Patent ID: 6808618
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
Amperometric sensing apparatus for detecting an analyte in a gaseous medium, winch comprises:a working electrode at which said analyte is caused to participate in an analyte half-cell reaction; a reference electrode for controlling the electrochemical potential of said working electrode; a counter electrode at which a complementary half-cell reaction is caused to occur, wherein all three electrodes are electrochemically connected through an electrolyte and said counter and reference electrodes may be combined into a single electrode; means of enhancing the reactivity of the counter electrode to the product of the analyte reaction; and means for reconverting the product of the analyte reaction back to the analyte and then reacting it again at the working electrode, with such back-and-forth reactions repeating many times, so as to yield an amplification of the analyte signal.