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Abstract

An antifouling electrochemical gas sensor is disclosed in which the sensor has a cell containing two spaced apart electrodes immersed in an electrolyte and a membrane over an opening in the end of the cell which is immersed in a medium containing varying concentrations of a gas to be sensed, typically oxygen. The electrodes are also connected to an external electrical circuit which indicates the current flow between the electrodes as a result of oxidation and reduction reactions at the electrodes caused by oxygen diffusing through the membrane into the cell. The sensor has a sensing mode during which it functions to indicate the amount of oxygen in the medium. The sensor also has a cleaning mode in which the current flow across the electrodes is in an opposite direction to cause a reaction at one of the electrodes producing a biocidal gas. The biocidal gas diffuses through the membrane from the interior of the cell to the exterior surface of the membrane to kill biological growths and organic deposits on the surface of the membrane and thereby clean the surface of the membrane.

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First Claim