Optical measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209347-B2
Application number	US-201616319036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

The invention refers to an optical measurement apparatus (10) with an optical device (18,20,22) and a liquid sample vessel (12) for measuring an optical parameter of a liquid sample (13) in the liquid sample vessel (12), comprising a drying circuit circulating drying air for venting the sample vessel (12), wherein the drying circuit comprises a mechanical water stop means (100) in the course of the drying circuit, the water stop means (100) comprising a conduit body (102) with a water-absorbing swelling element (120) arranged within the conduit body (102). The water stop means is simple and inexpensive and reliably protects all elements downstream of the water stop means from a water ingress upstream of the water stop means.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical measurement apparatus with an optical device and a liquid sample vessel for measuring an optical parameter of a liquid sample in the liquid sample vessel, comprising
a drying circuit circulating drying air for venting the sample vessel,
wherein the drying circuit comprises a mechanical water stop in the course of the drying circuit, the water stop comprising a conduit body with a water-absorbing swelling element arranged within the conduit body.

2. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the swelling element comprises a super absorbent material.

3. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the swelling element comprises swelling filaments consisting of or coated with a super absorbent material.

4. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the super absorbent material is a super absorbent polymer.

5. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water stop conduit body has an air inlet and an air outlet defining a general flow direction and the swelling filaments are fixed with their first filament ends at the conduit body so as to extend with their non-fixed second filament ends in upstream direction against the general flow direction.

6. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water stop conduit body is a cylindrical tube and the swelling filaments are orientated longitudinally within the cylindrical tube.

7. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , total cross-sectional area of all swelling filaments covers at least 10%, and preferably at least 20% of the total cross-sectional area of the tube.

8. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drying circuit comprises a disposable drying cartridge with a cartridge housing, a drying substance within the cartridge housing, fluidic coupling elements and the water stop integrated in the drying cartridge.

9. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drying circuit comprises an electric drying gas pump comprising an electric pump motor, a motor current sensor sensing the electric current of the pump motor and a control device being connected with the motor current sensor, the control device emitting a water stop signal if the sensed motor current IM exceeds a set current value IS.

10. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid sample vessel is a transparent cuvette and is provided with a sample inlet and a sample outlet.

11. The optical measurement apparatus claim 1 , wherein the optical device comprises a light source and a light detector.

12. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement apparatus is a nephelometric turbidimeter for measuring the turbidity of the liquid sample.

13. The optical measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drying circuit comprises a disposable drying cartridge with a cartridge housing, a drying substance within the cartridge housing, fluidic coupling elements and the water stop physically separate from but in gaseous communication with the drying cartridge.

Assignees

• Hach Lange Gmbh

Inventors

• Kussman Michael
• Stellmach Aurelia
• Hahn Markus
• Lenhard Markus
• Minke Sebastian
• Jonak Andreas
• Baar Volker
• Rudde Heinz

Classifications

• G01N21/51

  inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule (G01N21/53 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/15 Primary

  Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path · CPC title

• G01N2021/151

  Gas blown · CPC title

• G01N2021/158

  Eliminating condensation · CPC title