Microelectrode array
OwnerAndrew John Whitehead, Geoffrey Alan Scarsbrook +4inventors
InventorsAndrew John Whitehead, Geoffrey Alan Scarsbrook, Julie Victoria MacPherson, Mark Newton, Patrick Robert Unwin, William Joseph Yost, III
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Abstract
Microelectrode comprising a body formed from electrically non-conducting material and including at least one region of electrically conducting material and at least one passage extending through the body of non-conducting material and the region of conducting material, the electrically conducting region presenting an area of electrically conducting material to a fluid flowing through the passage in use. An electrochemical cell which includes such a microelectrode is also disclosed.
Claims48
A microelectrode comprising a body formed from electrically non-conducting material and including at least one region of electrically conducting material and at least one passage extending through the body of non-conducting material and the region of conducting material, the electrically conducting region presenting an area of electrically conducting material to a fluid flowing through the passage in use.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body comprises a layered structure comprising at least two spaced layers of non-conducting material and at least one layer of conducting material sandwiched between the layers of non-conducting material and at least one passage formed through the layers in a direction transverse to the layers.
A microelectrode according to any one of the previous claims where the passage is an analysis passage.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein body has a plurality of passages passing through it and through the region or regions of electrically conducting material.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the electrically non-conducting material is non-conducting diamond.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the electrically conducting material is electrically conducting diamond.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the region or regions of electrically conducting material are in electrical contact with an external surface of the body.
An electrochemical cell which includes a microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a dopant concentration is uniform through a conductive layer such that a dispersion of dopant when viewed over the whole volume of the electrode is such that the concentration of dopant atoms, as measured by SIMS, in any 1 mm3 volume does not vary from the concentration of dopant atoms in any other 1 mm3 volume by more than about 50%.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a dopant concentration is uniform such that the concentration of dopant atoms on the analysis surface(s) of a conducting layer, as measured by SIMS, in any 0.36 mm2 area of an analysis area, does not vary from the concentration of dopant atoms in any other 0.36 mm2 of an analysis area by more than about 50%.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a dopant concentration is uniform such that the concentration of dopant atoms on any surface of a conducting layer, as measured by SIMS, in any 0.36 mm2 area, does not vary from the concentration of dopant atoms in any other 0.36 mm2 of area by more than about 50%.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, where the conductive region or layer comprises boron doped single crystal diamond, all the passages traverse a single growth sector.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, where the diamond of the one or more conductive layers or regions is polycrystalline boron doped diamond, the typical grain size (modal grain size) of the diamond is less than 0.5 times the diameter of the one or more passages.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the device is adapted to be operated with a fluid flow velocity through the one or more passages of greater than 10 ms−1.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the device is adapted to be operated with a differential pressure between front and back surfaces of greater than about 0.05 MPa.
Use of a microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims as a micro-electro-osmotic pump.
Use of a microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims to process the fluid either as part of the analysis or as an alternative to the analysis.
Use of a microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims to process the fluid for use external to the microelectrode structure.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims including separately addressable layers.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims including separately addressable regions.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims including separately addressable regions and separately addressable layers within the same microelectrode.
A microelectrode according to any one of the preceding claims including a reference electrode as an in-situ device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.