Measuring apparatus for analyzing a measuring medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10895526-B2
Application number	US-201816189371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Nov 13, 2017
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a measuring apparatus for analyzing a measuring medium. The measuring apparatus includes a probe housing, a radiation source, and coupling and decoupling optics. The optics have a measurement window in the probe housing to direct radiation of the radiation source into a measuring region outside the probe housing and including the measuring medium, and to block measuring radiation from the measuring region. Via the optics, a receiving device detects measuring radiation and generates output data. An additional physical or chemical sensor is integrated into the probe housing and is designed to detect a measurand of the measuring medium and output measurement signals. An electronic measurement unit is configured to collect and process the output data of the receiving device and the measurement signals of the additional physical or chemical sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring apparatus for analyzing a measuring medium, comprising:
a probe housing;
a radiation source;
coupling and decoupling optics, which have at least one measurement window arranged in the probe housing and which are configured to couple radiation of the radiation source into a measuring region which is arranged outside the probe housing and in which the measuring medium is located, and to decouple measuring radiation from the measuring region;
a light detection unit configured to detect, via the coupling and decoupling optics, measuring radiation from the measuring region and to generate output data from the detected measuring radiation;
wherein the radiation source and the light detection unit are housed in a housing separate from the probe housing;
at least one additional physical or chemical sensor which is integrated into the probe housing and which is configured to detect a measurand of the measuring medium and to output values of the measurand as measurement signals; and
a light processing unit which is connected to the light detection unit and configured to collect and process the output data of the light detection unit, and wherein the light processing unit is connected to the additional physical or chemical sensor and configured to collect and process the measurement signals of the additional physical or chemical sensor.

2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light processing unit is configured to determine and output at least one analysis value using the output data of the light detection unit and the measurement signals of the additional physical or chemical sensor.

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light detection unit includes a spectrometer, which is configured to split the detected measuring radiation into a spectrum and to register the generated spectrum by means of a detector, wherein the detector is configured to generate output data representing the registered spectrum to the light processing unit.

4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the light processing unit is configured to identify at least one analyte from the registered spectrum or to determine its concentration.

5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light detection unit includes an image sensor, wherein the coupling and decoupling optics are designed to generate an optical image of the measuring region, and wherein the light detection unit is configured to generate output data representing the optical image detected by means of the image sensor to the light processing unit.

6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image sensor is a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor.

7. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional physical or chemical sensor is a temperature sensor.

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional physical or chemical sensor is an analysis sensor.

9. The measuring apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the analysis sensor is a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, an ion selective electrode, or a dissolved oxygen sensor.

10. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the measuring apparatus includes a temperature sensor and at least one analysis sensor, wherein the electronic measurement unit is connected to the temperature sensor and to the at least one analysis sensor and is configured to receive and process measurement signals of the temperature sensor and of the analysis sensor and to determine and output the analysis value using the output data of the light detection unit and the measurement signals of the temperature sensor and of the at least one analysis sensor.

11. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the light processing unit is integrated into the probe housing of the measuring apparatus.

12. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring apparatus is configured as an in-line measuring device.

13. The measuring apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the measuring apparatus includes a connection apparatus, which is connected to the probe housing, for connecting the probe housing to a process container containing the measuring medium, wherein the measuring region is located within a volume area of the process container, said volume area containing the measuring medium.

14. The measuring apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the connection apparatus includes a process connection configured for attachment to a complementary connection of a process container.

15. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light processing unit is configured to determine the analysis value using a chemometric model.

16. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one analysis value is a value of a process parameter or quality parameter, qualitative information about the presence of one or more analytes in the measuring medium, or a concentration of one or more analytes in the measuring medium.

17. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the light processing unit is connectable to a process control or a laboratory information and management system (LIMS) and is configured to output the analysis value as a digital signal to the process control or the LIMS in accordance with a communication protocol that can be processed by the process control or the LIMS.

18. A method for determining at least one analysis value corresponding to a chemical composition of a measuring medium, comprising: radiating radiation of a radiation source into the measuring medium, which radiation is converted into measuring radiation by interaction with the measuring medium; receiving the measuring radiation at a light detection unit and generating output data based upon the received measuring radiation using the light detection unit; detecting measured values of a measurand of the measuring medium using at least one additional physical or chemical sensor and generating measurement signals representing the measured values; detecting the output data of the light detection unit and the measurement signals of the at least one physical or chemical sensor by a light processing unit; and determining, using the light processing unit the analysis value using the output data of the receiving device light detection unit and the measurement signals of the additional physical or chemical sensor, wherein a probe housing houses the additional physical or chemical sensor and is separate from an additional housing that houses the radiation source.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one analysis value is a value of a process parameter or quality parameter, qualitative information about the presence of one or more analytes in the measuring medium, or a concentration of one or more analytes in the measuring medium.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Conducta Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Mannhardt Joachim
• Falk Judith
• Heisterkamp Monika

Classifications

• G01N2021/3129

  Determining multicomponents by multiwavelength light · CPC title

• G01N21/31 Primary

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N2021/8528

  Immerged light conductor · CPC title

• G01N21/8507

  Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample · CPC title

• G01N21/65

  Raman scattering · CPC title