Electrode and cuvette for rapid continuous CO₂ tension and pH measurement in blood

An electrode and cuvette system has been developed for the continuous and rapid measurement of either blood CO₂ tension or pH. The CO₂ electrode consists of a 1.5-mm-diameter flat-tip glass pH electrode covered by a film of carbonic anhydrase solution, over which a 25-μm-thick dimethyl silicone membrane is attached. Porous ceramic filled with 20% polyacrylamide, equilibrated with a salt solution, serves as a salt bridge between a Ag-AgCl reference electrode and the pH electrode surface. The electrode is housed in a four-port cuvette assembly. Blood from a vessel of interest is delivered to the cuvette by means of an occlusive roller pump. The cuvette maintains the electrode and blood at a constant temperature and directs a continuous jet of blood against the electrode surface. The cuvette also allows for easy and frequent calibration of the electrode with either gas or liquid standards. The 90% response time of the CO₂ electrode is 3.0 s for liquids and 1.3 s for gases. Removal of the dimethyl silicone membrane and carbonic anhydrase film yields a pH electrode that can continuously measure blood pH with a 90% response time of 1.6 s.