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Abstract

An oxygen sensor is provided for determination of the partial pressure of oxygen. In one aspect, the invention consists of oxygen-quenchable luminescent lanthanide complexes for an oxygen sensor. The complexes are oxygen-quenchable even though immobilized in a solid matrix, such as a solid polymeric matrix, and preferably are terbium complexes of Schiff base or .beta.-diketone ligands. Certain preferred processes are described for improving the oxygen sensitivity of the lanthanide complexes. In another aspect, the invention consists of a combination measuring and reference analyte sensor containing both quenchable and nonquenchable luminescent materials. The materials luminesce at different wavelengths and thus may be transmitted together down a single optical fiber and later discriminated by means of filters and separtely detected. In a third aspect, the invention consists of a low-noise phosphorescent analyte sensor employing a gatable detector. By use of an analyte-quenchable material having a relatively long-lived phosphorescence, a pulsed excitation source, and selectively coupling the detector after the excitation source is off and any short-lived background luminescence has ended, a low-noise output signal consisting of the long-lived phosphorescence is selectively detected and the concentration of the analyte determined therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, all aspects of the invention are combined to produce a miniature in vivo oxygen sensor for use in the narrow blood vessels of the body.

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First Claim