Colorimetric sensors and methods of manufacturing the same
AssigneeDrinkSavvy, Inc.
InventorMin Hu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A colorimetric sensor for detecting an analyte of interest that includes multiple surfaces and a molecularly imprinted polymer defining a cavity shaped to receive an analyte of interest. Each surface defines a void (e.g., a pore or a nanohole) and at least one surface defines a fluid inlet. The sensor is configured such that, when an analyte contacts the molecularly imprinted polymer and becomes disposed within the cavity, a wettability of at least one of the surfaces changes thereby to cause a detectable color change in the sensor. Optionally, the sensor may also include a metal layer at a bottom of each void or nanohole and outside a top of each void or nanohole for use as a plasmon resonance-type sensor.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a sensor capable of detecting an analyte of interest in a fluid sample, the method comprising:
- mixing a liquid precursor of a polymer material with a plurality of analytes of interest to create a mixed liquid precursor of the polymer material;
- co-assembling the mixed liquid precursor of the polymer material with a plurality of templates to create a co-assembly;
- solidifying the co-assembly to create a solidified co-assembly;
- removing the plurality of templates from the solidified co-assembly to create a plurality of surfaces for the solidified co-assembly, each surface defining respective voids in the solidified co-assembly;
- removing the plurality of analytes from the solidified co-assembly to create a binding material to receive the plurality of analytes of interest;
- and
- coating the plurality of surfaces with a hydrophobic material, such that each surface of the plurality of surfaces has an initial hydrophobicity so as to repel a first fluid sample that does not contain the plurality of analytes of interest, which prevents the first fluid sample from infiltrating the respective voids defined by the each surface of the plurality of surfaces,
- wherein the sensor is configured such that, when the plurality of analytes of interest in a second fluid sample contacts the binding material, a wettability of at least one surface of the plurality of surfaces changes to a degree great enough to overcome the initial hydrophobicity and allows infiltration of the second fluid sample containing the plurality of analytes of interest into the respective voids defined by the each surface of the plurality of surfaces.
A method of manufacturing a sensor capable of detecting an analyte of interest, the method comprising:
- creating a plurality of surfaces of the sensor, each surface of the plurality of surfaces defininig a respective void and having a binding material that binds the analyte of interest;
- coating the plurality of surfaces with a hydrophobic material, such that the each surface of the plurality of surfaces has an initial hydrophobicity so as to repel a first fluid sample that does not contain the analyte of interest, which prevents the first fluid sample from infiltrating the respective voids defined by the each surface of the plurality of surfaces,
- wherein the sensor is configured such that:
- when the analyte of interest in a second fluid sample contacts the binding material, a wettability of at least one surface of the plurality of surfaces changes to a degree great enough to overcome the initial hydrophobicity and allows infiltration of the second fluid sample containing the analyte of interest into the respective voids defined by the each surface of the plurality of surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.