Electrolyte Cartridge Unit for Electrochemical Sensor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electrochemical sensors require regular electrolyte replacement, which poses health risks due to the caustic nature of the electrolyte and involves delicate handling to avoid skin contact and membrane deterioration.

Innovation Solution

A prefilled cartridge unit for electrochemical sensors with a selectively permeable membrane, a supporting member for safe mounting, and a design that allows for easy fastening and detachment without direct user contact with the electrolyte, featuring reversed thread pitches for consistent torque application and an elastic member to maintain membrane integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrolyte is transferred from a bottle into the cartridge manually, then the sensor can be replenished with electrolyte, but the user faces health risks due to direct contact with the caustic electrolyte

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor functionalityVSAvoiduser health risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the electrolyte transfer operation from the user's direct handling by introducing a supporting member that contains the cartridge and enables indirect mounting. The electrolyte remains contained within the cartridge throughout the process, and the user only contacts the supporting member, not the caustic electrolyte directly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting member acts as an intermediary between the user and the electrolyte-filled cartridge. It provides a safe interface for mounting the cartridge onto the sensor without requiring the user to handle the electrolyte directly, thus mediating the harmful interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of repair

If electrolyte replacement is performed manually, then the sensor can be maintained, but the operation becomes delicate and complex due to the need to avoid skin contact and membrane deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrolyte replacementVSAvoidmounting operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the electrolyte replacement operation into two independent parts: the sealed cartridge containing the electrolyte and membrane, and the supporting member for mounting. This segmentation allows the delicate cartridge to be handled as a complete unit without exposing its contents, simplifying the maintenance operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cartridge is pre-filled with electrolyte and sealed before reaching the user. The supporting member is designed in advance with the appropriate mounting interface. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for the user to perform delicate operations during maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the cartridge is fastened directly to the sensor without a supporting member, then the structure is simpler, but the user must handle the electrolyte-filled cartridge directly increasing health risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecartridge structureVSAvoiduser exposure to electrolyte

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting member serves multiple functions: it provides a safe interface for user handling, enables indirect mounting of the cartridge, and prevents direct contact between the user and the electrolyte. This multi-functionality justifies the additional structural element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The cartridge unit reduces user health risks by eliminating direct electrolyte handling and ensuring consistent, reliable fastening, while maintaining membrane integrity and preventing electrolyte leakage, thus extending sensor functionality and reducing maintenance complexity.

Implementation Method 1

The substance to be detected diffuses across the membrane in response to a pressure difference between the two sides of the membrane

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 2

a membrane selectively permeable to the substance to be detected, that is, a membrane that will let pass said substance but will not, or will less readily, let pass the other substances of the fluid to be analyzed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelective permeability: Semipermeable Membrane

Implementation Method 3

The substance to be detected diffuses across the membrane in response to a pressure difference between the two sides of the membrane, and participates in an electrochemical reaction that produces an electrical current between the electrodes

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrochemical reaction: Electrolysis

Data Source

PatentUS8197653B2Electrolyte cartridge unit for an electrochemical sensor

Publication Date: 2012.06.12 HACH LANGE HACH LANGE

AI summary

Cartridge unit for an electrochemical sensor includes a cartridge (2) prefilled with electrolyte and having a first end closed by a selectively permeable membrane (7), and a second end (6) having a fastening device (11) arranged for fastening the cartridge to the electrochemical sensor (24). The cartridge unit further has a supporting member (3) to which the cartridge (2) is detachably fastened, and closing devices (4, 20) for closing the second end (6) of the cartridge (2). These closing devices (4, 20) are able to be opened by a user to allow the cartridge (2) to be fastened to the electrochemical sensor (24) and then to be detached from the supporting element (3).