A plenum assembly configured for electrophysiology assays, such as patch clamp techniques, includes one or more ground electrode assemblies. The ground electrode assemblies are individually removable from a plenum base of the plenum assembly in a non-destructive manner, and may be reinstalled in the plenum base in a manner that reestablishes electrical contact with ground circuitry without requiring soldering or other additional steps. A rejuvenating apparatus is provided for rejuvenating one or more ground electrode assemblies removed from the plenum base.

A plenum assembly configured for electrophysiology assays, such as patch clamp techniques, includes one or more ground electrode assemblies. The ground electrode assemblies are individually removable from a plenum base of the plenum assembly in a non-destructive manner, and may be reinstalled in the plenum base in a manner that reestablishes electrical contact with ground circuitry without requiring soldering or other additional steps. A rejuvenating apparatus is provided for rejuvenating one or more ground electrode assemblies removed from the plenum base.

A self-vibrating pH probe comprise a housing containing an electronic assembly to which is coupled a vibration source element so that at least a portion of vibrations caused by the vibration source element propagate to the electronic assembly, the vibration source element being controllable for at least on/off operation. The self-vibrating pH probe further comprising a pH probe member having a probe tip at a first end, the probe member extending from the housing and mechanically and electrically coupled by a second end to the electronic assembly so that at least a portion of vibrations propagating to the electronic assembly further propagate to the probe tip; and further including a processor coupled to the electronic assembly for coordinating operation of the vibration source element and operation of the pH probe member.

This invention is to provide an electrode device whose manufacturing cost is suppressed and whose surface is difficult to be polluted. The electrode device comprises an internal electrode, an enclosure that houses the internal electrode, an internal solution that is housed in the enclosure and that electrically communicates a liquid junction formed in the enclosure or a response glass that forms a part or all of the enclosure with the internal electrode, and an antifouling mechanism that has a light source to irradiate ultraviolet rays on a sample contact surface of the enclosure as being a surface that makes contact with a sample and that prevents the sample contact surface of the enclosure from being polluted, and the light source is directly or indirectly mounted on an outside of the enclosure, or the light source is housed inside of the enclosure.

This invention is to provide an electrode device whose manufacturing cost is suppressed and whose surface is difficult to be polluted. The electrode device comprises an internal electrode, an enclosure that houses the internal electrode, an internal solution that is housed in the enclosure and that electrically communicates a liquid junction formed in the enclosure or a response glass that forms a part or all of the enclosure with the internal electrode, and an antifouling mechanism that has a light source to irradiate ultraviolet rays on a sample contact surface of the enclosure as being a surface that makes contact with a sample and that prevents the sample contact surface of the enclosure from being polluted, and the light source is directly or indirectly mounted on an outside of the enclosure, or the light source is housed inside of the enclosure.

This disclosure provides techniques for extending useful life of a reference electrode, as well as a novel voltametric system and measurement cell design and related chemistries. An automated, repeatable-use system features a reference electrode that directly immerses a metallic conductor into an analyte, with electrolytes (e.g., chlorides) used for measurement being separately added and removed for each measurement cycles; the metallic conductor can optionally be left exposed to clean dry air in between measurements. In one implementation, the system can be restricted to application with specific analytes (e.g., ground water) that are known in advance to be free of substances that could degrade reference electrode use or lifetime. Cleaning solutions can optionally be used that would not be practical with conventional (insulated) reference electrode designs. In another embodiment, a measurement cell can be configured to receive separated electrode modules, permitting independent cleaning/removal of the working electrode (or other electrodes).

This disclosure provides techniques for extending useful life of a reference electrode, as well as a novel voltametric system and measurement cell design and related chemistries. An automated, repeatable-use system features a reference electrode that directly immerses a metallic conductor into an analyte, with electrolytes (e.g., chlorides) used for measurement being separately added and removed for each measurement cycles; the metallic conductor can optionally be left exposed to clean dry air in between measurements. In one implementation, the system can be restricted to application with specific analytes (e.g., ground water) that are known in advance to be free of substances that could degrade reference electrode use or lifetime. Cleaning solutions can optionally be used that would not be practical with conventional (insulated) reference electrode designs. In another embodiment, a measurement cell can be configured to receive separated electrode modules, permitting independent cleaning/removal of the working electrode (or other electrodes).

Methods and apparatus for monitoring process water within a food processing system are provided. One example water control system for a food processing system generally includes a temperature adjustment element having an inlet and an outlet and a sensor coupled to the outlet of the temperature adjust element. The temperature adjustment element is configured to: receive, at the inlet, a portion of process water from a process water supply in a stage of the food processing system, the process water in the process water supply and the received portion of the process water having a first temperature; and cause the portion of the process water at the outlet to have a second temperature, different from the first temperature. The sensor is configured to measure at least one property of the portion of the process water received from the outlet of the temperature adjustment element.

A pretreatment method and an in-vivo component measuring device in which problems caused by bubbles is suppressed is provided. The pretreatment method uses an electrode sensor 21 for measuring a measurement target component contained in a measurement sample collected from a subject, and a liquid used for pretreatment of measurement, the pretreatment includes step (A) for forming a droplet 8 of liquid, step (B) for pressing the droplet 8 of liquid onto the surface of the electrode type sensor 21 by relative movement of the droplet 8 of liquid and the electrode type sensor 21, and step (C) for removing the droplet 8 pressed against the surface of the expression sensor 21.

An electrode cleaning and calibration system generally comprises a sensor holder assembly machined from a block of solid acrylic or similar plastic material, which can accommodate a variety of types and sizes of sensors for use in monitoring and measurement of water processing and treatment processes. Examples of sensors suitable for use in the system include pH sensors, dissolved oxygen sensors, chlorine sensors, ozone sensors, total suspended solid sensors, mixed liquor suspended solid sensors, ammonia sensors, monochloramine sensors, and ultraviolent transmittance sensors.