at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense a property of a fluid sample in the primary fluid channel; a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path; and a reference electrode element provided in the secondary fluid channel. The secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary flow channel so as to limit the flow of fluid sample from the primary flow channel to the reference electrode element. Alternatively or additionally, a method comprises determining a property of a sample comprising providing such a sensing assembly. In one embodiment, a sensing assembly for sensing a property of a fluid sample comprises: a primary fluid channel providing a primary flow path for a fluid sample; at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense a property of a fluid sample in the primary fluid channel; a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path; and a reference electrode element provided in the secondary fluid channel, wherein the secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary flow channel so as to limit the flow of fluid sample from the primary flow channel to the reference electrode element. In one embodiment, a system for sensing a property of a fluid sample comprises a sensing assembly according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein; and a fluid delivery assembly configured to deliver fluid to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path. In one embodiment, a method for determining a property of a sample comprises: providing a sensing assembly for sensing a property of a fluid sample, the sensing assembly comprising a primary fluid channel providing a primary flow path for a fluid sample, at least one working electrode provided in the primary fluid channel configured to sense a property of a fluid sample in the primary fluid channel, a secondary fluid channel adjacent to and fluidly connected to the primary fluid channel along the primary flow path; and a reference electrode element for providing a reference electrode signal provided in the secondary fluid channel, wherein the secondary fluid channel is arranged as a branch from the primary fluid channel so as to limit the flow of fluid sample from the primary fluid channel to the reference electrode element; providing a fluid sample to the primary fluid channel; and determining the property of the fluid sample, based at least in part on sensor signals received from the sensor assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the