A metrological bench is for calibrating a breath alcohol tester and for this purpose is adapted to carry out a method involving delivering to the tester a sample of gas that varies in terms of ethanol concentration, CO.sub.2 concentration, flow rate, pressure and temperature in a manner equivalent to the variances exhibited by a human.

A particle concentration is determined by acquiring a particle concentration measurement at a reference station from each of a plurality of sensors to be evaluated. A reference particulate concentration measurement is acquired from a reference station sensor at the reference station. A base set of sensors is selected from the plurality of sensors based upon a correlation calculation. A reference sensor is selected from the base set of sensors. A model is constructed that specifies a relationship between the reference sensor and the reference station sensor. A generalized sensor type is formulated using one or more characteristics of the reference sensor. The generalized sensor type is used to construct an inheritance network model. A particle concentration for the generalized sensor type is determined based upon the inheritance network model.

Systems and methods for compensating long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors used in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas to a patient by compensating for drift that may be specific to the sensors. The long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors can be addressed using calibration schedules, which can factor in the absolute change in set dose of NO being delivered to the patient that can drive one or more baseline calibrations. The calibration schedules can reduce the amount of times the sensor goes offline. Systems and methods may factor in actions occurring at the delivery system and/or aspects of the surrounding environment, prior to performing a baseline calibration, and may postpone the calibration and/or rejected using the sensor's output for the calibration.

Described are systems and methods for compensating long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors used in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas to a patient by compensating for drift that may be specific to the sensors atypical use in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide gas to a patient. The long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors may be addressed using calibration schedules, which can factor in the absolute change in set dose of NO being delivered to the patient that can drive one or more baseline calibrations. The calibration schedules can be used to reduce the amount of times the sensor goes offline.

A testing device (1) is configured for testing a gas guide element (3). A control unit (70) carries out a sequence of steps with two operating states. A test gas (91) is delivered by a pumping device (7) through the gas guide element (3) to a remotely located measuring location (80) and is subsequently delivered from the remotely located measuring location (80) to the gas sensor system (5). Measured values (77) are detected and analyzed during the delivery from the remotely located measuring location (80) to the gas sensor system (5) by a sensor (6, 90), which indicates a state of flow in the gas guide element (3) or an operating state of the pumping device (7). Changes occurring in the measured values (77) during the delivery from the remotely located measuring location (80) to the gas sensor system (5) indicate the operational capability of the gas guide element (3).

Described are systems and methods for compensating long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors used in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas to a patient by compensating for drift that may be specific to the sensors atypical use in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide gas to a patient. The long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors may be addressed using calibration schedules, which can factor in the absolute change in set dose of NO being delivered to the patient that can drive one or more baseline calibrations. The calibration schedules can be used to reduce the amount of times the sensor goes offline.

Described are systems and methods for compensating long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors used in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas to a patient by compensating for drift that may be specific to the sensors atypical use in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide gas to a patient. In at least some instances, the long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors can be addressed using calibration schedules, which can factor in the absolute change in set dose of NO being delivered to the patient that can drive one or more baseline calibrations. The calibration schedules can be used reduce the amount of times the sensor goes offline. Systems and methods described may factor in actions occurring at the delivery system and/or aspects of the surrounding environment, prior to performing a baseline calibration, and may postpone the calibration and/or rejected using the sensor's output for the calibration.

Systems and methods for compensating long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors used in systems for delivering therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas to a patient by compensating for drift that may be specific to the sensors. In at least some instances, the long term sensitivity drift of catalytic type electrochemical gas sensors can be addressed using calibration schedules, which can factor in the absolute change in set dose of NO being delivered to the patient that can drive one or more baseline calibrations. The calibration schedules can reduce the amount of times the sensor goes offline. Systems and methods may factor in actions occurring at the delivery system and/or aspects of the surrounding environment, prior to performing a baseline calibration, and may postpone the calibration and/or rejected using the sensor's output for the calibration.

A method of automatically calibrating a toxic gas detector comprising determining a calibration factor for each of the one or more electrochemical toxic gas sensors in the toxic gas detector; providing a predetermined concentration of an electrochemical calibration gas to the electrochemical toxic gas sensor and measuring a response of the electrochemical toxic gas sensor to the electrochemical calibration gas; calculating the calibration factor as a function of the response of the electrochemical toxic gas sensor to the target toxic gas and the electrochemical calibration gas; storing the calibration factor in memory; and calibrating the toxic gas detector by supplying a predetermined concentration of the electrochemical calibration gas and calibrating the response of each of the one or more electrochemical toxic gas sensors to the corresponding target gas based on the respective stored calibration factor for the electrochemical toxic gas sensor and the measured response to the electrochemical calibration gas.

Methods and sensors for the detection, identification, and quantification of one or more gas species, including volatile organic compounds, in a test sample are described. Methods employ gas sensors comprising a diffusion matrix present on the sensor surface. A gas analyte in a test sample diffuses through the matrix and is detected upon interaction of the analyte with the sensor. A response profile of a gas sensor to a gas analyte in the test sample is compared to a control gas sensor response profile determined in a similar manner for a known gas species. Comparisons of test sample and control sample sensor response profiles enable detection, identification, and quantification of a gas species analyte in a test sample.