ELECTRODE CLEANING USING ELECTRICAL PULSE

Abstract

Cleaning an electrode used for acquiring measurement data while the electrode is contacting a medium using a set of electrical pulses. An electrical pulse causes a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode. A particular voltage drop and/or other aspects of the pulse(s) can be selected based on the voltage source, electrode, medium, and/or the like. In an illustrative embodiment, the voltage drop is between approximately 1.0 and approximately 1.5 volts.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative environment for obtaining electronic measurement data according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a more detailed view of an illustrative measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative series of pulses for cleaning an electrode according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative flow diagram for obtaining measurement data for a medium according to an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of managing an electronic measurement system, the method comprising: contacting an electrode with a medium; andcleaning the electrode while the electrode is contacting the medium, the cleaning including: applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, the cleaning further including repeating the applying for at least one additional pulse.

3. The method of claim 2, the cleaning including a gap between each pulse having a duration of approximately 200 milliseconds.

4. The method of claim 1, the pulse having a duration between approximately 0.1 milliseconds and approximately 100 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1, the pulse having a duration of approximately 200 milliseconds.

6. The method of claim 1, the pulse comprising an alternating current electrical pulse.

7. The method of claim 6, the pulse having a frequency between approximately 1 Hertz and approximately 1 Megahertz.

8. The method of claim 6, the pulse having a frequency of approximately 10,000 Hertz.

9. The method of claim 1, the voltage drop being approximately 1.25 Volts.

10. The method of claim 1, the medium comprising a saline solution.

11. The method of claim 1, the medium including a protein.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a cell culture to the electrolyte.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a monitoring current to the electrode.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a wounding current to the electrode.

15. An electronic measurement system comprising: an electrode;a system for obtaining electronic measurement data based on the electrode and a medium contacting the electrode; anda system for cleaning the electrode while the electrode is contacting the medium, the system for cleaning including a system for applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a system for applying a monitoring current to the electrode.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a system for applying a wounding current to the electrode.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a system for adjusting at least one aspect of an environment for the medium.

19. The system of claim 15, the electronic measurement data comprising an impedance.

20. A computer program comprising program code stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing an electronic measurement system, the method comprising: cleaning an electrode in the electronic measurement system while the electrode is contacting a medium, the cleaning including directing a voltage source to apply an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode; andobtaining electronic measurement data based on the electrode and the medium.

21. The computer program of claim 20, the obtaining including directing the voltage source to apply a monitoring current to the electrode.

22. The computer program of claim 20, the method further comprising directing the voltage source to apply a wounding current to the electrode.

23. The computer program of claim 20, the method further comprising directing a component to adjust at least one aspect of an environment for the medium.

24. A method of generating an electronic measurement system, the method comprising: providing a computer system operable to:obtain electronic measurement data based on an electrode and a medium contacting the electrode; andclean the electrode while the electrode is surrounded by the medium by applying an electrical pulse to the electrode, the pulse causing a voltage drop between approximately 0.01 Volts and approximately 10 Volts across the electrode.