Monitoring of Photo-Aging of Light-Based Chemical Indicators Using Cumulative Exposure Tracking, and Systems, Methods, Apparatuses, and Software Relating Thereto
Photo-aging monitoring of light-based chemical indicators that experience performance degradation as the cumulative amount of light exposure from measurement and/or reference illumination increases from usage. Cumulative exposure to measurement and/or reference illumination from a monitoring/measuring system is tracked and stored as at one or more locations. Cumulative exposure information can be used to control various actions relating to measurements acquired from the chemical indicators, such as compensating measurement readings for photo-aging, assigning confidence levels to measurement readings, and issuing alerts to users when photo-aging exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds.
1 . A method of monitoring photo-aging of a chemical indicator in an aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system, comprising:
obtaining light-exposure information corresponding to exposure of the chemical indicator to illumination from one or more optical reader systems;
storing cumulative-light-exposure data based on the light-exposure information in at least one data storage system, wherein the cumulative-light-exposure data represents a cumulative amount of light from the one or more reader system to which the chemical indicator is exposed over time; and
using the cumulative-light-exposure data to determine whether or not to take a remedial action relative to measurements acquired from the chemical indicator by the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said obtaining light-exposure information includes obtaining an amount of time an illuminating light source is turned on.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical indicator is on a chemical indicator apparatus having an information storage device, said storing cumulative-light-exposure data including storing the cumulative-light-exposure data on the information storage device.
4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system includes a monitoring/measuring unit having a memory, said storing cumulative-light-exposure data including storing the cumulative-light-exposure data in the memory.
5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system includes cloud-computing storage, said storing cumulative-light-exposure data including storing the cumulative-light-exposure data in the cloud-computing storage.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said using the cumulative-light-exposure data includes assigning a confidence level to the measurements as a function of the cumulative-light-exposure data.
7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said using the cumulative-light-exposure data includes applying a correction factor as a function of the cumulative-light-exposure data.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said using the cumulative-light-exposure data includes issuing an alert to a user advising of a condition of photo-aging.
9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the chemical indicator is an immobilized dye chemical indicator and said obtaining light-exposure information includes obtaining the light-exposure information while the immobilized dye chemical indicator is submerged in an aquatic environment being monitored.
10 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising reading stored cumulative-light-exposure data from an information storage device of a holder that holds the chemical indicator when the holder is engaged with the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system.
11 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium containing machine-executable instructions for executing a method of monitoring photo-aging of a chemical indicator in an aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system, said machine-executable instructions comprising:
a first set of machine-executable instructions for obtaining light-exposure information corresponding to exposure of the chemical indicator to illumination from one or more optical reader systems;
a second set of machine-executable instructions for storing cumulative-light-exposure data based on the light-exposure information in at least one data storage system, wherein the cumulative-light-exposure data represents a cumulative amount of light from the one or more reader system to which the chemical indicator is exposed over time; and
a third set of machine-executable instructions for using the cumulative-light-exposure data to determine whether or not to take a remedial action relative to measurements acquired from the chemical indicator by the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system.
12 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said first set of machine-executable includes machine-executable instructions for obtaining an amount of time an illuminating light source is turned on.
13 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the chemical indicator is on a chemical indicator apparatus having an information storage device, said second set of machine-executable instructions including machine-executable instructions for storing the cumulative-light-exposure data on the information storage device.
14 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system includes a monitoring/measuring unit having a memory, said second set of machine-executable instructions including machine-executable instructions for storing the cumulative-light-exposure data in the memory.
15 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system includes cloud-computing storage, said second set of machine-executable instructions including machine-executable instructions for storing the cumulative-light-exposure data in the cloud-computing storage.
16 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said third set of machine-executable instructions includes machine-executable instructions for assigning a confidence level to the measurements as a function of the cumulative-light-exposure data.
17 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said third set of machine-executable instructions includes machine-executable instructions for applying a correction factor as a function of the cumulative-light-exposure data.
18 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said third set of machine-executable instructions includes machine-executable instructions for issuing an alert to a user advising of a condition of photo-aging.
19 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the chemical indicator is an immobilized dye chemical indicator and said first set of machine-executable instructions includes machine-executable instructions for obtaining the light-exposure information while the immobilized dye chemical indicator is submerged in an aquatic environment being monitored.
20 . A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 11 , further comprising a fourth set of machine executable instructions for reading stored cumulative-light-exposure data from an information storage device of a holder that holds the chemical indicator when the holder is engaged with the aquatic-environment monitoring/measuring system.