Single-use disposable reference sensor
AssigneeNova Biomedical Corporation
InventorBong Kyun Oh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A single-use disposable potentiometric reference sensor includes an insulating base substrate, a reference electrode disposed on the insulating base substrate where the reference electrode is a silver-silver chloride electrode, an internal layer disposed on the reference electrode where the internal layer is an amorphous salt layer that includes an amorphous polysaccharide and a salt having equi-mobility cations and anions, and a semipermeable cover membrane disposed over the internal layer where the semipermeable cover membrane has water vapor and ion permeability.
Claims18
A single-use disposable potentiometric reference sensor comprising:
- an insulating base substrate;
- an insulating layer disposed over the insulating base substrate, wherein the insulating layer has an opening formed therein which terminates over the insulating base substrate;
- a reference electrode at least partially disposed within the opening of the insulating layer over the insulating base substrate;
- an internal layer disposed on the reference electrode within the opening of the insulating layer, wherein the internal layer is an amorphous salt layer that includes an amorphous polysaccharide and a salt having equi-mobility cations and anions;
- and
- a semipermeable cover membrane disposed on the internal layer within the opening of the insulating layer such that at least a portion of the semipermeable cover membrane physically contacts the internal layer, wherein the semipermeable cover membrane has water vapor permeability and ion permeability.
A multi-layer reagent matrix for making a potentiometric reference electrode into a reference sensor, the reagent matrix comprising:
- an internal layer formed from an amorphous salt layer mixture containing an amorphous polysaccharide and a salt, the internal layer overlaying the potentiometric reference electrode, wherein the amorphous polysaccharide has amorphous properties such that when over saturated with the salt, the amorphous polysaccharide and the salt do not separate when the internal layer is formed, wherein the internal layer is a mixture of potassium chloride and at least one of pullulan, dextran, and amylose, wherein the amorphous polysaccharide is in a concentration range of about 0.02% w/w to about 7.0% w/w in the internal layer;
- and
- a semipermeable cover membrane formed from a cover membrane solution disposed on the internal layer such that at least a portion of the semipermeable cover membrane physically contacts the internal layer, the cover membrane solution containing a hydrophobic polymer, wherein the hydrophobic polymer is water vapor and ion permeable.
A method of forming a single-use disposable electrochemical potentiometric reference sensor, the method comprising:
- providing a sensor body having:
- an insulating base substrate with at least one conductive path;
- an insulating and reagent holding layer disposed over the insulating base substrate, wherein the insulating and reagent holding layer has at least one reagent holding opening formed therein, which terminates over the insulating base substrate and exposes a portion of the at least one conductive path;
- and
- a reference electrode at least partially disposed within the at least one reagent holding opening over the insulating base substate;
- disposing an amorphous salt layer mixture containing an amorphous polysaccharide and a salt having equi-mobility cations and anions into one of the at least one reagent holding opening on the reference electrode, wherein the amorphous polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of pullulan, dextran, and amylose;
- drying the amorphous salt layer mixture forming an internal layer that is an amorphous structure layer;
- disposing a cover membrane solution containing a hydrophobic polymer onto the internal layer;
- and
- drying the cover membrane solution forming a semipermeable cover membrane such that at least a portion of the semipermeable cover membrane physically contacts the internal layer, wherein the semipermeable cover membrane has water vapor permeability and ion permeability.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.