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Abstract

The determination of the concentration of compounds such as CO.sub.2 having an influence on the pH of a medium during polarography is described. Characteristics of polarograms when obtained in unbuffered electrolytes (the polarogram plateau slope position of the upper knee and half-wave potential thereof) are pH-sensitive. These can be detected electronically and signals processed to provide a measure of such concentrations. In one preferred embodiment (FIG. 2) a miniature pO.sub.2 polarographic sensor has cathode channels (A) and (B) biased respecitvely at -750 mV and -950 mV. The output of channel (A) provides pO.sub.2 as in normal polarography. The output of (B) is divided (6) and further corrected for pO.sub.2 (8,10) to provide pCO.sub.2. The apparatus is especially useful for simultaneous pO.sub.2, pCO.sub.2 monitoring in physiological fluids without the need for a separate pCO.sub.2 sensor.

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First Claim