Abstract:
An electrode assemblyfortranscutaneously measuring a blood gas parameter and for measuring a bioelectrical signal comprises two separate electrode devices (10, 40), one of which (10) further comprises an electrochemical measuring electrode system. The electrochemical measuring electrode system comprises a reference electrode of a potentiometric electrode system and an anode of a polarographic electrode system constituted by a single metallic body (13), a pH-electrode (31,32) of the potentiometric electrode system, and a noble metal cathode (33 34) of the polarographic electrode system. The biolectrical signal sensing electrode of the electrode device (10) is further constituted by the metallic body (13). A first part of the metallic body (13) is covered by an electrolyte solution (28) which communicates electrolytically therewith and further with the pH-glass electrode and the noble metal cathode, and a second part of which is not covered by the electrolyte solution but adapted to electrically conductively communicate with a skin surface part of a test person or a patient through an electrically conductive contact liquid (19). The membrane separates the first and the second part of the metallic body from one another. The second electrode (40) comprises a bioelectrical signal sensing electrode (41), which is adapted to electrically conductively communicate with a skin surface part of a test person or patient through an electrically conductive contact liquid (20). By means of the electrode assembly coincident measuring results of the blood gas partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide and of a bioelectrical signal such as the ECG (Electrocardiography), the RR (Respiration rate) or the heart rate of the test person or patient is obtainable (Fig. 3).
Abstract:
An electrochemical electrode device for simultaneously measuring the partial pressures of two gases in a medium of limited gas availability one of which is measured potentiometrically and another one of which is measured polarographically comprises an electrode body (18) constituting a reference electrode relative. to a pH-electrode (19) of a potentiometric electrode system, and a anode relative to a cathode (20) of a polarographic electrode system. Furthermore, the electrode device comprises an electrolyte solution (28) enclosed between the electrode body (18) and a membrane (30). The membrane (30) comprises a basic membrane layer (31), preferably of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or fluorcethylenepropylene (FEP) of a thickness of about 12 µm, and a covering (32), preferably a polypropylene layer of a thickness of about 15 µm, which covers part of the basic membrane layer so that an uncovered area (34) is constituted in front of the pH-electrode (19). The uncovered area (34) constitutes a first membrane part showing high permeability to the first gas and constitutes together with the potentiometric electrode system and the electrolyte solution a first measuring system for measuring the partial pressure of the first gas. A covered area (32) of the basic membrane layer (30) constitutes together with its covering a second membrane part showing low permeability to the second gas and is arranged In front of the exposed measuring surface of the cathode (20) so as to restrict the diffusion of the second gas to the cathode (20) and together with the polarographic electrode system and the electrolyte solution to constitute a second measuring system for measuring the partial pressure of the second gas. In order to obtain highly accurate and highly responsive measurements of the partial pressures of the two gases in a medium of limited gas availability, the dimension of the exposed measuring surface of the cathode (20), which preferably is a micro-cathode constituted by a 25 µm platinum wire, (22) and the permeability of the second membrane part (32) are adapted to one another so that the response of the polarographic measuring system when measuring in a medium of limited gas availability is substantially identical to the response of the polarographic measuring system when measuring in a medium of unlimited gas availability, and the potentiometric and the polarographic measuring systems have response time characteristics of the same order of magnitude, such as response time constants of the order of 0.5 min.