Patent ID: 8198075

Claim:
A water quality analyzer, comprising: a cell for receiving a fluid to be analyzed and concentrating a plurality of photosynthetic organisms in said fluid to be analyzed into at least one concentrated region within the cell, said cell comprising: a first electrode and a top electrode arranged opposite to one another, each having a surface in contact with said fluid flowing therebetween, wherein the top electrode is optically transparent to photosynthetic radiation produced by the plurality of photosynthetic organisms, wherein the first electrode and the top electrode are separated by first and second electrically insulating spacers, wherein the first electrode, first spacer, second spacer, and top electrode are arranged to form a conduit that the fluid flows through, and a power supply electrically connected to the first electrode and the top electrode, the power supply for producing an AC signal with a DC bias across the first electrode and the top electrode; a photodetector for obtaining a measured photosynthetic activity of said plurality of photosynthetic organisms in said at least one concentrated region, wherein chemical, biological, or radiological agents reduce photosynthetic activity of said photosynthetic organisms; an electronics package for analyzing measured photosynthetic activity to indicate a presence of said chemical, biological, or radiological agents in said fluid; and a platform on which the cell is disposed, wherein the platform is moveable relative to the photodetector as controlled by the electronics package.