MEASURING DEVICE FOR MEASURING AN INTENSIVE MEASURAND

Abstract

In a measuring device for measuring an intensive measurand, including at least one measuring chamber having at least one opening, the opening being placeable on the body to be examined. At least three sensors for measuring the intensive measurand are arranged in the measuring chamber, the sensors being arranged at different distances from the body to be examined during measurement. An evaluation device being provided which receives the values measured by the sensors and determines a total value for the intensive measured variable from the at least three measured values as well as a substance or energy diffusion rate.

Claims

1-27. (canceled)

28. A measuring device for measuring an intensive measurand, in particular the concentration of a substance emitted by a body by diffusion or the temperature, comprising at least one measuring chamber having at least one opening, the opening being placeable on the body to be examined, wherein at least three sensors for measuring the intensive measurand are arranged in the measuring chamber, the sensors being arranged at different distances from the body to be examined during measurement, wherein an evaluating device is provided that receives the values measured by the sensors and determines a total value for the intensive measurand from the at least three measured values.

29. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein the measuring chamber comprises at least two openings.

30. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein a calculation rule is stored in the evaluating device, on the basis of which the evaluating device determines the total value.

31. The measuring device according to claim 30, wherein the calculation rule stored in the evaluating device weights the values measured by the sensors differently to determine the total value for the intensive measurand.

32. The measuring device according to claim 30, wherein the calculation rule stored in the evaluating device uses a robust estimator when determining the total value.

33. The measuring device according to claim 30, wherein the total value is an estimated value which the evaluating device determines on the basis of the calculation rule, wherein the calculation rule takes into account a temporal course of the total value.

34. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein a model function is stored in the evaluating device or in a downstream separate evaluating unit for the approximate simulation of the real course of an intensive measurand to be determined.

35. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein the measuring chamber comprises at least one sidewall and the at least three sensors are arranged on the at least one sidewall at different distances from the body to be examined.

36. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein the measuring chamber comprises at least one sidewall and the at least three sensors are arranged spaced from the sidewall in the central area of the measuring chamber at different distances from the body to be examined.

37. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein the measuring chamber has a round cross-section.

38. The measuring device according to claim 28, wherein the at least three sensors are arranged in at least three rows, the at least three rows being arranged at different distances from the body to be examined and at least one sensor being arranged per row.

39. The measuring device according to claim 38, wherein the sensors measure the concentration of a substance emitted by the body by diffusion.

40. The measuring device according to claim 39, wherein the sensors measuring the concentration of a substance emitted by diffusion additionally measure the temperature and/or relative humidity, or that additionally at least three temperature sensors and/or sensors for measuring relative humidity for measuring the temperature and/or relative humidity are provided which are also arranged at different distances from the body to be examined during measurement.

41. The measuring device according to claim 40, wherein the evaluating device also receives the measured values for the temperature and/or relative humidity and determines a total temperature value and/or total value for relative humidity based on said measured values.

42. The measuring device according to claim 40, wherein the temperature sensors and/or sensors for relative humidity are also arranged on the sidewall.

43. A method for measuring an intensive measurand, in particular the concentration of a substance emitted by a body by diffusion or the temperature, comprising: placing at least one measuring chamber having at least three sensors for measuring the intensive measurand on a body to be examined, the measuring chamber having at least one opening that is placed on the body to be examined, wherein the measuring chamber is placed such that the sensors are arranged at different distance from the body to be examined during measurement, wherein the evaluating device receives the values measured by the sensors, and a total value for the intensive measurand is determined by the evaluating device from the measured values.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein a calculation rule is stored for determining the total value, on the basis on which the total value is determined.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein when determining the total value, the values measured by the sensors are weighted differently in the calculation rule.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein the measured values of the sensors that are arranged closer to the body to be examined are weighted higher.

47. The method according to claim 43, wherein a robust estimator is used for determining the total value.

48. The method according to claim 43, wherein a model function is used for approximate simulation of the real course of an intensive measurand to be determined.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein a value for the intensive measurand for a specific distance from the surface that was not measured directly by means of a sensor can be determined.

50. The method according to claim 39, wherein the concentration of a substance emitted by a body by diffusion is measured as intensive measurand.

51. The method according to claim 47, wherein, additionally, the temperature and/or relative humidity is measured as an intensive measurand at at least three points which are at a different distance from the body.

52. The method according to claim 43, wherein it determines the diffusion rate for the corresponding measurand from the gradient ∇c(z) of the measured intensive measurand c(z) in analogy to Fick's law.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein the intensive measurand is the temperature and the diffusion rate is the heat loss.

