Patent Description:
Automated analyser systems for use in clinical diagnostics and life sciences are produced by a number of companies. For example, STRATEC® SE, Birkenfeld, Germany, produces a number of devices for specimen handling and detection for use in automated analyser systems and other laboratory instrumentation.

STRATEC® designs and manufactures automated analytical systems in the field of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), which use a number of individual instrument components to process diagnostic assays. Wash buffer which are aqueous solutions are required in automated analyser systems for processing samples, among other things.

These solutions (mainly sodium chlorite or potassium chlorite solutions with surfactants) can either be supplied ready-mixed to the instrument or mixed on the instrument from a concentrate and water. When mixing in the unit, both concentrate and water are each supplied into a container by a pump, e.g. a peristaltic pump. In order to keep the mixing ratio constant within the specified limits and to be able to detect failures or faulty delivery rates of a pump, a sensor is necessary for monitoring and/or control.

Solutions for washing purposes in an automated analyser system may be prepared outside the system under controlled conditions, either manually, with very precise pumps, or e.g. by weighing the individual components. This approach requires additional facilities for preparing and providing the required solutions.

Alternatively, very precise conductivity sensors which have been developed for process technology are available in the field. These sensors are also usually mechanically very robust which results in an increased weight and size. Said sensors usually measure the conductivity of the liquid by means of metallic electrodes that are immersed in the liquid, alternatively there are also inductive sensors. With these, an electrical voltage is coupled into the liquid by means of a coil and the resulting current flow in the liquid is measured with a second coil.

The use of premixed buffer solutions is disadvantageous with respect to their storage because the solutions are water based. When mixing a buffer on the unit from a concentrate and water, a mixing ratio of concentrate and water between <NUM>:<NUM> and <NUM>:<NUM> is commonly used.

The sensors available in the field are either too large or too expensive or both for (serial) use in diagnostic devices. In addition, the use of metallic electrodes in process liquids of analytical instruments is not desired, since interactions with the liquid may occur and thus influence the results of the analysis.

Published U. patent application <CIT> discloses an integrated in a sensor device, wherein a plurality of detection arrangements of various types, comprising at least a level-sensing arrangement and an optical arrangement for detection of one or more characteristics of the substance, and possibly also a temperature-sensing arrangement, with these arrangements that are operatively associated to one and the same casing or assembly body. The arrangement and the number of the sensors of a device according to <CIT> appear to be disadvantageous in terms of making the device complex.

Published International application <CIT> relates to a medicament preparation system which includes a disposable cartridge with a flow path. Various sensors may be placed on the cartridge to measure qualities of the fluid flowing through the flow path. The sensors are placed in precise locations using various approaches that make manufacturing of the cartridge efficient and repeatable. A drain line that is susceptible to fouling may be preattached and various approaches are used to remove or reduce the fouling. An elastomeric contact can also be present in the medical preparation system and used in a conductivity measurement subsystem.

Published U. patent application <CIT> teaches an dialysis system instrument which includes a dialysis instrument, a disposable pumping and valving cassette apparatus operable with pumping and valving actuators of the dialysis instrument, the disposable cassette including an electronic cell and electronics associated with the electronic cell, the electronics configured to determine an electrical property of a solution flowing through the electronic cell of the disposable apparatus.

Published International patent application <CIT> discloses various improvements in the field of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing systems. One improvement relates to a portable SPR sensing system, e.g., a system contained within a suitcase that can be hand-carried to a monitoring site. Another improvement relates to a portable, cartridge based SPR sensing system. In this system, selected portions of the system's electrical and fluidics systems are allocated between a base unit and a removable/disposable cartridge. Other improvements relate to methods or protocols for operating an SPR sensing system. Such methods provide for the elimination of false positives and increased sensitivity, e.g., by using secondary antibodies with specificity for different target epitopes and by sensor element redundancy. In addition, protocols are provided for the detection of small molecules. Such protocols may employ a competition type assay where the presence of the analyte inhibits the binding of antibodies to surface immobilized analyte, or a displacement assay, where antibodies bound to the analyte on the sensor surface are displaced by free analyte.

