Back to results
US 6,187,599 B1Granted
Polymerized crystalline colloidal arrays
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh
InventorsSanford A. Asher, John H. Holtz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh
InventorsSanford A. Asher, John H. Holtz
Estimating the term…
Novel sensor devices composed of a crystalline colloidal array (CCA) polymerized in a hydrogel are disclosed. The hydrogels are characterized as being capable of shrinking and swelling in response to specific stimuli applied thereto. As the hydrogels shrink or swell, the lattice structure of the CCA embedded therein changes, thereby changing the wavelength of light diffracted by the CCA. Thus by monitoring the change in diffracted wavelength, the concentration of a stimulus is determined. The gels can be modified to sense numerous different stimuli. The sensor devices are specific in that they are modified to react with only one species or family of species. These sensors have various applications in areas including, for example, environmental and chemical systems, chemomechanical systems, sensor devices and medical diagnostic tools. Various methods for making and using these devices are also disclosed.
A composition comprising a polymerized hydrogel that undergoes a volume change in response to a specific chemical stimulus, and a crystalline colloidal array of charged particles having a lattice spacing, the array embedded in the hydrogel, wherein the hydrogel includes a chemical stimulus recognition component capable of recognizing the specific chemical stimulus, which component is selected from the group consisting of crown ethers, cyclodextrins, calixarenes, biomolecular recognition components, and chelating agents;
A composition comprising a polymerized hydrogel that undergoes a volume change in response to a specific chemical stimulus, a crystalline colloidal array of charged particles having a lattice spacing, which array is embedded in the hydrogel, and a material, embedded within said hydrogel, which is released by said change in volume;
A composition comprising a polymerized hydrogel that undergoes a volume change in response to a specific chemical stimulus, and a crystalline colloidal array of charged particles having a lattice spacing, which array is embedded in the hydrogel, wherein the chemical stimulus is selected from the group consisting of lead ions, potassium ions, and sodium ions;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.