Fluoroelastomer gasket for blood sensors
AssigneeChiron Diagnostics Corporation
InventorsAndy D. C. Chan, Mark W. Boden, John S. Benco, Robert A. Bergquist, Donna S. Orvedahl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elastomer, especially a fluoropolymeric elastomer, meets requirements necessary for use as a gasket in contact with primary membranes of electrochemical sensors of both blood gas and ionic species in blood. The elastomer can electrochemically seal an electrode of a diced chip (sensor) from a sample chamber, and can electrochemically seal electrodes of neighboring diced chips from each other. Significant simplicity in fabrication of multi-sensor analyzers and stopped-flow method using such analyzers is realized.
Claims75
An electrochemical analyzer comprising:
- an electrochemical sensor having a surface, a portion of the surface defining a sensing area;
- and
- a sample container which positions a sample at the sensing area, at least a portion of the container defined by an elastomeric fluoropolymer.
An electrochemical analyzer comprising:
- an electrochemical sensor having a first primary membrane having a surface, a portion of which defines a sensing area;
- and
- a sample container comprising a cover which receives and positions a sample at the sensing area, at least a portion of the container defined by an elastomeric fluoropolymer gasket between the cover and a sensing surface of the first primary membrane and contiguous with the first primary membrane
- wherein the sensor includes an electrode in electrical communication with a surface of the first primary membrane opposite the sensing surface, and the gasket forms an electrochemical seal providing wet electrical resistance between the electrode and the sensing surface of the first primary membrane via a pathway that circumvents the membrane that is at least twice the wet resistance across the membrane.
An electrochemical analyzer comprising:
- a first electrochemical sensor constructed and arranged for determining a gas, the first sensor including a first primary membrane having a first sensing area, and a container which positions a sample suspected of containing the gas at the first sensing area and that is defined at least in part by the first primary membrane and an elastomer that is contiguous with the first primary membrane;
- and
- a second electrochemical sensor constructed and arranged for determining an ionic species, the second sensor including a second primary membrane having a second sensing area, and a container which positions a sample suspected of containing the ionic species at the second sensing area and that is defined at least in part by the second primary membrane and an elastomer, essentially the same as the elastomer contiguous with the first membrane, that is contiguous with the second primary membrane.
A method of electrochemical analysis, comprising:
- delivering a sample suspected of containing an analyte into an electrochemical analyzer sample container, the sample container defined at least in part by a first primary membrane that is a component of a first electrochemical sensor constructed and arranged for determining a first analyte, a second primary membrane that is a component of a second electrochemical sensor constructed and arranged for determining a second analyte, and an elastomer that is contiguous with the primary membrane of the first sensor;
- preventing the sample from flowing;
- and
- determining the first analyte while the sample is prevented from flowing.
An electrochemical analyzer comprising:
- an electrochemical sensor including a heterogeneous membrane having a surface, a portion of the surface which receives a sample for electrochemical analysis;
- and
- a sample container which positions a sample at the sensing area, a portion of the sample container comprising an essentially gas-impermeable elastomer contiguous with the heterogeneous membrane.
In an electrochemical analyzer for determining an analyte present in a fluid, the analyzer having a primary sensing membrane positioned to contact the fluid, and having an impermeable container enclosing at least a portion of the membrane, the improvement comprising:
- the container being sealed by a sealing fluoroelastomeric gasket.
In an electrochemical analyzer for determining an analyte present in a fluid, the analyzer having a primary sensing membrane positioned to contact the fluid, and having an impermeable container enclosing at least a portion of the membrane, the improvement comprising:
- the container being sealed by a sealing fluoroelastomeric gasket that forms an electrochemical seal providing wet electrical resistance between an electrode of the analyzer and a sensing surface of the primary membrane via a pathway that circumvents the membrane that is at least twice the wet resistance across the membrane.
In an electrochemical analyzer for determining an analyte present in a fluid, the analyzer having a primary sensing membrane positioned to contact the fluid, and having an impermeable container enclosing at least a portion of the membrane, the improvement comprising:
- the container being sealed by a sealing fluoroelastomeric gasket having a Shore A of between about 10 and about 100, a permeability to carbon dioxide of less than about 100 barrers, the gasket forming a seal through which the passage of fluid and gas is substantially barred such that testing may be carried out for a period of at least two days under normal sensor operation, the gasket forming an electrochemical seal providing wet electrical resistance between an electrode of the analyzer and a sensing surface of the primary membrane via a pathway that circumvents the membrane that is at least twice the wet resistance across the membrane.
An electrochemical analyzer comprising:
- an electrochemical sensor having a first primary membrane having a surface, a portion of which defines a sensing area, and an electrode in electrical communication with a surface of the first primary membrane opposite the sensing surface;
- and
- a sample container comprising a cover which receives and positions a sample at the sensing area, at least a portion of the container defined by an elastomeric fluoropolymer contiguous with the first primary membrane,
- wherein the fluoropolymer forms an electrochemical seal providing wet electrical resistance between the electrode and the sensing surface of the first primary membrane via a pathway that circumvents the membrane that is at least twice the wet resistance across the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.