In this paper we investigate an in-line concept for continuous monitoring of sodium, potassium, calcium and urea concentrations in blood serum using ion-selective electrodes. This concept is evaluated in a preclinical study with human packed red blood cells as a test medium. It has been shown that the electrolytes can be well monitored. In addition, we present the first measurements with ion-sensitive field-effect transistors in a miniaturized sensor assembly using a novel readout electronics.

We present a novel method for measuring dynamic changes in respiration parameters due to breathing based on the coupling of two ultra-high-frequency antennae. Our sensor system shows a high reproducibility and a timing similar to a conventional flow sensor. The presented method is a promising candidate to overcome some of the most important technical burdens of measuring respiratory parameters and might be used as a trigger for patient–ventilator synchronization in infants and neonates.

The coupling behavior of electromagnetic pulses into the shielded enclosure of vulnerable systems is of great interest in order to estimate and to predict the system's reliability. The usage of an optical field sensor reduces the influence of the measuring setup and thus, enables the analysis of the enclosure's resonance behavior, which delivers revealing information about the dependence of the quality factor on the aperture size of the enclosure.

A dialysis treatment with an individual dialysis fluid composition can prevent certain complications during treatment. For this purpose, it is necessary to know the exact electrolyte concentrations in the blood. In this work, we present a concept for continuous in-line monitoring of electrolyte concentrations using ion-selective electrodes separated from the blood flow by a dialysis membrane. First investigations of this concept show no hemolysis and a relative error of less than 0.5 %.

A systematic investigation of a split-ring resonator for application as a biosensor is presented. The parameters responsible for the sensitivity of the setup were determined using a new approach to determine the resonance frequency depending on the relative permittivity of the sample. Based on these parameters, the resonator structure was optimized. Subsequently, a split-ring resonator was functionalized with aptamers and a selective detection of CRP could be shown.

Electron capture detectors (ECDs) are widely used for the detection of electron affine substances such as pesticides or chlorofluorocarbons. In this work we present a new non-radioactive ECD and investigate the analytical performance depending on the operating parameters. We achieved limits of detection for 1,1,2-trichloroethane and sevoflurane, which are comparable to radioactive ECDs. Furthermore, a pulsed collector voltage mode was implemented, leading to an extended linear range.