METHOD OF BIOLOGICAL MONITORING AQUATIC MEDIUM BASED ON RECORDING POSITION OF COCKLESHELLS OF BIVALVED CONCHIFERES AND SYSTEM TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G01N33/18 

FIELD: physics; measurement.

SUBSTANCE: invention pertains to environmental conservation, in particular to methods and means of ecological monitoring aquatic medium through non-invasive control of the functional state of native animals. The method involves attaching position sensors in cockleshells, putting mollusca with sensors into the monitored water, generation and transmission of optical radiation along optical fibre transmission lines, one section of each of which is made in form of a loop and attached to the base of a sensor attached to the cockleshells, with one side of the loop supported by the bottom of a groove, made in the base of the sensor, with possibility of mechanical interaction of the other side of the loop with an element which acts on a sensing element, fitted on the other side of the cockleshell, and with possibility of deformation of the shape of the loop in its plane as a result of mechanical interaction of the loop with the element acting on the sensing element and the bottom of the groove in the base of the sensor. The method also involves conversion of optical radiation, passing through optical fibres, to electrical signals by optical receivers, fitted with possibility of optical contact with output ends of the optical fibres, their conversion to digital codes, input of the digital codes to a computer, comparison of the digital codes with a threshold values using the computer, corresponding to the value of electrical signal when cockleshells are closed, determination of the number of mollusca, whose cockleshells are closed, using the number of digital codes, not exceeding the threshold value, and making a decision on contamination of the monitored water when the number of mollosca, whose cockleshells are closed, exceeds the threshold value. The system contains a sensor the position of cockleshells, amplifiers, analogue-to-digital converters and a computer. Each position sensor contains a source of optical radiation, optical receiver, signal transmission line in form of an optical fibre, input and output ends of which are installed with possibility of optical contact with the source of optical radiation and optical receiver respectively, the base of the sensor, which can be fitted on one cockleshell and has a groove, a sensing element of the sensor, which is made into a loop of optical fibre transmission line, fitted on the base of the sensor with support of one side of the loop at the bottom of the groove in the base, and an element which acts on the sensing element of the sensor, which can be fitted on the other side of the cockleshell and can mechanically interact with the loop of optical fibre and can deform the shape of the loop of optical fibre in its plane as a result of the said interaction.

EFFECT: more reliable environmental monitoring is achieved, as well as simplification and operating costs of the system for monitoring aquatic media and reduction of mass and size of the position sensor used in this system.

12 cl, 5 dwg