There is a need for a sensor for monitoring that a mixture comprises the intended parts of a solution.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a sensor for monitoring the preparation of a solution.

The present invention provides a sensor system for fluids, comprising vertically arranged level sensors, characterized in that.

wherein the electronic circuit board is embedded in a hot melt compound which is surrounded by an injection molded housing.

In a further aspect of the sensor system all sensors are made of a conductive plastic.

In another embodiment of the sensor system, the two outer electrodes of the conductivity sensors apply a defined current and the two inner electrodes conductivity sensors measure the current for determining the conductivity of the fluid.

In a another embodiment of the sensor system, the at least two level sensors are optical sensors.

It may further be envisaged that each tip of the at least two level sensors is made of a transparent material.

The tip of a level sensor can be a prism.

The system according to the invention may further encompass that the temperature sensor is located below the conductivity sensor.

It is further envisaged that the temperature sensor is thermally insulated from the injection molded housing.

Another object of the invention is a method for monitoring the mixture of fluids, comprising the steps of.

The method may further comprise the step of adjusting the ratio of the two fluids according to the determined conductivity if the measured conductivity is outside the pre-defined range.

The invention will be described based on figures, in which:.

The technical problem is solved by the independent claims. The dependent claims cover further specific embodiments of the invention.

A fluid within the meaning of the present disclosure relates to a liquid which may comprise solid or gaseous compounds. The term controller shall be understood within the meaning of the present invention as a device that is able to receive and send electronic signals from or to the sensor system. Thus, a controller can also be an automated analyser system to which the sensor system is connected. The connector of a sensor system according to the present disclosure may also be used for connecting several sensor systems.

The present disclosure provides a low-cost sensor for analytical instruments. The sensor uses electrodes made of conductive plastic for measuring the conductivity instead of the commonly used metal electrodes. The sensor further comprises level sensors for monitoring the filling level in the container and a temperature sensor.

The sensors of a device according to the present disclosure are arranged in a very specific manner to obtain a reliable sensing but keep the complexity and costs of the device low. In comparison to the device which is disclosed in <CIT> the number of sensors is minimized in a device according to the present invention and said prior art document does not guide a skilled person to the chosen arrangement of sensors of a device of the present invention. In particular, the device of <CIT> provides four connectors for the circuit board. Said place of the PCB is used in a device according to the present invention for the four horizontally arranged conductivity sensors, so that the arrangement of the sensors according to the present invention would not be possible coming from a device according to <CIT> as a starting point.

The conductivity sensor of a sensor according to the present disclosure is based on the use of four electrodes which are arranged in a horizontal row of all four sensors next to another (four-wire measuring technique). The conductivity sensors are arranged below the lower level sensor of the two vertically above another arranged level sensors. Such an arrangement guarantees that the conductivity sensors are only used when they are covered by a liquid, which is the case when the lower level sensor detects a liquid.

A defined current is applied to the liquid via the two outer electrodes (conductivity sensors), and the voltage generated by the current flow is measured with high resistance using the two inner electrodes (conductivity sensors). An advantage of this arrangement of the electrodes and their use is that the results of measurements are not distorted by the electrical resistance of the electrodes themselves.

The level sensors of a sensor according to the present disclosure operate optically according to the total reflection principle. Light is emitted into a tip of the sensor. The tip of the sensor is made of a transparent material and the inner surfaces of the tip are angled in a manner so that the emitted light is reflected onto a receiver if there is air around the transparent tip of the sensor (total internal reflection). However, if a liquid is surrounding the tip of the sensor, the light exits the sensor, and the receiver will not receive reflected light.

