Patent ID: 7095365

Claim:
An apparatus for monitoring a field device for determining and/or monitoring a physical and/or chemical process parameter of a process medium, comprising: a first sealing stage facing toward the process medium; at least one housing with a predetermined interior volume, which housing is located on the side of said first sealing stage facing away from the process medium; said energy interacts with the process medium; at least one detector unit is provided in said housing, which unit monitors at least one condition parameter of the interior volume of said housing; and a control/evaluation device determines, on the basis of the energy interacting with the process medium, the physical and/or chemical process parameter, wherein: energy is transferable through said first sealing stage in the direction of the process medium; and said control/evaluation unit and/or another monitoring unit recognizes and/or reports, on the basis of the monitored condition parameter in the interior volume of said housing, whether said sealing stage is sealing said housing against the process, and/or issues an alarm as soon as the monitored condition parameter in the interior volume of said housing reaches a predetermined limit value.