54. The method according to claim 52, wherein the intensive measurand is a substance concentration and the diffusion rate is a substance quantity per time and per area.

Description

[0065] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which the following is schematically shown:

[0066] FIG. 1 shows the measuring device for measuring the amount of a substance emitted by a body by diffusion,

[0067] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the measuring chamber,

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a section through the measuring chamber,

[0069] FIG. 4 also shows a section through the measuring chamber and a section through a touchdown cap,

[0070] FIG. 5 shows the temporal course of the measurements and the extrapolation of water vapor concentration, temperature and relative humidity to the surface of the body (continuous curve) and to the second opening of the measuring device (dashed curve).

[0071] FIG. 6 shows the extrapolation of the water vapor concentration as a function of the position of the sensor to the body.

[0072] FIG. 1 shows the measuring Device for measuring an intensive measurand. In the present exemplary embodiment, the concentration of a substance emitted by a body 5 by diffusion is measured.

[0073] A handle 2 is shown. A head 4 with a measuring chamber 6 is arranged on the handle. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, measuring chamber 6 has at least two opening 8 and 10, one of the at least two opening 14 being placeable on a body 5 to be examined. In the present case, opening 8 can be placed on the body 5 to be examined. The measuring chamber 6 is shown in plan view in FIG. 2. The measuring chamber 6 has a round cross-section as can be seen in FIG. 2.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows a section through measuring chamber 6. It can be seen that a plurality of sensors 12 are arranged on sidewall 14 of measuring chamber 6. The sensors 12 are arranged in rows and columns next to or on top of each other. Five sensors are arranged in a row on top of each other. Six sensors are arranged in a row, with an average of three sensors 12 of a row being visible.

[0075] The sensors 12 directly or indirectly measure the concentration of a substance emitted by diffusion.

[0076] The body 5 can be a biological or technical membrane. The measuring chamber 6 can be placed on body 5. A biological membrane can be a skin surface, in particular.

[0077] The illustrated sensors 12 can additionally also measure the temperature as intensive measurand. Alternatively, separate sensors can also be provided which measure the temperature, wherein a plurality of sensors can also be provided to measure the temperature.

[0078] An evaluating device 16 is arranged in handle 2 or externally.

[0079] The evaluating device 16 receives the values measured by the sensors 12 and determines a total value for the concentration of the substance emitted by diffusion from the at least three measured values. Since thirty sensors are provided in the present case, the measured values of at least thirty sensors are provided. A calculation rule is preferably stored in evaluating device 16, on the basis of which evaluating device 16 determines the total value.

[0080] The calculation rule and thus evaluating device 16 can differently weight the values measured by the different sensors 12. For example, the values of those sensors 12 that are arranged closer to the body to be examined can be weighted higher. Said sensors 12 are less susceptible to interference due to air turbulences. Furthermore, with these sensors 12, the measured values are available more quickly after measuring chamber 6 has been placed on a body again. The substance emitted by diffusion must first reach the sensors 12 after placing the measuring device 1 on the body. Therefore, said sensors 12 can measure the substance emitted by diffusion only after a certain time.

[0081] FIG. 4 also shows a section through the device, wherein an additional touchdown cap is illustrated. Said touchdown cap is used to protect the skin surface, in particular during examinations of the skin surface.

[0082] FIG. 5 shows the temporal course of measurements and the extrapolation of water vapor concentration, temperature and relative humidity to the surface of the body (continuous curve) and to the second opening of the measuring device (dashed curve). A stable value is reached only after a certain time. However, an estimated value for the total value can also be determined on the basis of the measured values that have already been measured at an early stage. To determine the estimated value, evaluation device 16, and thus the calculation rule, takes into account the temporal course of the total value and/or the measured values. The temporal course can be determined by comparative tests and, for example, a typical temporal course function can be determined. If the first values are now available, the expected stable total value can be determined on the basis of these first values and the stored temporal course function. Even if a measurement lasts longer, air turbulences or other disturbances may occur.

[0083] When determining the total value, measured values that vary strongly from the other measured values cannot be taken into account.

[0084] Thus, different weightings can still be applied in the further course of the measurement.

[0085] For example, the calculation rule may use a robust estimator to determine the total value.

[0086] It is also possible to determine the concentration of a substance emitted by diffusion at the body surface.

[0087] It is also possible to determine the concentration of a substance emitted by diffusion in the immediate vicinity of the measuring device.

[0088] For this purpose, an extrapolation can be performed, for example, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0089] FIG. 6 shows the water vapor concentration as a function of the distance between the sensors and the membrane to be examined. A function can be determined on the basis of the measured values. By determining this function, conclusions can be drawn about what the water vapor concentration is at the body surface and in the environment.