Chemical sensing apparatus having multiple immobilized reagents

A sensing apparatus, comprising:

• an at least one light source emitting energy;
• an at least one detection target having an immobilized reagent within the target surface;
• an at least one detection target having no reagent;
• an at least one detector, wherein the at least one detection targets having immobilized reactants and the at least one detection target having no reagent are in communication with the sample and the immobilized reagent interacts with the sample and energy incident from the at least one light source is changed by the interaction and the change is in turn detected by the at least one detector and associated with a measurement of the level of the reactant or analyte in the sample and calibrated against a reference energy profile received by the at least one detector from the at least one target having no reagent.

A method of sensing, comprising the steps of:

• placing a sample in a vessel in contact with an at least two detection targets having an immobilized reagents thereon;
• directing an at least one light source incident upon the at least two detection targets having immobilized reagents thereon;
• emitting energy from the at least one light source incident upon the at least two detection targets having immobilized reagents thereon such that the energy changes with any interaction the immobilized reagents have with the sample;
• detecting a change in the energy incident upon the at least two detection targets having immobilized reagents caused by the interaction of the immobilized reagents with the sample;
• and
• reporting the results of the detection step.

An apparatus sensing a change in an optical profile from an at least one detection target having an immobilized reagent within at least one surface of the detection target, prepared by the process steps of:

• forming a sol-gel matrix;
• adding a reagent into the matrix and immobilizing the reagent within the matrix;
• forming an at least one surface with an at least one detection target having the immobilized reagent on the at least one surface;
• placing the at least one detection target having the immobilized reagent on the at least one surface in a sample vessel;
• placing an at least one detection target having no reagent in the sample vessel;
• and
• calibrating at least one detection target having the immobilized reagent using data detected from the at least one detection target having no reagent.