At least two of such level sensors are provided, one may detect a minimum liquid level at which the conductivity electrodes are guaranteed to still be in the liquid and another level sensor is used to detect a maximum level to prevent a container from overflowing. Further level sensors may be used for determining intermediate fluid levels.

The conductivity of liquids depends strongly on the temperature of the liquid. Temperature compensation is thus essential for a precise conductivity measurement. The temperature sensor is located at the lower end of the conductivity sensor, thermally insulated as far as possible to reduce incorrect measurements due to a self-heating of the sensor.

The conductivity sensor remains permanently in the liquid so that the protection of the installed electronics is elementary. In addition, the sensor shall be manufactured cost-effectively in large quantities. Therefore, the sensor comprises a plastic injection molded housing, which is additionally filled with a hot melt potting compound. The sensor may be directly molded during injection molding, i.e. inserted into the injection mold, the hotmelt potting compound protects the electronics from temperature and pressure during injection molding and also protects against penetration of the liquid.

Direct "overmolding" achieves a housing without potentially critical (in terms of water ingress) joints and generates a tight connection to the electrodes and level sensors protruding into the liquid.

The electrodes for conductivity measurement and the prisms of the optical level sensors have so-called "melting ribs" which melt during injection molding and thus ensure a tight connection.

<FIG> shows in the middle a vertical arranged sensor system <NUM> with a view on a front plate <NUM> of an injection molded housing <NUM>. Sectional planes A-A, B-B and C-C are indicated. A connector <NUM> is arranged on top of the sensor for connecting the sensor system <NUM> with a cable (not shown) to a controller (not shwn). Two level sensors <NUM> are arranged above each other. The four electrodes of the conductivity sensors <NUM> are arranged in a row at the lower end of the front plate <NUM>.

The body of the injection molded housing <NUM> is filled with a hot melt compound <NUM> for embedding the level sensors <NUM>, conductivity sensors <NUM> together with an electronic circuit board <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a sectional view through a level sensor <NUM> which is connected to the electronic circuit board <NUM>. A transmitter <NUM> and a receiver <NUM> are arranged next to each other on the electronic circuit board <NUM>. Transmitter <NUM> emits light in the direction of tip <NUM> of the level sensor <NUM>. Tip <NUM> of the level sensor is a prism <NUM> so that light will be reflected onto receiver <NUM> if air surrounds tip <NUM> of level sensor <NUM>. In case that a fluid like a liquid surrounds prism <NUM> the light will no longer - at least partly - be reflected onto receiver <NUM>. Melting ribs <NUM> are arranged on the outer surface below the tip <NUM> of level sensor <NUM>. They are used for fixation of level sensor <NUM> in the injection molded housing <NUM> during injection molding.

<FIG> shows the electronic circuit board <NUM> without injection molded housing and hot melt compound in a side view (left), a front view (upper right), and in a view from below without connector <NUM> (lower part). Level sensors <NUM>, conductivity sensors <NUM>, temperature sensor <NUM> and connector <NUM> are all arranged onto and connected to the electronic circuit board.

<FIG> shows a sensor system <NUM> which is arranged in a container <NUM>.

The advantages of the invention can be summarized as follows:.

Claim 1:
A sensor system for fluids, comprising vertically arranged level sensors (<NUM>), characterized in that
- two level sensors (<NUM>) are arranged vertically one upon the other on and connected to an electronic circuit board (<NUM>),
- four electrodes of four conductivity sensors (<NUM>) which are arranged horizontally next to each other at the bottom of and connected to the electronic circuit board (<NUM>), wherein the four conductivity sensors (<NUM>) are arranged below the lower level sensor (<NUM>); and
- a temperature sensor (<NUM>) which is connected to the electronic circuit board (<NUM>);
- a connector (<NUM>) for connecting the electronic circuit board (<NUM>) to a controller;
wherein the electronic circuit board (<NUM>) is embedded in a hot melt compound (<NUM>) which is surrounded by an injection molded housing (<NUM>).