Electrochemical cell configured to have a dynamically renewed electrode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11977046-B2
Application number	US-202117562237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

An electrochemical cell comprises a chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, an electrode port, and a counter electrode. The inlet port is configured to allow flow of a liquid into the chamber and through an inlet opening toward the working electrode, and the outlet port is configured to allow flow of a liquid out of the chamber and through an outlet opening. The device is configured so that a force applied to the working electrode slides the first end face of the working electrode to a distance from a face of the inlet opening due to the balancing force of a fluid flowing out of the inlet opening. The device may be used in a method for analyzing an analyte, such as one or more amino acids in a liquid sample.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising an electrochemical cell, wherein the cell comprises a chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, an electrode port, and a counter electrode;
wherein the inlet port allows flow of a liquid into the chamber and through a conduit having an inlet opening, and the outlet port allows flow of the liquid out of the chamber;
wherein the counter electrode is in liquid communication with the cell;
wherein the electrode port houses a cylindrical, working electrode and is configured to allow a first end of the working electrode to slide into the chamber;
wherein an area of a first end face of the working electrode is larger than an area of the inlet opening;
wherein a force generated by the liquid flowing out of the inlet opening toward the first end face of the working electrode is applied to the working electrode, and the first end face of the working electrode is caused by the force generated by the liquid to slide to a distance from a face of the inlet opening in response to the force generated by the liquid.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is further configured so that a second force applied to the working electrode that is applied to a second end face of the working electrode, and the second end face is opposite to the first end face.

3. The device of claim 1 , in which the electrode port comprises a sealing material configured to allow the cylindrical working electrode to pierce through the material and to prevent any liquid in the chamber from seeping out of the chamber through the electrode port.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a reference electrode in liquid communication with the cell.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the working electrode comprises copper metal.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the working electrode comprises gold metal.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the electrode port are located opposite to each other.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell is configured so that the working electrode slides to cover at least a portion of the inlet opening when the liquid flowing out of the inlet opening has stopped.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises the counter electrode.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises the counter electrode, and an insulating spacer is located at the end of the counter electrode between the counter electrode and the working electrode.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a pneumatic piston configured to apply pressure to a second end of the working electrode so that it can slide into the chamber.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the distance from the first end face of the working electrode to the face of the inlet opening is a constant distance.

13. A device for the electrochemical detection of analytes in a liquid, the device comprising:
a chamber having an inlet port, an outlet port and a working electrode port, the inlet port allowing flow of the liquid into the chamber, and the outlet port allowing flow of the liquid out of the chamber;
a counter electrode in liquid communication with the chamber;
a working electrode movably housed in the working electrode port and in liquid communication with the chamber and electrical communication with the counter electrode, the working electrode allowing a first end of the working electrode to slide into the chamber, wherein an area of a first end face of the working electrode is larger than an area of the inlet port;
wherein when a force generated by the liquid flowing out of the inlet opening toward the outlet port is applied to the working electrode, and wherein the working electrode is caused by the force generated by the liquid to slide to a known distance from the inlet port opening.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the analytes are detected by an electrochemical reaction between the analytes and the working electrode and the measuring of the electrical signal generated between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

15. The device of claim 13 , in which the working electrode port comprises a sealing material configured to allow the working electrode to pierce through the material and to prevent any liquid in the chamber from seeping out of the chamber through the electrode port.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein the working electrode comprises copper metal.

17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the working electrode comprises gold metal.

Assignees

• Dionex Corp
• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Dasgupta Purnendu
• Shelor Charles P
• Srinivasan Kannan
• Pohl Christopher A

Classifications

• G01N27/30 Primary

  Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells (G01N27/414 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N27/38 Primary

  Cleaning of electrodes · CPC title

• G01N27/333

  Ion-selective electrodes or membranes (glass electrodes G01N27/36) · CPC title

• G01N27/28

  Electrolytic cell components · CPC title